Hollywood Prayer Network On PerseveranceSample

SUFFERING PRODUCES PERSEVERANCE 

"Permanence, perseverance, and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak."  Thomas Carlyle

PRAY:  Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I turn to the Trinity today to seek guidance, strength, power, and wisdom to understand the concept that I have to find joy, and experience glory, in my sufferings. Paul tells me that I must embrace my sufferings because they produce perseverance and perseverance produces character and having a stronger character gives me hope and that hope that I get through suffering will not disappoint me. I know it's true, but I can't do it on my own. Change me, fill me up, adjust what You need to in my sufferings, so that I may persevere, gain character, and be full of hope. Amen and Amen.

REFLECT:  How do you handle your sufferings? Do you complain? Do you feel hopeless, afraid, or angry? What would it take to "glory in your sufferings?" My husband, Jim, taught me years ago to thank God for my sufferings, my heartbreaks, the jobs I've lost and my deep disappointments. And it's life-altering! You can thank Him because you don't know how He's protecting you or guiding you to something better that wouldn't have happened without the suffering, disappointment or loss. And through that, you will start to see that you have gained perseverance in hard times, have a stronger Christ-like character because you can trust in Him and that gives you a deep hope in your future because you know He is in control and He is working out your circumstances for your benefit, no matter how hard they are. This one verse, when lived out, will NOT disappoint you.

ACT:  Make a list of your "sufferings" - anything that you're struggling with, disappointed in, including your hurts, pains, and sorrows. Then take that list and thank God for allowing them to happen so that you can grow stronger, or for protecting you from something worse. Thank Him for loving you so much that He's walking through it all with you, holding you up, encouraging you, and giving you strength. Thank Him that He is building in you perseverance, a more Christ-like character, and a hope you didn't have before. Keep going back to that list and thanking God for seeing more than you can see and loving you more than you can understand. By doing this you are building a hope that won't disappoint you, and a perseverance that will carry you through the rest of your life.