“You want to do what?” I said to my son Jesse.
Jesse was getting ready to graduate from mechanics school in California in 2011. Rather than come home and start working right away, he wanted to backpack across the United States by himself, starting in California, traveling along the southern border, and ending in Florida.
My worry meter ratcheted up several notches. My family had barely recovered from Jesse being severely burned in a bonfire accident a few months before. I pictured several months of sporadic contact, wild animals, violent weather, and unreliable food and water. Not to mention the danger of walking along busy roads — and exposing his healing skin to hours of sun every day.
“Lord, how will I ever survive this, much less Jesse,” I prayed.
The First of Many
Jesse’s five-month journey was just one of many similar events in my life. Through them, God has led me on my own journey, one of peace through prayer.
Like many of you, I’ve experienced the ups and downs of life. My family has had five major health crises including illnesses, accidents, and even the death of our infant daughter, Larissa, due to a heart defect.
On top of that, my family is adventurous.
• Our daughter Amber lived in Argentina for four months, working with street children. One evening, she and three other volunteers were held up at knifepoint while walking home.
• Between Jesse and my husband, Mark, they have taken six cycling/backpacking trips across the country.
• Jesse and a friend got lost on what was supposed to have been a short hike in the Grand Canyon and ran out of water. They ended up traversing the entire rim of the Grand Canyon south to north (21 miles) in 24 hours.
As someone who naturally tends toward safety and stability, it’s been a battle to learn how to “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”. Prayer has kept me sane through some difficult seasons— and helped me claim the peace He promises us in Philippians 4:6-9.
Prayer and Peace for the Big Things
Many of us are probably accustomed to praying for an upcoming surgery, a job interview, or the arrival of a new baby. But where prayer gets hard is when the big thing is a tragedy, and we’re left dealing with heartache, injuries, and changed lives — wondering if prayer makes any difference at all. Peace feels very far away.
What I’ve found, however, is that when I approach God in the middle of grief or anger or fear, He always responds. Usually not with explanations, but with His presence, comfort, love, and peace that meet me in my deep emotions.
For example, right after my son was burned, it was impossible for me to sleep. About 3 a.m., I gave up. I was distraught, unable to stop the images of his suffering playing on repeat in my mind. I walked out to the living room with my Bible, desperate for hope. God led me to Psalm 66:12: “We went through fire and through water; But you brought us out to rich fulfillment.”
My heart stopped when I read that verse. God was so personal. It was exactly what I needed to hear. His peace calmed my soul and gave me the strength I needed. I printed out the verse and posted it on the wall of Jesse’s room in the hospital.
When we gather the dregs of our faith and take them to God, He honors it.
Prayer and Peace for the Little Things
Prayer isn’t only for the big disasters of life. Have you ever felt that something was too trivial to pray about? Perhaps you shouldn’t bother God until you have a problem you can’t handle on your own.
Well, there are a few problems with this type of thinking.
1. First of all, it’s not what scripture says. Remember the “in everything ...” part of Philippians?
2. The other problem is that when we make a habit of not praying for the little things, very soon we could have some big things on our hands. If only we had sought His wisdom, perhaps we could have avoided the mess we now find ourselves in. Also, when we take the small everyday things to God in prayer, we build our prayer muscles and form holy habits. When bigger things show up, we are more inclined to take those to God.
When I was 22 and looking for my first job out of college, I went on an interview for a job advertised as a public relations position. The interview went well, but I felt vaguely uneasy. When they called later that night to say I had gotten the position, I proudly accepted it and pushed those feelings aside. Perhaps if I had prayed about it, I would have avoided having to quit after my first day. My feelings were correct. They wanted me to lie and deceive people in my “public relations” position.
So, What Does Prayer that Leads to Peace Look Like?
A grounding peace rooted in Christ is possible. The good news is, it’s less about following a specific prayer formula and more about just, well, praying. “Letting our requests be made known to God” can look so many different ways. I’ve experienced all of these:
• Morning prayer time with my Bible and journal in a quiet space.
• Making a list of requests to pray through.
• Being quiet and listening for God’s voice then writing down what pops into my mind.
• Praying quick arrow prayers as the Holy Spirit brings them to mind throughout the day.
• Praying the famous prayers of history.
• Engaging in Lectio Divina and other spiritual disciplines.
• Crawling out of bed at 3 a.m. to pray.
• Asking others to pray for and with me.
• Doing a prayer walk around my neighborhood.
• Practicing intercessory prayer.
• Walking through the woods and praying.
• Pouring out my heart in prayers of sorrow, anger, or desperation.
• Practicing breath prayers.
How to Get Started Praying
Please know, praying doesn’t have to be complicated. Pick one thing that feels like “you” and try it. If you grew up in a church where everyone prayed the same prayer together, you may feel comfortable starting with the Lord’s Prayer. If you are an outside kind of person, hop on your bike or take a walk and talk to God about your day. If you’re an experienced pray-er, try something new you’ve not tried before. The Spirit will guide you.
And His peace will be with you.