Bridget A. Thomas
Every day is a gift!
Habakkuk’s Prayer
Habakkuk lived in Judah (the southern kingdom when Israel was split in two) when the invasion of the Babylonians was imminent. While the book of Habakkuk shows the devastation to come, I love that this book is really a conversation that Habakkuk has with God. And although Habakkuk is crushed by what is to come, he provides a beautiful example of how to cling to the Lord during difficult times.
In chapter 3 verse 2, Habakkuk writes, “I have heard all about you, LORD. I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by…”
When Habakkuk prays to the Heavenly Father, he starts off by acknowledging the greatness of God. And similarly when Jesus taught us to pray the Lord’s Prayer, He began with these words, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” (See Matthew 6:9-13.)
When we begin our prayers by stating how glorious the Lord is, this helps us to have a better frame of mind. Often we might come to the Lord in prayer feeling desperate and defeated by our problems. But when we acknowledge the Might and Strength of our God, it reminds us that nothing is too difficult for Him. And even though we have the privilege of coming before Him boldly, acknowledging God’s power also helps us to come before Him humbly. It helps us to remember He is Lord above all.
Later in the prayer, chapter 3 verses 17-19, Habakkuk pens these words, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”
Habakkuk knew that no matter what was to come, he could fully trust God. He knew that God was his strength, his provider, and his protection. He knew that God would work all things together for good.
As Christians, we can turn to Jesus with every difficult challenge. Every moment of every day, He is there to give us strength and wisdom. We will all face trials in this earth. But we have a choice in how we handle them. Turning to the Lord is always the right choice.
I love that Habakkuk’s name comes from the Hebrew root word habaq ( חבק ) which means “embrace”. Habakkuk shows us how to embrace the Lord when we are facing a difficulty.
When we run to God in a storm, we acknowledge that He is everything to us. We rely on Him to get us through. Faith requires us to come to the end of ourselves. Then we can fully rely on Jesus.
Paul wrote these words in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
When we are weak, then we can see God’s power and strength come through in a miraculous way. When we hand everything over to Him, He can turn ashes into beauty. When we are at a loss because the path ahead seems impossible, He can make a way where there is no way.
Whatever you are facing today, remember that you have an Almighty God on your side. He can handle any obstacle in your path. Keep your focus on the Lord and cling to Him, because He is your source of strength.
Thank you for reading. You all are in my prayers. And if you have any specific prayer requests, please let me know. And thank you for saying a prayer for my family. God bless you!
© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Bridget A. Thomas 
Hi Bridget,
Your email really spoke to me.
I have been feeling very alone and anxious about the future recently. This email was a timely reminder to keep giving my worries over to God and to put my faith in Him daily.
Thank you. Jess
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m really sorry that you have been feeling alone and anxious. I can definitely understand those feelings though. Sometimes we feel them due to circumstances we are facing. And sometimes we feel them for no obvious reason. I’m so glad this post was encouraging and helped you to hold tightly to the Lord. I will be praying for you! 🙏
LikeLike
Good post Bridget.
We have found that our prayer life is quite an indicator of our Trust in God…especially in life’s storms. Our summer here has been a storm challenging us to the core of our faith. My wife and I keep coming to the same prayer “Lord God, we trust you no matter what”. But, that is not without struggle to define what we are trusting God for. Our “what” in our context, has included a daughters life flight, hanging in the balances and knowing how much of life can change our trajectory can happen at any moment in time. Any of us could be standing before God before end of day…He is trustworthy for his ways and plans…not ours. we don’t get to set the agenda so trust must go deep into “all our ways” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Our daughter is in our care at home (after 28 days of bedside). She has much recovery needed to happen. to what percent we don’t know…to be determined like all of our lives.
LikeLiked by 1 person
From the little I know about your daughter and her battles, I can only imagine how bumpy the road has been for you and your wife. But I admire the peaceful trust you have in the Lord, no matter what. I like the way you put that – trust must go deep into all our ways. It brings comfort to know that we can surrender all into the hands of our Mighty God. Thank you so much for sharing some of your experience. Hearing one other’s stories brings encouragement. I am praying for you and your family 🙏
LikeLiked by 1 person
My most effective tool for calming my mind is repeating, over and over, “God is good, all the time. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love that, Judy! And just this morning I read something that goes along with that. In a devotional book by Susie Larson called “Waking Up to the Goodness of God” she wrote, “Years ago, I read a scientific study (not faith based) that explored how anxiety is often directly connected to rogue thoughts. They found that one thing that stops the flow of runaway thoughts is the spoken word. You can interrupt an unhealthy flow of destructive thoughts by speaking a life-giving flow of words!” This is something I want to remember when worry and anxiety sneak in. Thank you so much for sharing that ♥️
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re most welcome. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
The part of Habakkuk’s story that strengthens my faith the most is the fact that he likely waited for some time before hearing from the Lord. Delayed is not denied!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a good point. We humans tend to get impatient when we are waiting on God. But Jesus told us to keep praying and never give up. Such a much-needed reminder! Thank you, David! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Often we might come to the Lord in prayer feeling desperate and defeated by our problems. But when we acknowledge the Might and Strength of our God, it reminds us that nothing is too difficult for Him.”
When we lose sight of who God is, we also lose sight of how to turn to God when we’re facing problems.
Thank you for this reminder! Habakkuk points us to His embrace. 🤗🙏🏻
LikeLiked by 1 person
“When we lose sight of who God is, we also lose sight of how to turn to God when we’re facing problems.” – Such a great point! Turning to Him is key. But you’re right, sometimes we forget that. Sometimes we forget that He is the only One who can move the mountain we are facing. A great reminder! Thank you, Summer! 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Embracing Him, that really is our refuge in all circumstances. Beautiful thought, Bridget!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very well said! What a gift we have in Him and in His embrace! 🙌♥️
LikeLike
Bridget, this post is encouraging to me. The last few days the Lord has been reminding me to keep trusting that He is faithful and at work even though I feel uncertain at times. To hand over that which worries me and be strongly tethered to Him through prayer.
I did not know what his name meant- that was good. May we trust and know that God is good and faithful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so glad this was encouraging, Manu. I love what the Lord has been reminding you. We do face a lot of uncertainty in life, which brings worry and anxiety. But nothing is a surprise to God. He knows what’s ahead. And I’m so glad we can hold tightly to Him (and embrace Him ♥️) during times of worry.
LikeLiked by 1 person
By starting our prayers focused on the greatness of God, it builds our faith. What a blessed privilege to be able to pray
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a good point – remembering the greatness of God really does build our faith. What a gift that the Lord provides all we need. Even in prayer, He helps build our faith. 🙌♥️
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do worry sometimes with me is that I pray when things are not going so well more consistently than when things are going well. Trying to make sure I do more praise based prayers. Your words really gave me a lift today xxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
I understand. I think many of us have that tendency. And even when things are not going well, prayer can be difficult if we don’t approach God in the right frame of mind. I want to learn to pray with bold faith, not with discouragement over the battles I’m facing. I’m so glad this post gave you some inspiration 🤗
LikeLike