A Prayer for When a Situation Seems Impossible

“When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”’ – Matthew 19:25-26

My wife and I held hands and stood on the cusp of the light blue sea beneath hot sunlight. Gigantic waves from an aggressive tide crashed onto the bodies of swimmers and bodyboarders around us. The surf was daunting and very, very large. “This is what it is like in life. These waves are like the challenges,” I said to my wife, who had been unwell of late. “We need to hold hands together with Jesus and jump higher than the waves.” A surge loomed over us, and we both thrust our bodies upwards, gasping for air as the mega tower of water crashed over our heads.

“You need to get the family together. This is serious.” … Two days later, after our time on the beach, my wife was standing alone in a hospital. She could hardly believe the words coming from the nurse. Between the two ladies lay a man in a hospital trolley. He was unconscious from a brain stroke. That man was me.

The rest of the family and my friends, as they learned about the situation, were shocked to realize just how serious it was. Plans were remade, flights booked, and travel plans changed. The nurse had said that my life was on a cliff edge. A deadly wave crashed over me from out of nowhere and there seemed little hope. The situation was very real and impossible. Even so, the call went out from prayer warrior to prayer warrior around the world. I do not exaggerate. They gathered and they interceded upon the God of all comfort to show his lovingkindness. The only person in the entire universe who can bring hope where there is only darkness. 

Two days later, I regained consciousness to find myself in a high-dependency brain injuries unit some 40 miles from home. I had no memory of the day before. Another nurse was next to me, telling me about the brain bleed. I endured all sorts of invasive tests in the following two weeks, and I was bed-bound. My left arm went black from the prodding of needles. One morning, I woke up to find a smiling doctor stitching a large IV line into my left wrist artery. No cause for the bleed was found. My wife and I were told this is good news. And then, I was informed that I would be going home. It was a sheer miracle!

Toward the end of my hospital stay, I learned to walk again and pottered around the ward, familiarizing myself with the clinical surroundings. I headed to the outer door and saw the sign above, ‘High Dependency Brain Injuries Unit,’ and felt a coldness in my spine. The thought occurred to me: “How can I have been in this place?” And that thought was quickly followed by another: “How is it possible that I can WALK out of this place?” But I did, and thankfully I returned to my wife and children. I spent a long time recovering and building my strength again.

Some six months later, I am walking by the Mediterranean Sea nearly two thousand miles from home, taking a break between sessions at a work conference. How is that possible? How can I have recovered enough to do that? How can I be staring at the drab, grey rooftops of a hospital building one moment and the next find myself looking at the brilliant sun setting over tranquil waters?

How is it possible to find a way out when a situation is definitely impossible? I mean, really and absolutely impossible. Ask Lazarus, the man whom Jesus raised from the dead. Or the little girl whom Jesus also raised from the dead. Or the demoniac who slashed himself by tombs, freed by Jesus. Or the man born blind, who regained his sight. Or myself, marked down as likely to die but now living. How is it possible?

I call it the ‘J Factor.’ The fact of Jesus Christ in our lives. When everything seems totally hopeless. When you are struggling with suffering and walking in the valley of death, there is a Man calling, “Come out!” in the midst of the dark, turbulent storm. His very name means ‘God With Us.’ He “knows those who are his’ and He will never, ever abandon us. We can trust him, we can hope in him, we can walk with him, we can know him – our future is guaranteed because of him! Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

My wife has recently painted these words on a wall in our house as a reminder to us both: “Mightier than the waves of the sea, is His love for us!” (Inspired by Psalm 93:4). Please remember this. Mightier than the tempest you are facing is His love for you!

Let us pray:

Father of all comfort,
I declare today, not just in words but from my heart, directing my mind as I say this: Nothing is impossible with God. Every word from God is pure, He is a shield unto those who trust in him (Proverbs 30: 5). You ARE my shield and you have said that whilst we mustn’t put you to the test, we can truly trust you. When we turn to you in prayer, you run to us as you run to the prodigal son. So I put my hope in you today and the power of your beautiful Holy Spirit. You know my weaknesses and failings. My situation. Help me to walk with you in faith. Today and every day. I love you Lord. Help my life to match those words. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

This article was originally published on Crosswalk.com. Used with permission.