“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
1 Peter 5:10 ESV
Let us pray.
Lord of life who has endured suffering of body from the torture of Roman soldiers, who has endured the suffering of the soul as You cried out from the cross with the words of despair, “My God my God, why have You forsaken me?” A deep separation from the one who has always been part of His life. Our lives do not always reflect the grace and perseverance that You have shown us through Your loving life. We don’t always recognize where You are leading us. When times are difficult and our emotions seem to be running in ways that we are not used to we struggle to make sense of them and the world around us but we fail. Our grasp on control is limited, and our desire for security limits our faith at times. Help us to have faith in You and remember that when we struggle, you have struggled, when we face suffering, You have suffered. When we are tempted by despair we can trust that You who has risen from the grave, can sustain us through this journey of life. You have not promised us comfort or to be problem free, but You have promised us that You have overcome, even death. That You will never leave us, even in our weakness. In You we have hope, love, forgiveness, and life, and the faithfulness live towards eternal life. We pray this all in Jesus’ name, Amen.