Let Your Heart Take Courage

DECEMBER 21, 2020    |    2.5 MINUTE READ
KATELAND VERNON, STAFF WRITER

Suddenly, it seems, your view outside is darker earlier and earlier. You’re wrapping up dinner one night and notice it’s pitch black. Just weeks before, you were outside at this same time in the bright sun. It happens every year, but it still takes us by surprise (at least, those of us in North America who go through this in the fall).

Add to the changing seasons what feels like an endless onslaught of darkness—a global pandemic, racial tensions bubbling to the surface, and contentious elections all around the world. Simply put, it feels like darkness continues to creep in, and the thickness of it feels overwhelming some days.

We acknowledge that we walk through darkness, but it doesn’t mean we’re resigned to having no path to follow. James 4:14 reminds us that our plans for the future have always been an illusion. The plans we create often fall through; only God knows what the future actually holds. So why do we insist on pretending that we can see? That we know where we should step next?

This year has reminded many of us to cling to the Father. As the uncertainties of the future become clearer with each passing month, we are learning to surrender more each day. To let God lead.

Use the verses and prayers below to guide you as you prepare for what God has in store. We believe in following the example of the Jesus when it comes to prayer, so, much like the Lord’s Prayer, there are four sections to this guide—Praise, Gratitude, Confession, and Requests.

PRAISE

“Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Mark 4:41 (NIV)

Instill a sense of awe in me, God, as I look at what you have done this past year. You have continued to work and move despite unusual circumstances. You cannot be stopped. I pray that my heart would be still and humbled before you, that I may be used by you during the upcoming year.

GRATITUDE

Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Proverbs 30:15 (ESV)

God, as I spend time abiding in you, let your words remain in my heart. Help them to resurface when I most need to be reminded of the truth you speak. Thank you that I can always rely on your words, on your faithfulness. I know that you will be my refuge as the world around me grows dark.

CONFESSION

Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! Psalm 27:14 (ESV)

Lord, teach me to wait for you. I know it is better to let you lead than to choose my own path forward, but it isn’t always easy for me to act on that knowledge. I confess that I haven’t always waited. Often, I charge ahead and take control of my own life and future. Give me the strength and the courage to wait for you in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.

REQUESTS

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

God, I pray that you would guide me. Give me the desire to do your will and to submit my own desires to yours. Help me to be aware of the power I have through your Holy Spirit. I pray that you would use me for your glory and the good of those I am called to reach. Please allow me to witness more people coming to know you in the upcoming year.

This year is almost over. Though we hope that 2021 holds less uncertainty than the past twelve months, it might not. But we can trust in a God whose every word is true and who has promised He will lead us faithfully forward, even as we it feels like our view of the future is obscured by darkness more each day. Listen for His voice and follow.

Author Bio: Kateland Vernon works at WGM headquarters as a writer and editor. She spends her free time organizing her kitchen, playing video games with her husband, and hanging out with her nephews and her puppy.