How to Pray When You’re Devastated
by Annie Yorty
These days, bad news inundates us from every corner of the world within minutes of the event. We’ve become desensitized to much of the suffering. But when the calamity hits us personally, we are instantly aware of our need for the Savior. Let’s see what the Bible says about how to pray when you’re devastated.
Devastated by Bad News
“The doctor is worried Alyssa might have a brain tumor. I’m taking her to the hospital right now to run some tests.” My knees hit the floor when I heard the voicemail message from my husband about our toddler.
If you’ve lived on this earth for more than a few years, you’ve probably suffered through some type of devastating news. A job loss. Your grandma dies. A best friend moves away. Your child chooses an unhealthy lifestyle. You’re diagnosed with cancer. Your own mistake causes irreparable harm. The list could go on and on.
A man named Nehemiah who authored a book of the Bible wrote about devastating news he received from his beloved homeland.
They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” (Nehemiah 1:3 NLT)
How to Pray When You’re Devastated
When he heard about Jerusalem, Nehemiah also dropped to his knees—in prayer. We can copy his pattern of prayer as we seek God’s intervention in our own devasting circumstances.
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Rend your heart.
Nehemiah tore his clothing to signify his state of mourning. When devastation comes, our hearts break too. We can pour out our emotions, fears, and worries to God. He always helps us bear them.
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Remove fleshly distractions.
Along with mourning, Nehemiah fasted. When we set aside a period of time to deny ourselves physically to give greater attention to our connection with God, our senses become alert to His Spirit.
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Remember the character of God.
Nehemiah served a powerful earthly king, but he ran to Almighty God for help in his time of trouble. Likewise, we call upon the Creator of the universe, the only One who can perfectly guide and care for all our needs. His everlasting love never fails.
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Recognize God has no obligation to listen to you.
Nehemiah did not demand God’s attention. Instead, he humbly asked for God to attend to His request. Because of God’s lovingkindness, He wants to answer our prayers too. We can have peace in our hearts knowing He does pay attention to His beloved children.
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Repeat your petitions to God.
I’ve heard it said prayer changes our own perspective rather than God’s. Nehemiah prayed continually over many days until God provided the guidance He needed. God gives us the privilege to persist and grow through prayer as we wait upon His perfect timing. He will mold our hearts through the process.
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Repent of any sins that may block your communication with God.
Nehemiah took responsibility and confessed the sins of his entire nation to God. We, too, want to come to God with a clean heart, but we cannot cleanse our own sins. Sometimes we can’t even see them. But when we boldly come to God’s throne of grace, He helps us repent and receive forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Then nothing can block our communication with God.
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Remind God of His promises.
Nehemiah knew the promises of God toward His people. How well do we know God’s Word? God’s promises signify His will. When we pray in agreement with them, we can be sure our hearts and minds are aligned with His.
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Request God’s provision for your need.
In the smallest part of his prayer, Nehemiah made specific requests to God, but he trusted God’s solutions over his own. We, too, can simply ask and rely on God to fulfill according to His wisdom.
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Risk taking action.
In the last sentence of his prayer, Nehemiah implies he’s ready to act. In fact, he risked his life to follow God’s leading. Like Nehemiah, we cannot allow fear to paralyze us. With trust in God, we can take the steps He outlines to walk through our own devastating news.
We can drop to our knees in confidence no matter what news comes our way. Click To TweetConfidence in God No Matter What
You’re probably wondering what happened with Alyssa, so I won’t leave you dangling. After some harrowing hours at the hospital, we learned she did not have a tumor. You can read more details of that story in my book, From Ignorance to Bliss.
As for Nehemiah, his prayer demonstrates a confidence in God in the face of devastation. I encourage you to go to the Old Testament and read the full text in the first chapter of Nehemiah. While you’re there, enjoy the rest of the story of God’s faithfulness.
Like Nehemiah, we can drop to our knees in confidence no matter what news comes our way. Let’s follow his example of how to pray when you’re devastated.
Join the conversation:
How does knowing you can talk to God help when you’re devastated?
I welcome your comments!
Recently, I chatted with Linda Goldfarb and Heather Greer about God’s faithfulness on their podcast, Staying Real about Faith and Family. I hope you check it out. But beware—you might find yourself binging on past episodes! 😊
Copyright ©2023 Annie Yorty
God's Strength
23 Comments
J.D. Wininger
So enjoyed this post ma’am. I loved your point that God is not compelled to listen to us, but He chooses to out of His love for His creations. Knowing that He will choose to listen, but that He will only act in what He wills is such an important point. Knowing that He will be there to listen, comfort, and guide us is invaluable in my Christian walk. Thank you and God’s blessings my friend.
