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“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8a (NKJV)
Does it
ever feel like the heartbreak in your life is trying to break you?
I
understand. I’ve been in that place where the pain of heartbreak hits with such
sudden and sharp force that it feels like it cuts through skin and bone.
It’s the
kind of pain that leaves us wondering if we’ll ever be able to function like a
normal person again.
But God
has been tenderly reminding me that pain itself is not the enemy. Pain is the
indicator that brokenness exists.
Pain is
the reminder that the real enemy is trying to take us out and bring us down by
keeping us stuck in broken places.
Pain is
the gift that motivates us to fight with brave tenacity and fierce
determination, knowing there’s healing on the other side.
And in
the in-between? In that desperate place where we aren’t quite on the other side
of it all yet, and our heart still feels quite raw?
Pain is
the invitation for God to move in and replace our faltering strength with His.
I’m not
writing that to throw out spiritual platitudes that sound good; I write it from
the depth of a heart that knows it’s the only way.
We must
invite God into our pain to help us survive the desperate in-between.
The only
other choice is to run from the pain by using some method of numbing.
But
numbing the pain — with food, achievements, drugs, alcohol or sex — never goes
to the source of the real issue to make us healthier. It only silences our
screaming need for help.
We think
we’re freeing ourselves from the pain when, in reality, what numbs us imprisons
us. If we avoid the hurt, the hurt creates a void in us.
It slowly
kills the potential for our hearts to fully feel, fully connect, fully love
again. It even steals the best in our relationship with God.
Pain is the
sensation that indicates a transformation is needed. There’s a weakness where
new strength needs to enter.
And we
must choose to pursue long-term strength rather than temporary relief.
So how do
we get this new strength? How do we stop ourselves from chasing what will numb
us when the deepest parts of us scream for some relief?
How do we
stop the piercing pain of this minute, this hour?
We invite
God’s closeness.
For me,
this means praying. No matter how vast our pit, prayer is big enough to fill us
with the realization of His presence like nothing else.
Our key
verse (James 4:8a) reminds us that when we draw near to God, He will draw near
to us. When we invite Him close, He always accepts our invitation.
And on
the days when my heart feels hurt, and my words feel quite flat, I let
Scripture guide my prayers — recording His Word in my journal, and then adding
my own personal thoughts.
One of my
personal favorites to turn to is Psalm 91.
I would
love to share this verse with you today, as an example for when you prayerfully
invite God into your own pain.
Verse: “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will
rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm
91:1, NIV).
Prayer:
Lord, draw me close.
Your Word
promises when I draw close to You, You are there. I want my drawing close to be
a permanent dwelling place.
I am not
alone, because You are with me. I’m not weak, because Your strength is infused
in me.
I am not
empty, because I’m drinking daily from Your fullness. You are my dwelling
place.
And in
You I have shelter from every stormy circumstance and harsh reality.
I’m not
pretending the hard things don’t exist, but I am rejoicing in the fact that
Your covering protects me and prevents those hard things from affecting me like
they used to.
You, the
Most High, have the final say over me. You know me and love me intimately.
And today
I declare that I will trust You in the midst of my pain. You are my everyday
dwelling place, my saving grace.
In Jesus’
Name, Amen.
And with
that I close my prayer journal, feeling a lot less desperate and a lot more
whole. I breathe the atmosphere of life His words bring.
I picture
Him standing at the door of my future, knocking. If I will let Him enter into
the darkness of my hurt today, He will open wide the door to a much brighter
tomorrow.
TRUTH
FOR TODAY
Psalm 116:1-2,
“I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he
turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.” (NIV)
Know the Truth. Live the Truth. It Changes Everything.
RELATED RESOURCES
Learn how to
steady your soul through prayer and overcome feelings of helplessness by
inviting God into your situation with Lysa TerKeurst’s Steady Your
Soul: A 21-day Prayer and Journal. It’s our gift to you when you donate a
gift of any amount to Proverbs 31 Ministries, here.
Proverbs 31 Ministries is a
non-denominational, non-profit Christian ministry that seeks to lead women into
a personal relationship with Christ. With Proverbs 31:10-31 as a guide,
Proverbs 31 Ministries reaches women in the middle of their busy days through
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