1
00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:15,120
Speaker 1: Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your daily prayer,

2
00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:17,720
Speaker 1: where we help you find the words you need to

3
00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:20,520
Speaker 1: connect to your Father in Heaven. No matter what's happening

4
00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,880
Speaker 1: in your life today, you can trust that God wants

5
00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:26,280
Speaker 1: to hear from you. Right after this short word from

6
00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,760
Speaker 1: our sponsors, we'll pray through today's prayer for Courage to

7
00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:50,760
Speaker 1: Step into the Unknown. A Prayer for Courage to Step

8
00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:55,320
Speaker 1: into the Unknown, written by Clarence Haines, read by Leah Gerard.

9
00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:00,000
Speaker 1: The Lord had said to Abram, go from your country,

10
00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:03,880
Speaker 1: your people, and your father's household to the land I

11
00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:09,360
Speaker 1: will show you Genesis twelve one. I often wonder what

12
00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:11,960
Speaker 1: went through Abraham's mind when he heard this word from

13
00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:16,640
Speaker 1: the Lord. Was he nervous? Was he afraid? Did he

14
00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:22,119
Speaker 1: wonder if it was truly the Lord speaking to him? Better? Yet,

15
00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:25,679
Speaker 1: what went through Sarah's mind? Can you imagine walking into

16
00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:28,920
Speaker 1: your home today and announcing to your spouse that you're

17
00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:33,880
Speaker 1: packing up everything, loading up the car, and moving. When

18
00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:37,200
Speaker 1: they ask where you're all going, you tell them, I

19
00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:39,800
Speaker 1: don't know, but when we get in the car, God

20
00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:44,280
Speaker 1: will show us which way to go. In Abraham's story,

21
00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,360
Speaker 1: we have the benefit of looking back and knowing the outcome.

22
00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,080
Speaker 1: Abraham did not have the luxury of knowing what the

23
00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:55,640
Speaker 1: future held, and in the journey of our lives, neither

24
00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:59,960
Speaker 1: do we. He had a promise from God and obey

25
00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,640
Speaker 1: aid him based on it. We must do the same thing.

26
00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:09,040
Speaker 1: Consider for a moment what Abraham was leaving behind. He

27
00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,480
Speaker 1: was walking away from his country and his father's household.

28
00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:17,800
Speaker 1: This was abandoning his identity. He was leaving what was

29
00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:22,880
Speaker 1: secure and familiar to walk into what was vulnerable, unpredictable,

30
00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,680
Speaker 1: and unstable. He put himself in a position where he

31
00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:31,519
Speaker 1: had to depend completely on the God who called him.

32
00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:35,520
Speaker 1: It's easy to applaud Abraham for his faith, but it's

33
00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:39,560
Speaker 1: a lot scarier when you must make the choice. Faith

34
00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,480
Speaker 1: is always easier when there's no trial or the current

35
00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:46,960
Speaker 1: trial has ended. However, do you have the same faith

36
00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:52,720
Speaker 1: when you don't know what lies ahead? That is when

37
00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:56,840
Speaker 1: courage steps in. Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's

38
00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:01,440
Speaker 1: the resolve to move forward despite the fear. It's the

39
00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:05,840
Speaker 1: decision to let your faith in God be bigger than

40
00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:09,760
Speaker 1: your fear of the unknown. Your walk with Christ is

41
00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:13,040
Speaker 1: one of courage and faith. This starts at the beginning.

42
00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:17,280
Speaker 1: Trusting Christ for your salvation and placing your eternal destiny

43
00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,320
Speaker 1: in his hands is an act of courage and faith.

44
00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,400
Speaker 1: Outside of those who walked with Jesus, none of us

45
00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:28,200
Speaker 1: has seen Him with our own eyes. Yet we believe

46
00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:33,760
Speaker 1: this initial step of faith prepares us for a lifetime

47
00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:38,560
Speaker 1: of courageous choices. As you continue on your faith journey,

48
00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:41,920
Speaker 1: you'll need to summon the courage to step out without

49
00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:47,520
Speaker 1: knowing what lies ahead. Abraham did it. Peter did it

50
00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:49,560
Speaker 1: when he got out of the boat and walked on water.

51
00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:56,000
Speaker 1: You must do the same. Mostly, when you're following God's leading,

52
00:03:56,360 --> 00:04:00,520
Speaker 1: you do so without having complete information. All you have

53
00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:05,520
Speaker 1: is a promise and a prompt. You don't know what

54
00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:09,720
Speaker 1: will happen, but you trust that God will honor what

55
00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:15,200
Speaker 1: he has said in his word. My friend, that takes courage. Thankfully,

56
00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:17,839
Speaker 1: you don't have to muster this on your own because

57
00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:22,640
Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit empowers you. Let's make this very personal.

58
00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:28,120
Speaker 1: What is God asking you to do right now? He

59
00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,680
Speaker 1: may not be asking you to pack up everything and move,

60
00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:34,520
Speaker 1: but he could. Is God asking you to start a

61
00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:39,200
Speaker 1: new ministry, step into a new career, or simply be

62
00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:43,400
Speaker 1: still and trust him when every impulse tells you to

63
00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:48,040
Speaker 1: do the opposite. Whether you feel you have complete information

64
00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:51,240
Speaker 1: or just a clear sense that God is leading, you

65
00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:56,839
Speaker 1: continue to trust him. If you're a little nervous or fearful,

66
00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,400
Speaker 1: that's not unusual. I might even add that it's a

67
00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:05,800
Speaker 1: little healthy because it causes you to depend completely on God,

68
00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:10,719
Speaker 1: just like Abraham did. This journey requires you to push

69
00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:14,760
Speaker 1: through fear and trust in a God who never fails.

70
00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:20,400
Speaker 1: It might feel scary, but that is where courage and

71
00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:28,120
Speaker 1: faith must take over. Let's pray Heavenly Father. I come

72
00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:31,080
Speaker 1: before you with a heart that is both willing and anxious.

73
00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:35,240
Speaker 1: I know what you've called me to do, whether it's

74
00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:39,400
Speaker 1: standing for truth, shining the light of Christ, or simply

75
00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:44,520
Speaker 1: following your will. None of these feels natural or even comfortable,

76
00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:47,760
Speaker 1: but I know this is what you desire from me.

77
00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:53,200
Speaker 1: My prayer today is for the courage to trust your word,

78
00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:56,680
Speaker 1: your promises, and your spirits so that I may follow

79
00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:01,760
Speaker 1: your heart. Give me boldness to let go of what

80
00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:04,760
Speaker 1: you're asking me to let go of, and to step

81
00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:08,800
Speaker 1: out of the boat into the unknown. Give me the

82
00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:12,480
Speaker 1: courage to know that when I cannot trust what's uncertain,

83
00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:17,440
Speaker 1: I can trust in You, who is certain, Help me

84
00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:21,279
Speaker 1: to take your promises and live with courage, allowing my

85
00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:39,960
Speaker 1: life to reflect your faithfulness. In Jesus' name, Amen, Your

86
00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:43,720
Speaker 1: Daily Prayer is a production of Life Audio and Salem Media.

87
00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:46,760
Speaker 1: If you haven't already, be sure to follow the show

88
00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:51,039
Speaker 1: in your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode.

89
00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:56,080
Speaker 1: For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit us at lifeaudio

90
00:06:56,440 --> 00:07:03,200
Speaker 1: dot com