Lord, Don't Leave Me

A prayerAnxietyFighting SinFailureHelp in the DarknessPrayer
Written By Josh Powell
asdasdfasdf aisjdfjas
 

A prayer shaped from Micah 7:8- “Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.”

Dear God,

There are times in my Christian life where I feel I am in darkness. Darkness creates confusion and fear. Darkness causes disorientation and feelings of no hope. Sometimes those are my spiritual reality. Are you near in darkness?

Can I be that honest? Can I say those words? Or must I pretend to know the answers? You see my heart, there is no pretense before you. I want to love you more than I do. I want to choose you more than I do. I want to honor you more than I do.

Is the darkness my fault? Did I walk away from the light? Or has the light gone out? No, no, this is despair. This is the tempter trying to confuse and sadden me. Ah yes, I remember the text now, you will be my light. So in the darkness I look to the source of light.

God, thank you for being my ever-present companion, no matter how dark the night is. You never leave me. You are always beside me. Through still waters and through mountains. Through deserts and through grassy fields. When my sin feels too weighty. When the consequences of my rebellion threaten everything I hold dear. When guilt crushes. When sadness is close. You are the light that permeates darkness.

The text says that you are my light. Mine. Personal. Close. Intimate. Given freely. You are not a streetlamp, for whoever passes by. You are a personal flashlight, a torch. Always with me. Always available.

Darkness shrouds what is truly there. Darkness is not the reality, darkness is merely the inability to see what is present. Remind me of this when darkness enters, Lord, that you are my light.

You are my light in the darkness, you will not leave. Help me trust this promise from your word.

Praying with you,

Josh.

 

We know life can get dark sometimes, reach out if you need anything:

Featured
God Is Aware Of Every Tear You Cry
God Is Aware Of Every Tear You Cry

God counts every tear you cry. God sees your tears fall. He counts them in his bottle according to Psalm 56:8. He does this because He loves you.

Songs For Suffering
Songs For Suffering

A collection of songs for when you are suffering.

Have My Sins Made Me Unlovable?
Have My Sins Made Me Unlovable?

We all bring objections to God’s love for us. The question is, what does God do with our objections?

When The Life You Want Is Not The Life You Have
When The Life You Want Is Not The Life You Have

Having unmet desires is not a unique experience for some Christians, we all experience it. But each experience of it is unique. Here are a few thoughts to help guide us when this is our season.

Finding Grace For The Regrets Of 2019
Finding Grace For The Regrets Of 2019

As you look back on 2019, you might find that what fills you is regret over your sins and mistakes. Here are six anchors that will hold you amidst the waves of regret.

What Does “Be Still and Know That I Am God” Mean?
What Does “Be Still and Know That I Am God” Mean?

You can be still because HE is God.

When A Christian Looks at Porn - A Female Perspective
When A Christian Looks at Porn - A Female Perspective

There are far more women out there who have sexual sin scars than people realize. We don’t tell anybody because we think it will cause people to see us differently. How should we think about these scars?

Is Jesus Christ Only A Mediator Of Small Sins?
Is Jesus Christ Only A Mediator Of Small Sins?

If I fall again, will He be there to pick me up? Can we find hope in the wake of committing the deepest and darkest sins of our lives? After the affair. After the adultery. After the murder. After the deception. When we are most disillusioned about our own salvation because of our depravity, this is when the doctrine of the atonement and mediation shine brightest.

I'm Not Who You Thought I Was, God
I'm Not Who You Thought I Was, God

I’m far more sinful, broken, and weak than I want to be. Do you still love me?

The Blessing Of Imagery
The Blessing Of Imagery

God has given us such a gift in the words of the Bible. He’s given us language to explain and express the good and difficult states of our hearts. For those of you that are in a difficult spiritual state, remember the blessing of imagery. May we read our Bibles all the more! Consider using these words/images (and others!) to pray to God about what is going on in your life. Know that God, in His deep love for you, has given other people words to say, pictures to paint, and songs to sing that can be used to give you words and names for your difficulty.

Sin, Shame, Isolation — The Ugly Cycle
Sin, Shame, Isolation — The Ugly Cycle

We sin, we feel shame, that shame leads us to run away from God and others in isolation, then the isolation leaves us empty. Thus, turning to sin we begin the cycle again. Where do we go when we are trapped in this hell of a cycle?

He Will Hold You Fast
He Will Hold You Fast

A song for the discouraged soul. It is not your hold of Christ that saves, but His hold of you.

Grace Is An Ocean You Cannot Drink Empty
Grace Is An Ocean You Cannot Drink Empty

Nights full of lonely accusatory questions aimed at yourself. “Am I even a Christian, does God love me anymore?” Your sin, like a desert, drying up every bit of hopeful water you have. Where do we turn when this is where we find ourselves?

How To Find Hope In God's Love After You Sin
How To Find Hope In God's Love After You Sin

His love for you was never given based on your goodness. He loved you, wanted you, and sent His son to die for you while you were rebellious. He’s not going to leave you now. There is massive hope for you. Keep going back to the cross. To the one who does not deal with us according to our sins, but abounds in steadfast (long suffering) love and mercy.

Life Begins In The Waiting
Life Begins In The Waiting

What if in our productivity addicted culture we confuse the potential blessing of the green pastures and the still waters with the valley of the shadow of death because we detest the stillness of waiting? What if God's green pasture for you was a season of waiting—Because thats the only place He could get you to stop and sit still? What if the season you needed to hear his sweet, tender voice was the quietness found in waiting? Everybody likes the idea of the still waters until you’re there- and you find that theres nothing to do but wait.

When God Feels Far In Seminary
When God Feels Far In Seminary

About six months into my seminary career; however, the excitement started to fade. God became less real to me. The God who bled and died for me became the God whom I merely read and wrote about. I eventually began to question God entirely. I went  through seasons in which I questioned my salvation, questioned the goodness of God, and even questioned the very existence of God.

Purposed Pain
Purposed Pain

People often say things like “things will get better” or “God is still working.” If we are honest, when we hear these things, it can be hard to believe they are true. But luckily we don’t just have my grandmother’s wisdom of “just stay on the bus and one day the view will be beautiful again” but we have the Scriptures from our king to rest upon and take courage from. You are not as alone as you thought.

When You Feel Too Dirty To Go To God
When You Feel Too Dirty To Go To God

Have you ever felt too dirty to go to God? Perhaps because of your sins. The ones you swore you’d never do again… and yet here you are. Perhaps because of the Church. You know, the ones who are supposed to be a safe place for hurting people?

Post Grad Anxiety
Post Grad Anxiety

What does God say to the anxiety you feel after graduation?

Am I Too Dirty For Church?
Am I Too Dirty For Church?

Are you too dirty for church? Was Jesus too dirty for his religious culture?

When the Darkness Doesn't Leave
When the Darkness Doesn't Leave

Where do we turn when we go through spiritual darkness?

Josh Powell
Previous

Frontline Workers Of An Invisible War
Next

How To Wait Faithfully