I’ve left the most important tip for last: prayer. When you’re doing hard things, don’t forget to pray. Pray in specifics with prayer partners and pray expecting God to answer.
Have you ever noticed how detailed God is? He didn’t just tell Noah to build a big boat. He gave him specific measurements and told him exactly the kind of wood to use. What about the details of the priestly garments? God gave specific instructions on how to construct the clothes from the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn to the gold bells hung around the hem of the robe. You’ve heard it before: God is in the details, so pray about every point of what you’re facing and how you’re feeling.
When we moved eight years ago, I knew our family with children ages nine to thirteen faced an epic challenge. I created a list of everything I needed God to handle. My request list included among other things positive attitudes, Christian friends, compassionate and caring teachers, and a vibrant church. I even prayed that the school would begin a girls’ soccer program.
(Yes, all the requests centered on what we needed, not what we could give. At that point, however, my selfish focus was as much as I could manage.)
I shared that list with three or four close friends who prayed daily for us. Although I gave them a copy of the whole list, I asked them to choose only one or two items to pray.
During the next year, God faithfully answered all the prayers on my list sometimes exactly how I’d hoped, sometimes in ways I’d never imagined, but always, God answered my prayers in the best way.
Face your difficult task with prayer—specifically, unceasingly, expectantly. God will be faithful to you, too.
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