A prayer to remember God's past help

Answer me when I call, O God of my justice! You gave me relief when I was in trouble. Be kind to me and hear my prayer! - Psalm 4: 1

There are so many circumstances in our life that can make us feel overwhelmed, uncertain and downright scared. If we intentionally choose to make the right decisions amidst all the difficult choices, we can always find new comfort in the scriptures.

In every single situation of our life, good or difficult, we can also turn to the Lord in prayer. He is always alert, always ready to hear our prayers, and whether we can see him or not, he is always at work in our lives.

The amazing thing about living this life with Jesus is that every time we turn to Him for guidance and wisdom, He shows up. As we continue in life, trusting in Him, we begin to build a story of "faith" with Him. We can remind ourselves of what He has already done, which actually strengthens our faith when we turn to Him again and again to ask for the his help in each of our next steps.

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I love reading Old Testament stories in which the Israelites created tangible reminders of the times when God moved in their lives.

The Israelites placed 12 stones in the middle of the Jordan River to remind themselves and future generations that God had come and moved for them (Joshua 4: 1-11).

Abraham called the mountaintop "The Lord will provide" in reference to God providing a ram as a substitute sacrifice in place of his son (Genesis 22).

The Israelites built an ark according to God's design and in it were placed the tablets of the laws given to Moses by God, and it also included Aaron's staff and a jar of manna with which God fed the people for so many long years. This was a symbol that everyone saw to remind themselves of God's continuing presence and provision (Exodus 16:34, Numbers 17:10).

Jacob set up a stone altar and named it Bethel, because God met him there (Genesis 28: 18-22).

We too can set spiritual reminders of our journey of faith with the Lord. Here are some simple ways we can do this: it can be a date and notes next to a verse in our Bible, it can be a set of stones with moments engraved on them in the garden. It can be a plaque on the wall with the dates and events when God showed up, or it can be a list of answered prayers written on the back of your Bible.

We keep the photo books of our growing families, so that we can remember all the good times. When I look at my family photo books, I want even more family time. When I think back to how God has presented and worked in my life, my faith grows and I am able to find the strength to get through my next season.

However it may appear in your life, you too need a tangible reminder of what God has already done in your life. So when the moments seem long and the struggles are difficult, you can turn to them and find strength from your history with God so that you can take your next steps. There is never a time when God hasn't been there with you. Let us remember how it gave us relief when we were in trouble and walk with faith with courage knowing that he will hear our prayers this time too.

Sir,

You've been so good to me in the past. You have heard my prayers, you have seen my tears. When I called you while I was in trouble, you answered me. Over and over again you proved yourself true, strong. Lord, today I come to you again. My burdens are so heavy and I need you to help me overcome this new problem. Be kind to me, Lord. Hear my prayer. Please move into my difficult situations today. Please move in my heart so that I can praise you during this storm.

In your name I pray, Amen.