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Imagine yourself on a serene lake, searching for the perfect fishing spot. You row to a calm area and prepare to cast your line, but suddenly you realize that the boat has drifted downstream, away from your desired spot. Despite your efforts, you continue to drift because you forgot to pack the anchor.

We need an anchor!

Grief has a way of causing us to drift aimlessly, feeling lost and overwhelmed by the waves of sorrow. Just like a boat needs an anchor to stay put, we, too, need an anchor to steady us in the raging waters of grief. Amidst the storm, prayer is our steadfast anchor, keeping us grounded and secure.

Jesus himself understood the importance of being anchored in prayer. Scripture repeatedly tells us of His habit of withdrawing to spend time alone in communion with His Father. If Jesus, the Son of God, found it vital to His ministry and well-being, how much more do we need to prioritize prayer in our lives?

Just as we need air to survive, we need prayer to thrive!

I often liken prayer to the air we breathe. Just as dolphins need to resurface periodically for oxygen, we need to continually come before God in prayer to nourish our spirit. Without prayer, our souls suffocate, leaving us gasping for hope and direction.

Prayer is not merely talking; it’s also about listening for God’s still, small voice. Psalm 46:10 (NIV) reminds us to

“Be still and know that I am God.”

In my own journey through grief, God often whispered these words to me, urging me to cease striving and rest in His presence.

Do you ever doubt if God hears your prayers?

In moments of doubt, remember Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV),

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

God’s ears are attentive to the cries of His children, even in the darkest of nights.

I vividly recall a moment of despair shortly after Vic’s passing when I cried out to God, longing to hear my husband say “I love you” one more time. Miraculously, God answered my prayer through an unsolicited email from a friend, expressing that Vic “ABSOLUTELY LOVED YOU”. This brought me not only comfort but reassurance that God had indeed heard my prayer.

Prescription for stress and worry

Prayer not only sustains us but also serves as a remedy for stress and worry. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) encourages us to present our requests to God with thanksgiving, promising that His peace will guard our hearts and minds.

When you come before God in prayer, don’t hesitate to pour out your heart honestly. You won’t say anything that He doesn’t already know. In fact, He longs for us to share our deepest emotions with Him. Psalm 139:2-4 (NIV) assures us that God not only hears our prayers but also searches our thoughts and knows the words on our tongues before we even speak them.

There’s no need to hide our most genuine feelings from Him.

Consider Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night He was arrested. He agonized to the point of sweating blood, expressing His deepest emotions to the Father. He earnestly desired for the cup of suffering to pass from Him, yet ultimately surrendered to God’s will. Similarly, I’ve spent many nights crying out to God, pleading for healing for my husband, only to face the reality of his passing. In my grief, I’ve shared my anger, questions, laments, and sorrow with God, even when it wasn’t pretty.

God understands the sorrow of death like no other, for it wasn’t His plan. That’s why He sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins, defeating death through His resurrection. As believers, we have the promise of eternal life and a home where death has no power. Therefore, we don’t need to hide our grief; we can bring it to the Lord in prayer, knowing that He hears us and heals the brokenhearted.

Even when we don’t understand God’s plan, we can trust His heart.

Just as Jesus surrendered to the Father’s will in the Garden of Gethsemane, we, too, can find solace in entrusting our circumstances to God’s loving care.

As we navigate the waters of grief, let us anchor ourselves in prayer, drawing closer to the Father’s heart and finding strength for each new day. May our prayers be a sweet fragrance to God, offering Him our deepest sorrows and our greatest joys.

Abba Father, thank you for hearing our prayers, understanding our heart and being our anchor in the storm.