One Prayer at a Time

Posted on January 26, 2023 by

41 Comments

Photo by Diana Simumpande on unsplash.com

“Everyone has problems,” my husband said to his sister, who was on the other end of the phone line. My husband was sharing with her some of the things that we were walking through. And my sister-in-law also shared some of the things that her family was dealing with.

We all do have different problems on different levels. Some seasons of our lives feel harder to bear than others. Some days feel hopeless. Some days our faith waivers. Some days we are weak with the weight of our worries.

However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Yes, there will always be problems on this earth. But we don’t have to lose our hope or our faith.

But the question remains how do we make it through? You have heard the saying “one day at a time.” Well I am adopting a different spin on that – “One Prayer at a Time.” That is the key to surviving through tough times.

One thing I have discovered is that in troubled times we have a choice. Problems can either tear us down, or we can choose to draw closer to God. We can choose to cling to Him in prayer. We can choose to trust Him.

I know it’s not always easy. Especially because it seems like when it rains it pours. Many times it’s not just one problem we are dealing with, but several. It makes us feel like we can’t keep our heads above water. That’s when we choose to stop fighting the waves and to surrender into the arms of the Lord.

He is our lifeline. According to Oxford, a lifeline is “a thing on which someone or something depends or which provides a means of escape from a difficult situation.” That is exactly what God can be for us during difficult times. But we have to make that choice to draw near to Him. And I have found that prayer is vital during these times.

Prayer brings us comfort during difficulties. Throughout any given day we will face tasks that we don’t want to deal with, bumps that suddenly arise in the road, unexpected situations that come our way, and more. So how can we survive when we feel like we’re walking through a landmine? One prayer at a time.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 it says to “pray without ceasing.” We might wonder – how do we pray without ceasing? That seems like an impossible task. But I have found that talking with God all throughout the day, praying for strength and guidance in each situation, brings the peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).

Fight all your battles on your knees and you win every time.

Dr. Charles Stanley

I may not know what you are facing today. I may not know what you have been dealing with in this season of your life. But one thing I do know is that God is only a prayer away. He is there for you. He is ready and waiting for you to call upon Him. He loves you beyond measure. And He wants you to cast your cares on Him. (1 Peter 5:7)

Dear Heavenly Father, I admit that stress has been bringing me down. But I turn to You in prayer, today and every day. You alone can help me. You give me strength, hope, and courage. I put my trust in You. I hold onto the words in Psalm 118: 6 – “The Lord is with me” (NIV), “The Lord is for me” (NLT), “The Lord is on my side” (NKJV). What comfort those words bring. Thank You for always being there for me. I hand all my stress over to You. I know this doesn’t mean I will never have any problems. But it does mean I can lean on You through it all. Thank You, God. I am so thankful for You. I praise Your Holy Name and I love You. In Jesus‘ beautiful name I pray, Amen.

© Bridget A. Thomas 2023

Category: Seeking GodTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

41 Comments on “One Prayer at a Time”

  1. Love this! Yes, one prayer at a time! We all have struggles—some small, some big. A hurt toe doesn’t seem like a big deal until it’s your big toe. We can lean on the Lord and trust that He will help us through whatever it is we’re facing.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. Hi Bridget,

    I just want to say thank you so much for this post. I needed to read this and be reminded of the importance of prayer particularly during the rough seasons in life. I love the analogy of one prayer at a time!

    Warm regards, Jess

    Timaru, New Zealand

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Lol, “praying His ear off!” I like that. And the best part is that He never tires of hearing from us! Thank you, Cori! You said that so well – “it is the only way to navigate through life.” 🤗

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • Thank you, Signora Sheila! I am so glad to know this resonated with you. I am learning I have to be intentional about continually turning to God in prayer. Often I am tempted to take the wheel. But I need to let the Shepherd lead. Thank you for stopping by!

      Like

      Reply

  6. One day at a time, has become one of my favorite sayings, but I love your spin of, One prayer at a time. If we can learn to give things to Jesus, one prayer at a time, we will receive the strength, hope, courage and answers that we need. Thanks Bridget, this is an encouraging word!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • So true! I like the saying One Day at a time too. But lately I have found I need something moment by moment. And that was how One prayer at a time came about. I am so thankful we have the Lord – He will get us through! I am glad this was encouraging. By the way, I have finished your 10 day devotional for drawing close to Jesus in the workplace. It was so inspiring. I have had a lot of stress at work recently and you helped to cling to God in prayer. So thank you for that!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  7. Yes we have to do the hard work, put in the effort…again I’m reminded of James 4:8, draw near to the Lord so He will draw near to you.
    This means praying fervently, reading scripture devotedly, finding an accountability partner…it can look so different for all of us but it requires us to step up and do the necessary work for our faith to stay attached to God…and He can do much even with mustard seed sized faith!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thank you again for mentioning James 4:8. I love that verse and feel that is a verse that we should always hold close. The world can easily pull our eyes off of God. So we need the reminder to draw near. And I really appreciate your thoughts on being intentional about spending time with the Lord. And these words are gold – “it requires us to step up and do the necessary work for our faith to stay attached to God.” Sometimes we want life, and even faith, to come easily. But we need to remember that we have a part in it. God is a gentleman and won’t force us to draw near. So we need to be diligent in our walk with Him. Thank you, Alicia! As always, you have encouraged me!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • The Holy Spirit is definitely preaching to me on all of that..I’ll get whiny about feeling stuck only to realize I’ve started dragging my feet instead of anchoring my heart to Him. 🤪This life does not promise ease!!😅😬🤪

        Liked by 1 person

      • I hear you and I completely understand. I am the same way. The enemy will use anything he can to take our eyes off of the Lord. So we do have to take a stand and fight for faith! The scary part is that our feelings feel so real. When we are stuck, we feel hopeless. So we have to hold onto the truth, and proceed accordingly. Thank you, Alicia! I’ve enjoyed this conversation!

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Bridget, love this. One prayer at a time. We all go through things and sometimes we just don’t know what to do. But as you said God is only a prayer away. We can trust and lean on Him. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.
    And I absolutely love the prayer you wrote. I am going to send this to a friend who is struggling to feel God’s presence in her life.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thank you! I’m so glad this was uplifting and I hope it helps your friend too. I love that you quoted Jame 4:8! That verse keeps coming up. Alicia mentioned it as well. I think God keeps nudging us to draw near as a reminder that have to be intentional about seeking Him, during good times and difficult times alike.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  10. Amen. One prayer at a time is more manageable than one day, remembering to invite the Lord into every situation and every moment. Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  11. Pingback: One Prayer at a Time — Bridget A. Thomas – QuietMomentsWithGod

  12. I like your thinking-one prayer at a time. When I went through a severe health struggle many years ago, while recovering I asked what questions instead of why, I found that asking God what he wanted me to do was much better than asking God why.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  13. You are so right, Bridget: one prayer at a time–that’s a surefire way to deflate difficulty and inflate hope, especially when it includes praise and thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6-7)! Thank you for this important reminder.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  14. Amen and Hallelujah, JESUS SAITH; “Pray Without Ceasing.’!! ( 1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV )!!

    Love ❤ Always and Shalom, YSIC \o/

    Kristi

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

Leave a comment

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Find Bridget on Social Media

© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.