Pray That Your Faith Remains Strong...

Sometimes I think this world and all its systems is designed specifically to shake up our faith. There are so many things that need my attention in any given day. So many things that can go wrong. So many distractions. And all of them rage against everything I know to be true. They attack the peace I know is mine. They taunt me, trying to convince me that I really have no victory over anything. Is God really in control? Or does He even care about these things?

As you may have read in my last entry, I had an incredible revelation via a post of Serenity's and it really has changed my life's perspective. And yet yesterday, I was completely deflated. So many things went wrong at work. There were so many pressures weighing on me, I felt like I was being crushed beneath them. I knew in the back of my mind that I wanted to LIVE the day. I just couldn't seem to get it to the front of my mind.

One of the things that has always impressed me the most about Peter was the way he passed along to others what Jesus taught him. When he told people that the devil wanted to devour them and they needed to pray that their faith would remain strong, he was just passing along what Jesus told him in Luke. Then it suddenly occurred to me there were several times Jesus said we need to pray that our faith doesn't fail, that our faith remains strong. And that's when the intent of the message really hit me.

Jesus knew. He knew how many distractions and struggles there would be, trying to rob us of our faith.

Pray that your faith remains strong.

Now, I have prayed a lot, especially in the midst of despair. But I don't think I've ever really grasped the importance of saying, "Lord, in the midst of this and every other circumstance I come up against, please keep my faith strong. Whatever else happens, don't let my faith fail." Have I ever really grasped the fact that faith is my #1 weapon? That everything else I have hinges on that? No wonder Satan is trying to break down our faith. He's going for the jugular, so to speak.

I don't think there's anything wrong with praying about our situations. We're encouraged to do that. But it's absolutely crucial that we pray our faith remains strong through it all. We'll have more peace. We'll feel more secure. And it will definitely be easier to keep our heads in the right place.

There will always be times when it feels like the world is trying to devour you . . . It's because it is.

Pray that your faith remains strong.