Hope After Loss - Leaning on God After Losing a Loved One to AddictionSample

What Use Is It To Pray?

We had prayed and prayed for Lexi to be healed from addiction and now she was gone. What good were our prayers?

In the months following Lexi’s death, I found myself crying out in frustration. I had begged God for her to find sobriety. Yes, she had found recovery for a time... until the drugs sucked her back in. What use was prayer?

Deeply troubled, I didn’t know how to pray anymore. I felt at a loss for words. In desperation, I found myself turning to the prayer of Jesus, stumbling over the words, hoping that somehow I could begin to mean them.

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.” This opening allowed me to humble myself before God as I acknowledged His authority, His Lordship in heaven, and lifted up and exalted His holy name.

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This next phrase resonated strongly within my soul. Rather than bringing my “grocery list” of requests to God, I began to simply focus on praying for God’s will to be done, and for my will to align with His. Suddenly prayer became less about me and more about submission to the holy, all-knowing, all-powerful Creator of the universe.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” I began to ask God not just for physical provision and the things I wanted, but for the spiritual nourishment I needed to get through each day. For wisdom, patience, strength, joy, peace. These were gifts that only He could provide. And they were the only things I truly needed.

“Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Oh, how I was in need of God’s forgiveness and grace as I needed to be reminded to show grace to those around me.

“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” I knew the enemy wanted me to succumb to my doubts and depression. He wanted this loss to separate me from God and destroy my life. He had been trying to do just that by making me feel that God didn’t care about my prayers. Now more than ever, I needed protection from the evil one.

“For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.” This ending was a beautiful exclamation point to my prayer, leaving me with the humble acknowledgement that God is the king over all and deserving of all glory. I needed this perspective to remain at the forefront of my mind.

As I focused on this prayer every day, I grew in awe of its beauty and perfection. It was short and simple, but it encompassed everything I needed to commune with God. And it put my heart where it needed to be: in a place of submission and trust before my Lord and Savior.

And I also became aware that maybe God had answered my prayers for Lexi after all. I had prayed for her healing, and now she was healed, both physically and spiritually. Selfishly, I would have liked to see her healed here on this earth. But was that best for her? She is now healed wholly and completely. If I truly love her and want what is best for her, should I not be willing to sacrifice my desire to have her here and allow her to be truly healed?

Through the words of the Lord’s Prayer, I found meaning and depth in communing with God, and my confusion and frustration was replaced with peace.

Today’s Challenge:
Commit to spending time with God by meditating on the words of the Lord’s Prayer.

Prayer:
Thank you, Jesus, for showing us how to pray. Thank you for being an example of submission to our Heavenly Father. Help us to find peace through the words of your beautiful prayer.