A Prayer for Confidence When Uncertainty, Insecurity, or Timidity Hits
By Kelly Balarie
“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” – James 1:6 NIV
The brute force of the wind, combined with hard, bulleting-down rain made for a situation that felt like a deadly combination. Putting my head down, soldiering forward, without looking where I was going, I only hoped I’d somehow make it inside the refuge of the warm store ahead of me. In some ways, it was probably good that I didn’t have my umbrella. Half the time those things flip inside-out in storms. It would be one more thing that I’d have to fight. I pressed forward, but no matter how hard I pushed, my body couldn’t seem to walk in a straight line against the wind.
A gust would come from the left and I would move left. A gust would hit from the right, I’d go right. Walking a straight line with sidewinds is nearly impossible. Even in the storms of life, I’ve found, sidewinds can move us ways we don’t intend them to. I’ve found, walking the straight and narrow way of Jesus feels hard when the winds of did-I-handle-that-correctly, am-I-good-enough, am-I-making-the right decision, does-my-voice-even matter -- come to sway me. Then, I get tossed, unsure, doubtful, hesitant, timid, reluctant, or insecure in the face of forces that move me away from complete trust in God.
Ever been there? Maybe you need to make a decision, yet you don’t know which way to go. Maybe you’re leading a small group of people, yet you doubt your words. Maybe you are wanting to speak up in your team meeting, but you feel unworthy. Maybe you want to talk to a family member or friend about a situation, but you just don’t know if you can speak truth. Maybe you have tried to do things right, but you can’t stop questioning the choices you’ve made. Maybe you doubt your worth, skills or calling.
I know these thoughts: Should I have…? Maybe it would have been better if… If only I… How do I know if…
In James 1:6, Scripture tells us that this sort of thinking tosses us in winds of turmoil. Have you ever been in a tossed-around boat before? It’s nauseating. Sickening. Some even lose their insides it gets so bad. Seas with high winds make us sick and weary. When we are tossed too much, we get sick inside. This is not how God designed us to walk. We are not meant to move left, then right, then put our head down in defeat because every wind is shifting our course.
Instead, we are given godly instruction, that goes like this:
- Ask.
- Believe.
- Don’t doubt.
Sound too simple? Well, maybe that’s the point. It is not as complicated as we make it. Worry and hypothesizing and rehashing and ruminating is not necessary. Instead, we need only ask and then believe that the Father has it in His hands. Then, we trust. We do not take back what prayer we give to the Father. Just as we would never give a friend something and take it right back, out of their hands – let’s not do that with God either. When we trust God, we leave it in His hands. We believe. We feel steady, not sick.
Let’s pray:
Father, I feel dizzy from all the uncertainty, timidity, and insecurity I have been walking in. Will you forgive me for the self-doubt, fear or worry that I have engaged in. I am so sorry. I no longer want to walk hesitant and doubt-filled; I want to walk faithful. I want to be so full of faith that no wind, no storm or no shifting shadow can move me. Here, I ask you to help my unbelief and to fill me with fresh faith for believing. I can’t go a new way without you. Will you equip me and encourage me afresh? I trust you to do this. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.
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Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
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