Reliable Hope For a Terrible Time Of Distress
Many in our world are living through a season that could be defined as a “time of distress.”
What is distress?
It’s defined as…
- Living with great pain, anxiety, or sorrow; acute physical or mental suffering.
- A time of affliction or trouble.
- A state of great need or misfortune.
And has the following synonyms…
- Agony
- Adversity
- Anguish
- Affliction
No one volunteers for a time of distress. Truly, if there were sign-up sheets, no one would sign up.
No, thank you!
Psalm 102 begins like this…
Lord, hear my prayer!
Psalm 102:1–2
Listen to my plea!
Don’t turn away from me
in my time of distress.
Bend down to listen,
and answer me quickly when I call to you.
The writer didn’t stop there, he went on to say that his heart is sick, he’s lost his appetite, he’s alone, and his tears are plentiful. Things are so bad, that his enemies are piling on with taunts, mockery, and curses. (v. 4–11)
But all of a sudden, his thoughts turn from his problems to the Lord…
But You, O Lord, will sit on Your throne forever.
Psalm 102:12
Your fame will endure to every generation.
He remembered God’s promises…
You will arise and have mercy on Jerusalem—
Psalm 102:13
and now is the time to pity her,
now is the time You promised to help.
And that regardless of what was going on in his life, God was and is living, unchangeable, and infinite. He trusted that he could go to God in faith and say, “Now is the time to help.”
There will always be pain and problems sometimes and somewhere. Corporately and individually we will go through terrible times of distress. But God is faithful and when we turn to Him we will never have to face our difficult seasons alone.
So, let’s look at some of God’s promises that can help us when we’re facing our time of distress.
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Isaiah 41:10
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Hebrews 4:!6
And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
“O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by Your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for You!
Jeremiah 32:17
Give your burdens to the Lord,
Psalm 55:22
and He will take care of you.
He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
Let’s pray…
A Prayer for Hope in a Terrible Time of Distress
Father, thank you for inviting me to come to You in prayer. You have promised that when I humbly come to You in the name of Jesus, You hear my prayers and listen to my pleas. (1 Timothy 2:5) Your Word promises that You will not turn away in my time of distress. I thank and praise You!
Lord, so many of Your people are suffering with illness, relationship problems, persecution, financial struggles . . . they are facing agony, adversity, anguish, and affliction. But Your Word promises that our problems are temporary. (2 Corinthians 4:17) It says that when we compare our temporary problems to Your eternal promises we can endure any and all circumstances with hope and strength. (2 Corinthians 4:18 and Philippians 4:13)
I give myself to You. I surrender my moments and my circumstances. Please give me courage and strength, peace and patience, faithfulness, joy, and self-control. Please help me fully trust Your promises to supply my needs through Your grace, mercy, and love. Please remove fear and discouragement. Please hold me up with Your victorious right hand.
By the power of Your Spirit, I will SEEK You above all else for You alone fill my future with hope. Amen.
Whatever your troubles and however terrible your time of distress always remember that the Lord is with you.
The enemy wants us to believe that God has turned away. He wants us to doubt God’s love. That’s why it’s important for us to cling to God’s promises. Because of Jesus, our Heavenly Father will never leave us or forsake us.
He faithfully keeps His promises…
The Lord always keeps His promises;
Psalm 145:13b
He is gracious in all He does.
And His love lasts forever…
May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father encourage you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. God loved us, and through His grace He gave us a good hope and encouragement that continues forever.
2 Thessalonians 2:!6–17 (NCV)
May the Lord be with you and bless you through every season of your life.
We would love to pray for you.
You can leave your prayer requests here…
and even take a few minutes to pray over the list left by our friends.
Never Miss an Update
Leave your email address and I’ll send you a short email every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to alert you to each new devotion. Plus you’ll receive a copy of 30 Ways to Bless Your Marriage and Keep the Spark Burning
I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi” and share your thoughts in the comments below.
And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Maybe a friend, family member, coworker, or through the links below…
Thanks again for visiting! Don’t forget to check out the links below to find additional posts that will bless you…
I really need this post today! It is a God send. Yes, when it comes to always being there, God is the only one we can count on to understand and to love us no matter what. I am grateful for his faithfulness.
I know that when I wake up in the night with and anxiety attack, it is God who will calm me and comfort me. Scripture and hymns are things that enter my mind and I am grateful for God’s word. At times I have to fight the bitter root that wants to spring up because family and friends aren’t there when I need them.
God bless you Deb and Rev. . I pray that you have a wonderful weekend. And thank you again for your prayers and posts that mean so much.
What a beautiful testament of faith! I too, deal with anxiety at times and I can so relate. And like you, I quote favorite scripture, listen to favorite songs, and sometimes just sit and cry it out. You are beautifully and wonderfully made my sweet friend and God knows every nuance of His beautiful creations! I read that prayers are hugs to those too far away to touch, so I will be sending many, many hugs your way! I pray for a peaceful and contented weekend for you. God loves you so deeply and will never let you face anything alone! Love you, dear friend.
Thank you Kathy for always being there. I do appreciate you and I really needed to hear what you said. Some days are so much harder than others. Yes, I do have anxiety attacks too. I am so thankful for Scripture and hymns. The Bible is the best book ever written. It covers everything and I rely on it . I am grateful for the wisdom of this blog too. And, you are such a good hearted and compassionate friend. YOu are right about crying. Crying is such good medicine! Tears are healing.
You quoted scripture to me and I loved the passage you quoted. Thank you. I needed that!
I pray that you have a wonderful and safe weekend too. And I am sending you many hugs too and my prayers going up for you. God bless you my dear sweet friend.
I am praying for you, Sue. You are such a dear child of God and such a lovely soul. And yes, the Bible is the Greatest of all books! I used to read a lot of fiction books, but now only read my Bible and devotionals. God laid on my heart, if I have time to read, I need to read the Bible. It is the only Book we need! It is the only Book truly worth reading! The most valuable treasure we have here on earth! ????????????
Praying for a sweet and happy for you! ✝️????????
I hear you, Sue. It is truly painful when those closest to us betray and turn away from us. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I too spend time at night repeating hymns and verses and prayers. His presence is the peace I need when painful days bring restless nights. I’m praying for you, sweet friend. Asking the Lord to comfort you and give you His peace.
Thank you so much Deb! Prayers are everything and I am grateful for yours. You and Rev and your fur baby are in my prayers as well.
God Bless you my friend!
God will faithfully see us through those distressing times, Deb. May our first thought be to turn to Him when we find ourselves in a struggle.
Blessings!
I completely agree, Martha! I want to turn to Him first. Too often, I let my emotions get the better of me and only turn to Him after I’ve spent some time worried and anxious. I’m praying for His help to run straight into His arms rather than wandering through the junk of my emotions first. Blessings, dear friend. I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend.
Amen Deb! What a beautiful topic which we are or at one time have dealt with. It gives me peace and comfort knowing God will never forsake me as long as I continue to to do his will, thank, glorify, and pray to him daily. Thank you dear Lord Jesus for always bring there for me, my family, friends and those so seek and need you.
Blessings Deb and all who following you in this wonderful blog.
Have a lovely weekend!????????
I am joining you in thanking the Lord for always being with us. I hope you’re enjoying your weekend. God bless you!