First, pray for growing love ("that your love may abound more and more"). Along with asking for God to remove the illness, the pressures of the job, etc., we should ask God to allow us and others to grow in love through that difficulty.

Second, pray for growing discernment ("in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best"). Any outward struggle can be an opportunity to learn more about God and his word.

Third, pray for growing holiness ("may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ"). If the difficulties that threaten our physical well-being or our relationships can focus our hearts and minds on the values, standards, and attitudes God wants us to live by, why waste the pain we are going through?

Fourth, pray for growing fruit ("filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ"). Sometimes our greatest achievements and greatest benefits to others come in times of pain and turmoil. 

Fifth, pray for growing worship ("to the glory and praise of God"). No matter how things turn out for us, we trust that God knows what he is doing. We want him to be praised. As we pray, let's include requests for God to change us, not merely to change our circumstances.

When the Needs are Overwhelming

There are times in a church’s life (or in our individual life) when we feel swamped by the number of very critical needs.  We experience trials and difficulties most of the time, but I’m talking about “life and death” situations piling up over our heads.  These floods of serious needs often come when we really get serious about the kingdom of God (prayer, witnessing, studying the Bible, holiness of life, helping the needy, etc.)

Acts 4:29-30 gives us a pattern for how to pray in these times.  “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

1. In times of unusual affliction with serious illnesses, economic hardship, war, natural disasters, persecution, or other painful distractions from the work of the gospel, we can be sure that two forces are behind them:

 

    a. Satan is behind them.  With his limited authority over the earth, he can manipulate circumstances to try to hurt Christians and intimidate us into turning away from activity that promotes the Kingdom of God.  Our strategy should be to stay focused on the gospel, refusing to be discouraged by negative circumstances.  We consider such events as threats and bring them before the Lord of heaven and earth.

 

    b. God is behind them.  Consistent with his master plan of establishing his Kingdom, God often provides his followers with ammunition for their battles in the form of challenges that cannot be met with merely human resources.  This highlights his power.  Our strategy should be to increase our dependence on God through prayer, asking for boldness to proclaim the word in difficult times.

 

We don't need to sort out the specific causes and effects of our sufferings.  We know that Satan will use circumstances to try to divert us—and that God will use circumstances to show his power through us.  Our response is the same, no matter where our problems come from.

 

2. We pray for courage to endure whatever God asks us to go through.  As followers of the Suffering Servant, we should not be afraid or ashamed to suffer.  We consider it an honor to suffer and even to die for Jesus Christ.  The humble attitude of Jesus in his sufferings is also a powerful weapon when it is seen in Christians today.  Proper praying in times of pain should include the prayer that God would purify us, mature us, correct us, and redirect us if necessary, through our circumstances.

 

3. We ask for a miracle.  Miraculous acts of God to deliver his people from their sicknesses, persecutions, and other crises can be a powerful testimony to the power and love of God.  Our strategy should be to ask God to stretch out his hand to heal and perform great deliverance.  God's intervention will then be a persuasive validation of the gospel message.

Let’s be diligent in following the Biblical principles and promises on which our ministry rests: God is in control; suffering precedes glory; we are sent to make disciples; the Spirit is willing; the flesh is weak; we are already living in the new creation, with its resurrection power; the gospel is the power of God; there is a reason for the hope that is in us; eternity is more important than this life; God answers prayer.

 

Let’s be diligent in our prayers.  Let’s pray together with others.  Let’s cry out to God for his power to be exerted in line with his purposes.  “Lord, teach us to pray.”