May Prayers | The Courage to Wait

“Let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord.” Psalm 31:24

Dear Friends,

So much of our life is spent in waiting. Waiting for the test results, waiting for a loved one to write back, waiting for the college acceptance letter or the job offer. Waiting can feel so passive- so helpless, so dark, but the Psalmist sees it differently. “Let your heart take courage” they say. Because that’s what waiting is- an act of courage.  It’s acknowledging your distress, but bravely choosing not to make the darkness your permanent home-to leave your heavy heart open to the encouragement of the Almighty. As our Psalm says, “But I trust in you, O Lord.  I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand” (Psalm 31:14-15). Jesus knows keenly the uncertainty of life and walks beside us in those moments, especially when it feels most acute. This May, as you find spaces of quiet, welcome God into the waiting rooms of your own life and courageously put your heart into God’s hands.

-Christy Yates