1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your daily prayer, 2 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: where we help you find the words you need to 3 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 1: connect your Father in Heaven. No matter what's happening in 4 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: your life today, you can trust that God wants to 5 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: hear from you. Right after this short word from our sponsors, 6 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: we'll pray through today's prayer to deal with Bad News. 7 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:52,599 Speaker 1: A Prayer to deal with Bad News written by Whitney Hoppler, 8 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: read by Lea Gerard. They will have no fear of 9 00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 1: bad news. Their hearts are steadfast trust in the Lord, 10 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: Psalm one twelve seven. This is a fallen world that's 11 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: full of sin and suffering. Turn on the news, scroll 12 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,680 Speaker 1: through your phone, or just listen to the conversations around you, 13 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: and it can feel like a never ending stream of 14 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 1: bad news. The headlines describe crimes, wars, and all sorts 15 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:23,480 Speaker 1: of other bad news stories, so sometimes the emotional weight 16 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:27,119 Speaker 1: of it can feel crushing. You might find yourself feeling 17 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: stressed and anxious because of all the hardship you see 18 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: and hear about. It's natural to feel this way. You're human, 19 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: and you're paying attention to a world that's painfully broken. 20 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 1: So how can you deal with all this bad news. 21 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 1: The key is in Psalm one twelve seven, which promises 22 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: that you won't be afraid of bad news when you 23 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: trust in God with a steadfast heart. And what does 24 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: it mean to have a steadfast heart? The word steadfast 25 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:04,560 Speaker 1: means resolutely firm and unchanging. When your heart is steadfast 26 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:08,519 Speaker 1: because you trust God, you're resolutely focused on your faith 27 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: in God. Bad news can make you feel powerless. You 28 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: can't solve the world's problems by yourself. That sense of 29 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: wanting the news to be better but not being in 30 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: control is what leads to stress and fear. There actually 31 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: is something you can do, however, pray about the situations 32 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: you learn about through bad news. You're not in control, 33 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 1: but God is in control, and God will hear your 34 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: prayers and answer them. While God won't override people's free will, 35 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,360 Speaker 1: he will keep working for good in this world where 36 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: bad news happens, God's purposes will ultimately prevail. You have 37 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 1: a choice every day about where you'll put your attention. 38 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:56,400 Speaker 1: You can either focus on all the bad news in 39 00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: this world until you're caught up in worry, or you 40 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,679 Speaker 1: can take the advice in Philippians four eight to focus 41 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: on whatever is true noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, 42 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 1: or praiseworthy. And there is still a lot of good 43 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 1: news happening in the world. By paying attention to the 44 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: good you notice, you can start to see how God 45 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: is at work despite the bad news. Remember God's character. 46 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 1: God is constantly good. He is loving, just, and faithful 47 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 1: all the time. You can rely on God's good character 48 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:42,400 Speaker 1: while you're dealing with bad news instead of becoming paralyzed 49 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: by fear. When you learn about bad news, ask God 50 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: what he wants you to do with the information you have. 51 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 1: The bad news of this world shouldn't lead you to despair. 52 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 1: It should lead you to compassion action. How can you 53 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 1: help shine light into the darkness of the world. God 54 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: may lead you to say a prayer, send an encouraging 55 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: message to someone you know who's struggling, donate to a charity, 56 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: or do an act of kindness for someone in need. 57 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 1: The greatest antidote to the temporary bad news of this 58 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 1: world is the eternal good news of the Gospel message. 59 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: Because of Jesus, you know that this life, with all 60 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: its troubles, is not the end of the story. Jesus 61 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 1: tells you in John sixteen thirty three. In this world 62 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome 63 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:41,799 Speaker 1: the world. Jesus offers the ultimate good news. By relying 64 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: on Jesus to help you, you can always overcome the 65 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 1: challenges you face, including dealing with bad news. When you 66 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 1: practice focusing on your faith, your heart becomes steadfast. You 67 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 1: develop a strong confidence in God that keeps the stress 68 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 1: of bad news from overwhelming you with fear. While you 69 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: acknowledge the reality of this fallen world, you can see 70 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 1: the greater reality of God's redemptive work in it. So 71 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:13,720 Speaker 1: every time a scary headline pops up, you have an 72 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 1: opportunity to practice the spiritual discipline of looking beyond those 73 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 1: circumstances to God and doing what you can to join 74 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 1: God's good news work. Decide today to have a steadfast 75 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: heart that trusts God so that you too can live 76 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 1: with no fear of bad news. Let's pray fear God. 77 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:41,719 Speaker 1: I'm so tired of the constant stream of bad news 78 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 1: that I read here and see every day. There's just 79 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 1: so much bad news in this fallen world, and I 80 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:52,039 Speaker 1: feel stressed and afraid. Sometimes. Forgive me for letting fear 81 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 1: take over. I need your help to change my focus. 82 00:05:57,560 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 1: I want to be like the person described in Psalm 83 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 1: one twelve seven, someone who has no fear of bad 84 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: news because my heart is steady and trusts in you. 85 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 1: Please take my anxiety and replace it with your peace. 86 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 1: Help me remember the good news of the Gospel, which 87 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:20,119 Speaker 1: literally means good news. Remind me that this broken world 88 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 1: isn't the end of the story, and that you're at 89 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:26,359 Speaker 1: work redeeming people's lives because of what Jesus did to 90 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:30,440 Speaker 1: save our world. The hope you offer is the ultimate 91 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: good news. When I hear something discouraging, don't let it 92 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:38,840 Speaker 1: paralyze me. Instead, let the good news of your love 93 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 1: make me want to do something good in this world. 94 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:45,360 Speaker 1: Show me how to share your love with the people 95 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: around me who are hurting. Keep me focused on you 96 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 1: instead of on the trouble in this world. Thank you 97 00:06:54,520 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: for overcoming bad news with your good news. Amen. Your 98 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 1: Daily Prayer is a production of Life Audio and Salem Media. 99 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 1: If you haven't already, be sure to follow the show 100 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: in your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode. 101 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:28,760 Speaker 1: For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio 102 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: dot com.