When facing great loss, or even the possibility of loss, our prayers tend to become externally focused. We want the pain to go away and everything to be as it once was. Therefore, our prayers are very specific, especially regarding our needs for healing and deliverance. Furthermore, more often than not, we even spend time telling God how we want it done. Obviously, I am speaking from personal experience. Gradually, I have learned, and continue to learn, that such an approach grieves the Holy Spirit because without meaning to do so, we are telling God that we know more than He does. Thankfully, long ago, God used the most influential Old Testament writing prophet to establish an unshakeable foundation. The Message translation of Isaiah 55:8-11 sums up the great truth he penned with amazing simplicity:
“I don’t think the way you think.
The way you work isn’t the way I work.”
“For as the sky soars high above earth,
so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
So will the words that come out of my mouth
not come back empty-handed.
They’ll do the work I sent them to do,
they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.”
Practical Application
Correctly received, these instructions open the door for a radical change in how we face adversity:
- The focus of our prayers moves from external solutions to a desire for the internal workings of the Holy Spirit.
- We become willing to lay aside our agenda and submit to God’s will and purpose for our lives.
- Recognizing our human frailties and limitations, we are then able to freely rely upon God’s unlimited knowledge and power.
- Finally, our spiritual journey moves into a new dimension of understanding:
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2 NLT).
Inspirational Examples
Each day, we rub shoulders with persons whom society would long ago have considered down for the eight count. As a general rule, their capacity to not only survive but thrive cannot be explained by using the normal measurements for success. They have been transformed into new persons and think differently than those who have collapsed under the pressure of suffering and pain. When looking for persons who fit this profile, at the top of my list, outside of biblical heroes, would be Horatio and Anna Spafford. In 1871, they lost much of their wealth in the Great Fire of Chicago. Two years later, business demands prevented Horatio from joining his wife and four daughters on a planned vacation to England. While crossing the Atlantic, their ship went down and all four daughters were lost. Upon arriving at her destination, Anna sent a two-word telegraph to Horatio: “Saved alone.” While sailing to join his wife, as he neared the spot where his daughters died, he penned one of the great hymns of the Church: “It is Well with My Soul.”
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pain shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
Evaluating Progress
It is human for us to want to measure our progress as we move toward healing and restoration; however, it is vitally important that we do not allow unrealistic expectations to impede our recovery and thus prolong our sorrow. Therefore, I have found the following reminders to be helpful:
- Setbacks are normal and should be seen as a temporary speedbump, not a permanent obstacle!
- God is transforming us into the image of Jesus Christ!
- We should extend grace and mercy to ourselves. Refusing to do so is a subtle form of pride!
- Success should never be considered a finished proposition – it is ongoing!
Ron Harvard Ministries 