Troubled Souls, Honest Prayers

Hey, welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. The devotional for today, titled Troubled Souls, Honest Prayers, was written by Arthur Jackson. Three days before a bomb blast rocked his home in January 1957, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had an encounter that marked him for the rest of his life. After receiving a threatening phone call, King found himself pondering an exit strategy from the civil rights movement. Then prayers emerged from his soul. I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right, but now I am afraid.

I have nothing left. I've come to the point where I can't face it alone. After his prayer, there came quiet assurance, King noted. Almost at once, my fears began to go, my uncertainty disappeared.

I was ready to face anything. In John 12, Jesus acknowledged, My soul is troubled. He was transparently honest about his internal disposition. Still, he was God-centered in his prayer. Father, glorify your name.

Jesus' prayer was one of surrender to God's will. How human it is for us to feel the pangs of fear and discomfort when we find ourselves with the option of honoring God or not, when wisdom requires making hard decisions about relationships, habits, or other patterns, good or bad. No matter what we're faced with, as we pray boldly to God, He'll give us the strength to overcome our fear and discomfort and do what brings glory to Him for our good and the good of others.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from the Gospel of John, chapter 12, verses 27 through 32. Now, my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour?

No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven. I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.

The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered. Others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world. Now, the prince of this world will be driven out, and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. Let's pray. Father, when we're honest, we know that life presents us with so many challenges that leave us exhausted or frustrated and discouraged. Would you help us to face these challenges honestly and prayerfully, seeking your direction and trusting you to give us all that we need to meet the challenge and to bring you glory? Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen.