WEBVTT - A Prayer to Grow in Joy and Trust through Trials

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you for listening to your daily prayer, where we

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<v Speaker 2>help you find the words you need to connect with

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<v Speaker 2>your Father in Heaven. No matter what is happening in

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<v Speaker 2>your life today, you can trust that God wants to

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<v Speaker 2>hear from you. Right after this short word from our sponsors,

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<v Speaker 2>we'll pray for today's prayer to grow enjoy and trust

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<v Speaker 2>through trials. A Prayer to grow enjoy and trust through

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<v Speaker 2>Trials written and read by Kerrie Eichberg. Consider it pure joy,

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<v Speaker 2>my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

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<v Speaker 2>because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

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<v Speaker 2>James one, verses two and three. I am, ever so

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<v Speaker 2>slowly stepping out of one of the hardest seasons of

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<v Speaker 2>my life, and if I'm being completely honest, I have

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<v Speaker 2>wrestled with God quite a bit in the process, wondering

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<v Speaker 2>what in the world he was doing, why he would

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<v Speaker 2>allow such suffering, and whether He was really there in

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<v Speaker 2>the midst of my unimaginable pain. There were times that

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<v Speaker 2>the only thing that kept me going was the truth

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<v Speaker 2>welded on my heart that my Savior had always come

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<v Speaker 2>through from me before, so surely he would carry me

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<v Speaker 2>through again. Along the journey, I remember my eyes and

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<v Speaker 2>ears randomly catching biblical claims about our growth through trials,

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<v Speaker 2>and to be honest, they kind of rubbed me the

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<v Speaker 2>wrong way. I could hardly see how not to mention,

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<v Speaker 2>who really wants to grow this way? Isn't there a

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<v Speaker 2>better way? One is a little more comfortable and a

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<v Speaker 2>lot less painful. I specifically wrestled with James one, verse two,

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<v Speaker 2>which tells us to consider a pure joy when we

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<v Speaker 2>face trials of many kinds confession. I wanted to sarcastically

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<v Speaker 2>laugh out loud at the mere thought. And I bet

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<v Speaker 2>you know what I'm talking about. Consider your most difficult

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<v Speaker 2>season of life. I sincerely hope you're not there now,

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<v Speaker 2>but it may feel like it, and it's so I

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<v Speaker 2>am so sorry. But has it been hard by enjoy

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<v Speaker 2>and your suffering and sorrow?

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<v Speaker 1>Of course, because.

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<v Speaker 2>Suffering hurts, and sorrow causes extreme heartache, which seems to

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<v Speaker 2>rip the joy right out of our reality? So how

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<v Speaker 2>are we actually to find any joy in our despair

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<v Speaker 2>and devastation? The following verse James one, verse three tells

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<v Speaker 2>us that the testing of our faith produces perseverance. Some

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<v Speaker 2>versions mention growth, endurance, steadfastness, or patience? And can you

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<v Speaker 2>connect joy to any of these attributes? I can consider that.

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<v Speaker 2>And though we may not always automatically find joy in

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<v Speaker 2>the pit of our darkest days, what if we could

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<v Speaker 2>attempt to do only with the first word of verse

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<v Speaker 2>two instructs consider consider the joy. If we could even

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<v Speaker 2>imagine that through our pain, there just might be a

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<v Speaker 2>production of perseverance, patience, or a stronger faith. Wouldn't that

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<v Speaker 2>give us a glimmer of hope? And isn't there a spark.

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<v Speaker 1>Of joy in just a bit of hope? Wouldn't even

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<v Speaker 1>the slightest.

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<v Speaker 2>Hope be more than welcome when we are drowning on

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<v Speaker 2>what feels like the depths of darkness.

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<v Speaker 1>I think we'd all take that.

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<v Speaker 2>I can see it as I look back on the

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<v Speaker 2>hard moments and faces of life, and as I'm climbing

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<v Speaker 2>out of a valley right now, my perspective has changed.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not as rattled by the smaller things.

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<v Speaker 2>I feel more equipped to take on the bigger things.

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<v Speaker 2>In the recent past and all of my life, I've

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<v Speaker 2>seen God show up day after day after day, I've witnessed.

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<v Speaker 1>Him never leave my side.

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<v Speaker 2>Week after week, after week, and I've felt his spirit

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<v Speaker 2>slowly infuse my soul as he has continued carrying me

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<v Speaker 2>year after year. God is carrying you too, and there

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<v Speaker 2>is hope available to you in each hardship as you

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<v Speaker 2>simply contemplate the good God might be working through every

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<v Speaker 2>difficult situation you face. There is joy awaiting you as

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<v Speaker 2>you consider what He is producing from every single struggle.

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<v Speaker 2>And there are blessings to be found as you acknowledge

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<v Speaker 2>what He is opening up and offering through it all.

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<v Speaker 2>You can trust God and his goodness at work in

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<v Speaker 2>the heart. You can trust God's word, which reminds us

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<v Speaker 2>repeatedly that he is always trustworthy. And if you keep

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<v Speaker 2>your eyes and heart wide open, you'll see and experience

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<v Speaker 2>his promised, abounding blessings. You'll find swells of hope, You'll

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<v Speaker 2>feel swells of joy. And as you continue to consider

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<v Speaker 2>God's constant goodness, your joy will keep growing even from

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<v Speaker 2>one sorrow to the next. Your trust in our good

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<v Speaker 2>God will keep growing in and through one trial and

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<v Speaker 2>one day the next. Let's pray, Lord God, your word

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<v Speaker 2>tells me that you use all things for good. But

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<v Speaker 2>to be honest, sometimes life hurts so much that it's

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<v Speaker 2>hard to.

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<v Speaker 1>See and imagine any good.

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<v Speaker 2>Help me to remember that you were all powerful, that

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<v Speaker 2>you are a God of goodness, that you love me

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<v Speaker 2>more than I can fathom, and that you are absolutely

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<v Speaker 2>trustworthy at all times. And Lord, help me to simply

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<v Speaker 2>consider these beautiful truths in and through my sorrows and suffering.

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<v Speaker 2>Because when I acknowledge you your power and your blessings

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<v Speaker 2>and my difficulties, I find hope. And in hope there's joy.

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<v Speaker 2>I praise you for the joy you make always available

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<v Speaker 2>to me. In your faithful name, I pray, Amen, if

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<v Speaker 2>you liked what you've heard today, I think you will

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<v Speaker 2>love my latest book, When over Worry, conquer what shakes

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<v Speaker 2>you you, and soar with the One who overcomes. You

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<v Speaker 2>can find it on Amazon or your favorite online retail site.

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<v Speaker 3>I hope it blesses you.

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<v Speaker 2>Your Daily Prayer is a production of Life Audio and

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