I’ve been really burdened lately by the number of prayer requests I have received via email and those shared in The Prayer Room link on this website. So many of you been so kind to share your many situations in need of prayer, whether it be a financial issue; family issue; work issue or an unspoken, personal issue. So many of you are in a spiritual desert and have reached their wits end. Many of you have shared that you have nowhere to turn; there are no other options unless God acts in a mighty way.
I can only tell you that I’ve been where you are now. I know what it’s like to have no other options. I also know what it’s like to have God answer prayers in a miraculous way. I don’t have any magic formulas for you during your particular trial, but let me take you on an imaginary journey that might help you keep things in perspective.
Imagine, if you will, that you are a member of a College Football team. It’s half-time and your team is losing 63-0 to the opposing team. The halftime buzzer has mercifully sounded and you and your team-mates dejectedly walk off the field; heads looking down at the ground; to the locker room. You aren’t looking forward to going to the locker room because, most certainly, the Coach is going to curse the team up one side and down the other.
After what seems like a 7 mile walk, you and your team-mates make it to the locker room. You all sit on the benches in front of your lockers. It’s so quiet you can hear a pin drop. Even though no one says it out loud, everyone is thinking, “what’s the use?” Why even play the second half losing 63-0? There’s no way in this world we can win; we’re completely defeated. After a few quiet moments, the Coach makes his appearance. You and your fellow team-mates are dreading this moment. It’s bad enough to be losing by this many points so I surely don’t want to hear any bad comments from the Coach.
For some reason, the Coach is not angry; he’s calm and confident. In our imaginary example, he addresses the Team and says, “Today, we have a special guest to speak to you at half-time.” The speaker enters the room and introduces himself as Jesus. You’ve heard of this “Jesus fellow.” You know of him and have heard about him, but you don’t know too much on a personal level. HE begins to address the Team and you since that all is in control. HE tells you that he understands why you feel defeated. HE tells you that HE understands that you feel over-matched. But, then, in our imaginary story, Jesus says to our Team, “I want you to go out to the field in these last two quarters and know that I am guaranteeing your victory.” We all look astonished. HE says again, “trust me and hear me when I tell you that no matter how bleak things look now, when the game is over, you will be victorious.” All of a sudden, we sat straighter; we held our heads higher; we were in the fight again.
In our imaginary story, as we headed back to the Field, we were confident. We had been told by our Creator that the score didn’t matter. It made no difference how down we were; how seemingly hopeless our situation was, we had been guaranteed victory no matter what.
I often think of this imaginary story when I reach those darkest moments. It reminds me that no matter how many battles I’ve lost or how many battles I have yet to lose, when the Final Gun sounds, I’ve won the Game. It helps me to keep on keeping on, even when I don’t feel like it. It helps me to realize that I am not in control; HE is in control.
Are you in one of those defeated, “half-time” moments of life? If so, remember that you’ve already won the game.
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