“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10 (ESV)
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for commanding our stillness, for otherwise, we wouldn’t choose it—especially when we’re a little bit (or a big bit) anxious. Help us to cast our cares upon you, as we quiet our hearts before you.
Confirm in our hearts, yet again, that you are in complete control; that you are working all things together after the counsel of your will; that you are working in all things for our good; that we cannot add one minute to our lives by our worry or change one broken story by our fretting.
Father, we long for the magnificent, über-glorious, all-things-new Day of Jesus’ return—the Day when you will be “exalted among the nations.” But we also long for you to be exalted in situations that weigh heavy hearts in this day.
Be exalted in our health care stories. Some of us are waiting for our MRIs and scans to be read; some of us just got disappointing lab reports back for people we love. Father, whether we live or die, whether we have twenty more years, or twenty more minutes, we belong to you through Jesus—and we are ever so thankful. Grant us grace and peace, for however you choose to write our stories.
Be exalted in our family stories and relationships. Nothing fuels our joy, and our anxieties, more than our relationships. Father, renew and refresh our relationship with Jesus, so that we will see others with his eyes and love them with his grace. Forgive us for making idols of our marriages and parenting, friendships and churches. Only Jesus can fill the Jesus-hole in our hearts.
Be exalted in the transitions we didn’t see coming, the changes we didn’t anticipate, and the curve balls just thrown at us. As much as we’d love to live a predictable, pain free life, you haven’t promised us one. But you have promised yourself and all the grace we’ll need until we’re safely home. Great is your faithfulness, steadfast is your love, and new are your mercies—every day. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ kind and powerful name.
