Finding Strength in the Chaos: Embracing Life's Hard Days

If someone is surfing the internet today, feeling overwhelmed and unsure about tackling a problem that seems like a destructive storm, this message is meant for them. I am sharing some valuable insights from my personal prayer time.

Everyone faces hard days at some point, whether in their personal lives, families, businesses, or the wider world. Sometimes on such days  it seems like everything we depended on begins to shake and is in risk of falling apart.

Typically, situations where everything seems to be falling apart signal the presence of various misalignments and incorrect beliefs in life that require transformation. Although the process of change can be painful, if managed properly, it can be overcome by the grace of God.

In 2017, I encountered the most difficult challenge I had faced so far, as I battled with depression at its height. During that period, while in a place of prayer, I was reminded of my late father. In the early 90s, at the onset of the war in Croatia, he would take me and my younger brother to church daily to seek God's protection and guidance.

At the time, my father was uncertain about whether to heed the conflicting advice to move his family to the west Europe to become refugees or to remain at home. He would kneel in prayer, with his forehead touching the ground, seeking wisdom and guidance from Heavenly Father until he received his answer during prayer. 

As a young child, I often wondered how my father knew he had received an answer to his question. It wasn't until I started lingering in prayer myself that I discovered the process. You stay with your questions, calming your soul, until you get your instruction or sense of direction. When you have an answer, you just know you have it. The more you engage in the process, the quicker you notice responses to prayers.

Once my father understood that our town would not be occupied during the war and that his family would be safe staying in their hometown, he knew what course to take and remained at peace throughout the subsequent four years of struggles, as well as the financial challenges in the decade following the war.

Understanding how to linger in prayer enabled me to conquer even depression. From a young age, during every challenge, I would stay in a humble praying posture until I received my answer, an instruction that provided me with both guidance and comfort until I receive complete victory over an issue.

Today, I encourage you to do likewise. You have the choice to adopt a humble stance before Jesus, calming your soul and silencing other distractions, as you seek His mercy in your everyday challenges. Along the way, apply Jesus's teachings and integrate them into your life. Maybe He is guiding you not to judge at this moment (Matthew 7:1-2), or perhaps something else?

While learning from Jesus, continually return to your humble stance and stay there for as long as needed. Do not abandon your position day or night until you receive your answer: guidance that offers direction and brings you comfort. Once you have this, you'll gain hope that will carry you through the struggle until you achieve complete victory. 

This is your foundation, your "ground zero," where everything is constructed on the rock of Jesus. From here, you fully depend on God and trust His guidance amidst the maze of conflicting voices. By following this specific direction, you will be led down a path where Jesus will bring people into your life to assist you in what the Father has been trying to build in your life all along, if you allow Him.

After achieving a breakthrough in your current struggle, you can apply this process whenever you encounter an impenetrable barrier. This approach serves as a model for strengthening your foundation of strengthened reliance on Christ. 

Let me pray for you:

Father, I pray for everyone reading today's blog post who feels trapped in overwhelming life challenges. I join their prayers and ask that You extend Your helping hand to bring them to a "ground zero" point, relying solely on You. I also pray that from this point, You would provide them with a warm sense of direction and comfort that comes from You. I pray they would know they are safe in Your hands as they face the uncertainty of the path ahead. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” - Matthew 7:24-27