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A Prayer for Whining Times

Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Isa. 40:27–29

Gracious Father, whining, like gossiping, seems to come to us as naturally as breathing and eating. Whether in our family of origin or in our family of faith, we came out of the womb with an impatient, demanding sense of entitlement. Our parents were the first targets of our selfish attitude, but unfortunately, you experience it from us as well. We know what we want, how we want it and when we want it. It’s a grating annoying mind-set that we simply do not outgrow. I know of no other power, besides the gospel, that can turn whiners into worshippers.

Nobody likes to be on the other end of a whine. I remember my parent’s easy-to-read “get-over-it” body language when I would whine as a child. Nothing would push their buttons quicker, and when I became a parent, I fully understood why. Father, we praise you for being a different kind of parent to us.

Though we give you plenty of reasons to do so, you will never get disgusted with us. You will never roll your eyes at us.  You will never get irritated with us or shame us. You’ll never lose your cool or composure. The only look you give us, even when we’re coping immature attitudes, reveals your welcoming heart. Though you find no pleasure in our whining, you find great pleasure in your Son, and because you have hidden our lives life in Jesus, you find the same delight and pleasure in us. What an amazing God you are. What an astonishing stand in grace you have given us.

Though it presently seems like heaven isn’t paying attention to some very important things in our hearts and stories, we know better. Only you can be trusted. Only you are the faithful, present, vigilant parent we always wanted. Only you are always on time. Free us from our demandingness. Give us grace to wait upon you. We hear you say to us in the gospel, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and you will find rest, because I will give you rest.” By faith, we come in this very moment.

Lord Jesus, you took the ultimate abandonment of the cross guaranteeing we will never be disregarded or abandoned. Though we’re tired and weary, you’re not. Though you may not answer us the way we want you to answer, you promise to give us all the power and strength we need for our present circumstances and weakness. Turn our whining into worship this day, O gracious and ever-present Lord. So very Amen we pray, in your loving and patient name. Amen.

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