A Prayer for When the Route is Unknown – Your Everyday Prayer

A Prayer for When the Path is Unknown
By Kyle Norman

“The full Israelite firm set out from the Desert of sin, touring from position to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the men and women to consume.” – Exodus 17:1-2

I want my lifetime to make perception and be purchased and arranged, with my day jogging according to my individual options. If there is to be a twist, hurdle, or everything unforeseen, I would like to see it coming a mile away to have satisfactory time to get ready myself. Right after all, troubles are a lot less irritating or upsetting when we can handle them away. Am I alone in this? You may possibly have seen existence doesn’t operate this way. And much more to the level, God hardly ever is effective this way. All over Scripture the individuals of God usually discover themselves partaking in the surprising and the unplanned. God’s presence are not able to be managed or controlled, and due to the fact of this, we often find ourselves going through that which we would hardly ever have conceived. 

Israel’s exodus journey is a key example of this. The Israelites had professional a grand do the job of liberation with the miraculous parting of the Purple Sea. This redemption was impressive, interesting, and vivid. Underneath was a promise of new existence. God was leading them to a land across the river, a land of promise and blessing, joy, and delight. There is no question Israel bubbled with enjoyment as they commenced their journey. But God did the unpredicted. Israel traveled from put to place. Their pathway to the promised land appeared to change this way and that way it appeared the way to liberty was not as straightforward as they experienced imagined. And then, to top it all off, the Lord led them to Rephidim, where there was no drinking water. Importantly, Rephidim was known as wadi, a watering total. Rephidim was outlined by the presence of lifetime-supplying water, and nevertheless there was none. Before we consider possibly Israel had taken a incorrect switch together the way, we have to remember the Scripture declares Israel traveled “as the Lord commanded them.” This dried-up wadi was the precise put God brought them to. 

When God potential customers us in unanticipated methods or does not do what we feel he ought to do, our organic inclination is to believe that there is something erroneous. We either believe God is not existing or that God is punishing us. Possibly way, we come to be mired in negativity and question, and that is what Israel did. Scripture suggests the deficiency of h2o led them to quarrel. The word for quarrel means to deliver a authorized scenario from someone. Israel did not just air their annoyance or confusion, they billed Moses (and by extension the Lord) with not carrying out his position. God did not do what they imagined he ought to have, which led them to anger and annoyance. Why? Because this entire liberation matter was not heading in accordance to their plan.

Do we at any time conflate God’s will with our have thoughts? It’s effortless to do. Still, if we are really serious in our want to follow God’s will, and actually pray for God to acquire control of our life, we should willfully accept that God from time to time leads us in methods we would not count on. Religion includes acknowledging that God may, in truth, guide us to places where by we truly feel stretched, unpleasant, or possibly even a little bit disappointed. 

Ultimately, having said that, it is mainly because our lifetime isn’t normally as we design it that we can know God does tutorial us. God is faithful. Irrespective of whether we are smart or whiney God is faithfully existing. In the unexpected place of Rephidim, God questioned Moses to walk in advance of the men and women and strike the rock with his team. Amid the confusion and complaining, and individuals questioning whether the Lord was among them, God declared “I will stand just before you” (17:6). This unanticipated spot became just one where by Israel discovered it is not out of luck, they obtained their lifetime but by God’s merciful hand. And so, Moses struck the rock, drinking water arrived gushing out, and the folks drank life-supplying h2o. We usually have a decision over the inquiries we question. We can possibly ask “Is the Lord between us or not?”, or we can ask “What is the Lord performing right here?” We can inquire “Why are you not supplying us drinking water?” or we can ask “How will the Lord supply?” A person established of inquiries assumes God is passive and distant, the other recognizes that even for the duration of the unknowns of lifestyle, God is with us.

Let’s Pray:
Gracious and loving Father, I thank you that in you I stay, shift, and have my being. You know the quantity of my days and the training course of my daily life. Thank you for keeping, guiding, and giving for me. While I think you are in control, I uncover I can so very easily grow to be annoyed or offended when my everyday living does not happen according to my personal needs or schedules. In individuals periods when I experience nervous or frightened, I pray that you ship your comforting Spirit upon me. Assistance me to see my everyday living in the context of your will. When I discover myself in an surprising area, or going through an unpredicted hurdle, support me see how you stand in advance of me. Jesus, you are Lord of my lifetime. Give me the energy I require to launch my grip more than my days and to launch my life into your fingers. May well you stir in just my heart so I could possibly lengthy for your will over and above my individual. Open up my eyes, O Lord, that I could possibly see your glory lead me night and working day. This I pray in Jesus’ title, Amen.

Picture Credit history: ©Unsplash/Present Habeshaw