Times of abundance often constitute a major challenge to our spiritual lives. Put simply, when things are going well, we tend to assume that we don’t need any help. Pride is a perennial temptation during times of abundance, and for those of us who follow Christ, a clear indicator of its insidious presence is a pronounced lack of prayer in one’s life. While we can certainly give God thanks for times of relative prosperity, we must take great care not to allow them to mislead us into thinking that we are the masters of our own destiny. There’s nothing wrong with wealth, for instance. But, as Scripture makes clear, it’s also temporary and highly fragile. A sobering current example would be the numerous beautiful homes that have been consumed by the fires in Los Angeles.
4. Times of Scarcity
When our circumstances turn more desperate, however, the temptation to skip prayer remains strong. Why? If our modern sensibilities are shaped by ambitions of control, our tendency will be to first consult with all of the experts, all of the best strategies and methodologies in an effort to fix our circumstances. To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with turning to experts and various problem-solving strategies, so long as they don’t take the place of our Lord. Once again, all too often, we regard prayer as a resource—the thing we turn to when we’ve exhausted all other options. In times of scarcity, a mature believer will recognize her total dependence on the Lord and allow this assumption to guide her list of priorities.
5. Suffering
Finally, times of serious suffering can engender attitudes of profound distrust toward God, bitterness, and even unbelief. What is needful here is to bear in mind that:
1. We inhabit a fallen world where suffering and death are inevitable.
2. Christ is with us in our suffering, having himself endured the agony of the cross.
3. Suffering and death do not have the last word, thanks to our Lord’s triumph on the cross.
In these times, prayer can feel like an impossibility. The best strategy in these circumstances is to pray Scripture, starting with the Psalms, a book containing human emotions. While suffering can threaten our relationship with Christ, it can also, by His grace, bring us closer together.
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