When the Battle Overwhelms You

This fall I have a few special book excerpts and giveaways to share with you. To kick things off, today I have an excerpt from my friend Rachel Wojo’s book: Praying Through Life’s Battles. Rachel is a strong and godly woman who knows a whole lot plot about faithfully walking through battles. I hope the following excerpt encourages you. (And see the bottom for a chance to win a copy!)

When the Battle Overwhelms You  

From Praying Through Life’s Battles: 90 Days to Strengthen your Faith

“The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the Lord: ‘Lord, save me!’” (Psalm 116:3-4, NIV)

“I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.” (Psalm 116:1, NIV)

“Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.” (Psalm 116:2, NIV)

Devotional

I still remember the day I finally pieced the puzzle together and understood my little girl’s terminal diagnosis. The realization hit me hard, and everything I thought I knew felt buried. I had never felt anything quite like the emotional free fall with no bottom in sight. For weeks and months, I wrestled with a question so many ask: God, are You even here?

Maybe you’ve been blindsided by life, too. Life’s tsunamis come in many forms. Cancer rewrites your future in a single appointment. A phone call splits your life into before and after. Perhaps loss left you overwhelmed and on the edge of giving up. In moments like these, it’s easy to feel paralyzed by something far larger than yourself.

The enemy whispers seem louder in these moments. “This battle is too much for you. God doesn’t even hear your cries.” When you’re already drowning, that lie sounds an awful lot like the truth.

In Psalm 116, the psalmist doesn’t hold back any of the details. He doesn’t try to pull himself up by his bootstraps. He cries out: “Lord, save me!” I appreciate that exclamation point is deliberate. It captures the urgency of a heart with nothing left but begging. I’m so glad the psalmist’s situation didn’t have to be a certain size for God to hear it. The reason he could keep going was that “he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.” God turned His ear toward him. His cry reached all the way to heaven.

When my daughter Taylor’s diagnosis flattened me, I learned that crying out to God is not weakness. God’s love and compassion were near, even when our feelings insisted otherwise.

You don’t have to manage your battle before you bring it to God. You don’t need eloquent words or steady emotions. You need only a willing heart that turns toward Him and says the most honest prayer there is: Lord, save me. He hears that prayer. He always has. And the psalmist tells us how he responded to being heard—“I will call on him as long as I live.” Once you’ve experienced a God who listens, you never want to stop talking to Him.

Friend, no battle is too big for the God who is already with you in it.

Outro

Lord, the feeling of being overwhelmed is so familiar to me. This situation has taken everything I had, and my strength is gone. I cry out to You. You are the only One who can refresh my spirit. Your Word promises that You hear me, so I’m trusting that promise over my feelings today. Saturate my weary soul with Your renewing grace. Though this battle is enormous, You are greater. You have not forgotten me, and You never will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If this is the season you’re in, Rachel wrote Praying Through Life’s Battles for you. There are 90 days of praying through the exact moments when the fight feels bigger than you are. Grab your copy or get her free prayer battle plan at https://battleprayers.com

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Dave and I are both finding great encouragement in our copy of this book! I highly recommend it, and also would suggest this makes a great gift for a friend going through a difficult season. Comment below and you’ll be entered to win a copy! I’ll choose two winners on Wednesday, September 16!

With aloha,
Monica