Annie Yorty
J.D., I’m so glad you visited today to add these thoughts to our discussion. Our loving God never deserts us. Blessings to you!
Maggie Rowe
Excellent post, Annie! As I read it, I thought: “This woman can not only write, she can preach!” So many I k now are devastated right now by family estrangements, cancer diagnoses, or world events. And then we have the horrific tragedy on Maui – oh how we need to pray!
Annie Yorty
Thank you, Maggie, for adding your thoughts here. Indeed, we all have the privilege to pray not just for ourselves but also for others who suffer from the devastating effects of this world. I praise God we can look ahead to our home with Him.
Toby
Thank you Ann for your insights. As we go through different stories in our life, I pray that we can all use them to help others and may it be for His honor and glory.
Annie Yorty
Amen, Toby. God has purposes in our trials, and one is to help others. Thank you!
Lynn
Annie,
What about emotional pain? How do we approach God with it and ask for His help in dealing with it and the anger, unfairness, and hurt that comes with it?
Annie Yorty
Lynn, unfortunately pain comes from a variety of sources. In my experience, the worst pain is often emotional rather than physical. It sounds like you have experienced some significant emotional pain too. In the Bible, David wrote very openly about his devastation in Psalms. He doesn’t sugarcoat the reality of injustice, anger, and hurt. He pours it all out to God. That’s why I often read the psalms when I’m in any type of pain. I can follow his example of lamenting even while I trust God when the unthinkable happens. Some of my favorites are Psalm 37, Psalm 147:3, Psalm 34:19-22, and Psalm 27. I also wrote some blogs at my website, 5 Promises for Your Laments and The Fairness of God. You might find those to be helpful. I think one of the keys to working through emotional pain is staying close to God in His Word and praying. I combined those two with a free PDF you can get from my website called 10 Bible-Based Prayers to Encourage You through Chronic Illness. These would be helpful for anyone in emotional pain as well. If you haven’t received it yet, just put your email in the pop-up box and I will send it to you. Lynn, I pray you are encouraged today to hope only in the Lord. We aren’t guaranteed any particular outcome to our pain and problems in this world, but we are guaranteed God carries us through into eternal life if we have trusted in Jesus. Blessings from my heart to yours.
Leigh DeLozier
Nehemiah has long been one of my favorite characters in the Bible, partly because his situation is so relatable. He knew what God called him to do and he kept at it despite the many obstacles. Thank you for the reminder that no matter what we face, God is in the middle of it with us. As you said, God doesn’t have to listen to us — but I’m so thankful He does!
Annie Yorty
Leigh, thanks for visiting and adding your thoughts to the conversation. I’m so grateful God is always with us. My awareness of His constant presence makes all the difference.
Candyce
Isn’t is great that dropping to our knees is a Believer’s default response when receiving devastating news? We know God will hear us even if we’re too stunned to form words. What a model Nehemiah provides us when we are able to articulate prayer. Thank you Annie!
Annie Yorty
Thanks for visiting and adding your thoughts, Candyce. I’m so thankful we can come to God with my devastation. Blessings to you!
Connie Wohlford
Annie, this is such an encouraging and instructive lesson.
I must share it.
Thank you.
Annie Yorty
Praise the Lord, Connie. Thank you!
Katherine Pasour
Your message is a beautiful guide to help us when we are at our lowest point and desperate for God’s help, but we can also use this plan in our daily prayers. God is always there, waiting for us to call on Him, watching us on our journey, only a prayer away. Thank you, Annie.
Annie Yorty
Katherine, I love that you made this important point. Truth is, we are desperate and needy for God every day of our lives. But will we acknowledge our desperation? Thank you for adding this important insight.
Barbara Latta
The book of Nehemiah contains so much richness we can learn from. I love to read it and I get new revelation every time. Your tweet is so true. We can drop to our knees in humility to God no matter what is going on around us.
Annie Yorty
Same here, Barbara. I’ve studied through Nehemiah many times, and it never gets old. I praise God with you for His faithfulness.
Yvonne Morgan
Amen Annie. I loved your post and how it reminds me that I am never alone in my struggles. I can’t imagine going through anything devastating without Christ. Sometimes I forget to go to Him first but it does not take me long to get there. Thanks for sharing
Annie Yorty
I know what you mean, Yvonne. God changes my perspective on absolutely everything. Thanks for visiting!
Debbie Wilson
“Nehemiah served a powerful earthly king, but he ran to Almighty God for help in his time of trouble.” What a wonderful reminder that our King is above all kings. Great post, Annie.
Annie Yorty
Thanks very much, Debbie. Blessings!
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