Praying Through Loss TONY EVANS Adapted from his book Prayers for Victory in Spiritual Warfare published by Harvest House Publishers - 2 - When you experience a great loss, you may lose your faith in God and ask Him: Why do you allow me to suffer? Whatever grief or loss we experience, God understands. He wept from grief at the death of His own friend Lazarus. He knows your sorrow because it is His sorrow. That’s why instead of becoming bitter with the Holy Spirit when you struggle with profound loss, you should embrace Him. He has a plan for you. Take your grief to Him, and He will give you the armor you need, for He is the true comforter. - 3 - We will all face hardship in our lives, but with God, you can strengthen your spirit. He is by your side through every step. It will not be an easy journey, but it will be an encouraging one. Together, we will pray through your loss and find hope once again through the Word of God. - 4 - Recovery From Loss “Surely our griefs He Himself Bore and our sorrows He carried” - Isaiah 53:4 If you are healthy, you aren’t likely to be going to the doctor’s office anytime soon. This is because everything in your body seems to be working and doing what it is supposed to do. But when you become sick, and especially if that sickness continues for a long time, chances are that you will make an appointment to go visit your doctor. You will choose to enter into your doctor’s presence. - 5 - Similarly, sometimes God allows loss in your life to get your focus back onto Him. He doesn’t want you to walk this road alone. He is with you even when you forget that He’s there. He longs to be close to you. Are you in a situation that wants to eat you alive? Are you finding yourself with less and less hope each day? Do you ever feel overwhelmed with regret over what you have lost? If that describes your situation, then I want nothing more than to remind you that Jesus is with you. He is right there with you right now. And I want you to fully know that because He is with you. His power and His grace are with you, and His power and grace will comfort you. - 6 - God sometimes calls us to walk through a valley. I can’t promise that life will be without wind, clouds and rain. But I can promise that you don’t have to walk through the valley of loss alone. If you cast your eyes on Jesus Christ, He will meet you where you are. So keep walking. Don’t throw in the towel. Don’t say that you can’t make it, because God will make it with you. You don’t walk this road alone, but rather with Him and His armor. - 7 - “Lord, You are the creator of all things. In fact, You hold all things in Your hand. Nothing that I have lost in my life came as a surprise to You. You are aware of it all, and You sovereignly allowed it all. Help restore my trust and hope where it has been broken. Give me a heart that longs for Your will in my life. And please help transition my thoughts off of what I have lost and onto the promises I have in You—with one of those promises being that You will never leave me nor forsake me. In Christ’s name, Amen.” - 8 - The Belt of Truth “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.” - Hebrews 12:15 Surviving your loss, no matter who or what it was, is not a battle that can be won alone. It is not only a battle against your own anguish, but one against the devil and innumerable spiritual forces set on opposing God and His people. God has not left you alone in your warfare. He has instead provided you armor to protect and help you in your struggle. Soldiers of God put their armor on first by fastening their - 9 - belts—and so shall you. The belt of truth is a total commitment for Christ and serving Him wholeheartedly, no matter the circumstances. - 10 - “Father, in my loss, I feel unstable and shaken. I pray that You will sustain me as I put on the belt of truth. Thank You for being with me even in my darkest sorrow. Lord, I pray the enemy would not gain a foothold through devastating loss. God, please help me so that this loss doesn’t create in me a root of bitterness that Satan can use to take me down the wrong path (Hebrews 12:15). I don’t want this loss, Lord, but I have to trust that You are a good God who chooses and allows what is best for me, even in this. In Christ’s name, amen.” - 11 - The Breastplate of Righteousness “Behold, I long for Your precepts; revive me through Your righteousness.” - Psalm 119:40 Without guarding your heart from loss, you open yourself to sin which leads to decisions that are harmful to ourselves and others. You must guard your heart so you can obey God’s commandments and live in a way that is honorable to Him. By adorning the breastplate of righteousness we can ask Him to give us strength to live righteously daily. Together, we can withstand attacks from the enemy of sorrow and live in ways that glorify Christ—and allow us to heal. - 12 - “Dear Lord, I put on the breastplate of righteousness as protection from the undue pain the enemy intends for my heart. He knows he can use the pain of loss as a wedge to do me long-term harm. Thank You, Father, for helping me to stand strong against his plan. He wants to keep me hurting, but You would have me healed from my pain. Jesus knew and experienced loss, including the loss of His close friends who betrayed Him. So You know the pain I am feeling. Cover my anger, hurt and bitterness with Your goodness, mercy and grace. I need Your grace right now - 13 - to be the air I breathe and the food I eat. I need You to fill me with Your spirit as You heal me from this pain. I need Your righteousness because I cannot count on my own. In Christ’s name, amen.” - 14 - The Shoes of Peace “Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Hush, be still!’ And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.” Psalm 119:40 When you don’t have a firm foundation, how can you face the turbulent waters of your grief? You cannot. Yet, God won’t allow that to happen. Through Him, you can weather the storm and rejoice in the miracles of His healing. Putting on yet another piece of God’s armor, the shoes of peace, can steady you as you walk through rough terrain. And just as a sturdy pair of shoes can defend your weary - 15 - soles from rugged terrain, having faith in Christ allows you to proclaim His name and face persecution knowing He loves and cares for you. - 16 - “Father, I put on the shoes of peace as I face the torment of grief over what I have lost. Still my rough waters, Lord. Let me walk on the raging seas with the shoes of peace. Speak to me, O Lord, the words “Peace, be still!” (Mark 4:39). Let me experience Your presence as shalom in my heart, God. The storm in my heart feels as wild as a storm on a sea. I speak shalom in my heart, in my mind, and in my emotions. I speak shalom in my feet and in my actions. Let peace prevent me from adding more pain and more loss to this situation by saying or doing something unwise. In Christ’s name, amen.” - 17 - The Shield of Faith “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.” - Romans 5:1-2 Navigating through your sorrow means deflecting attacks that may arise at any time. The fear, anxiety and tragedy you feel from your loss are attacks from the devil. When they creep in, faith in Christ can protect you. Like the soldiers of God’s shields, your faith in the Holy Spirit can guard you from evil’s assaults. - 18 - Take up the next piece of God’s armor by wielding this shield of faith. You will not only be protected but empowered to fight back against attacks that threaten your healing. - 19 - “Lord, with hands weary with grief, I lift up the shield of faith as I overcome the sadness I feel. In the name of Christ, I refuse to allow this grief to turn to bitterness. I know Satan’s tactics, and they cannot work with me. With the shield of faith, I reject every lie about my loss and my recovery. I have experienced loss before, and I have recovered. I have found new opportunities for laughter and hope when I did not think I could.