Prayer to Overcome Self-Pity | Daily prayer for June 25

A prayer to free yourself from the grip of self-pity
By Kelly Balarie

Bible reading:
“Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Take your mat and walk. – John 5:8 NIV

Listen or read below:

After fourteen hours of excruciating pain, something must have given. What? I had no idea, as there seemed to be no escape from the excruciating pain I was in.

They took me to the room assigned to me in the emergency room. There, only a curtain separated me from the woman next to me. I could hear him moaning and complaining to a family member about his situation. I hear a family member comforting her, and at that point I try to ignore their discussion. There is no such thing as good listening. I had my own problems.

Sitting on the doctor’s table, the medicine took effect. That’s when I heard a not-so-subtle invitation in my mind: “Kelly, doesn’t it feel good to be adored by all the nurses? Isn’t it nice to have all this attention? Look, you have the compassion for all these other problems that no one else has ever acknowledged.”

I felt it then. It was almost like the devil was presenting me with a little deal. Like he’s saying, “Hey, Kelly, sign here on the dotted line if you want to stay needy, stay sick, continue to feel sorry for yourself and need others. Sign here if you want to establish a routine of visiting the hospital because you’re receiving physical care that you don’t naturally receive in life.”

I identified the devil as he was. At that point I rejected his agreement and said, “Satan, get behind me. »

I wouldn’t have any of it. I wasn’t going to sign up to feel bad about myself or to get rid of a man to feed my flesh. Certainly not.

My role, like the paralyzed man on the carpet of self-pity, was not to stay down, but to get up. The man on the mat, who had many excuses for why he couldn’t do it, why he was down, why he was left behind, did not find Jesus coddling his excuses or his pain.

Jesus’ response?

“Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Take your mat and walk. (John 5:8 NIV)

The pain is often healed as we take the next step in our walk. As we get up and leave. I know it’s not always easy, especially if you’ve been through a lot, but it’s possible.

Let us pray:

Father, help us when we feel down. Help us where it seems we have no way. Instead, show us your way. May we rise again according to Your ways. Help us not to look to people for what we can only get from You. May we be strong in the power of your might.

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Discuss today’s devotion with others in the Your Daily Prayer Thread on the pedestrian crossing forum.

Kelly uplifts believers by stimulating faith; be encouraged every week by getting Kelly’s blog posts by email. Kelly, a cheerleader for the faith, is a blogger, national speaker and author of Take every thought captive, rest now, ready for battle, And Fight against fear. Kelly loves seeing the power of prayer in action. She loves seeing the look on women’s faces when they realize their God is faithful! Kelly’s work has been featured on The Today Show, CBN’s 700 Club, Relevant and The Christian woman today.

Related Resource: What to Do When God Seems Far Away

What to do when God no longer feels as close as before?

Many sincere believers experience periods when prayer seems empty, Scripture seems quiet, and God seems strangely absent. For leaders in particular, these seasons can seem confusing, discouraging, and even shameful.

In this episode of Unhurried Life PodcastAlan Fadling sits down with theologian and spiritual formation teacher Kyle Strobel to discuss the new book When God Seems Distant, co-written with John Coe. If this episode helps you refocus your work and life on God, be sure to follow Live without haste on Apple Or Spotify so you never miss an episode!