Praying for God's Glory: Finding Peace in the Midst of Trials
The hardest prayer I ever prayed was, “God be glorified in this.”
My infant daughter was very sick, hospitalized from birth, and needing invasive surgery. My husband and I truly didn’t know what would happen. In the midst of my desperate pleas, this was one prayer I uttered often. What made it so difficult was that it couldn’t guarantee the outcome I wanted. And somehow, I had to come to terms with that reality.
Many of us are fortunate to live in a place and time where medical advancements give us hope and options. However, at the end of the day, we’re guaranteed nothing.
In Philippians 3:7-10 Paul exhorts the church to stand firm in their faith in Christ by placing their confidence in His finished work on the cross and to endure through trials to the end. Verse 10 (pictured) especially resonates with me because of two things:
+ Even in trials and uncertainty, the gospel is still very good news, worthy of my confidence.
+ My goal shouldn’t be my own comfort, but fellowship with Christ.
If Paul’s goal was fellowship with Christ, and that fellowship meant enduring suffering, then why should that look different for me? While walking through this difficult season with my daughter, praying for her healing was essential, but I learned it wasn’t the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal was my walk with the Lord as I endured through the uncertainty the season carried.
Sister, the same is true for you. I do not know what uncertainty or heartache you’re experiencing. And trust me, I am familiar with the pleas you may have for the Lord to remove this suffering from you. I know what it feels like to long for a reprieve from the onslaught of worry. While I believe in asking God to bring deliverance from these things, I also believe your journey through them is one He will use to make you more like His Son as you fellowship with Him.
I’ll contend with you for your season of uncertainty to come to a welcome end. In the meantime, may it lead you to fellowship with Jesus, making you more like Him in every way.
May you find true peace in the enduring message of the gospel.
Meet the Author
Mary Kate Brown
Mary Kate and her husband Brian are high-school sweethearts who left their lifelong home in the Chicago suburbs to build their homestead in rural Western Michigan. She's a homeschooling mama of four daughters and a homebody who enjoys making hot breakfasts, working in her garden, and frequenting the local farmers market. After overcoming health challenges due to autoimmunity, her passion is pursuing wholeness beyond her diagnosis. She encourages other mamas to do the same to shape the wellness of their families.
