Rev. Dr. Mike Wooton

“He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” – Mark 4:39

There has been a lot in the news lately about disasters, destruction, and divisions. It breaks my heart to see homes swept away by hurricanes. Seeing people losing their lives in wars is equally heartbreaking. Divisions within our borders also cause me deep distress. Living in a stormy world can be overwhelming. God never intended for us to experience the rough seas this world brings.

It should not be surprising that a squally world can set us off course. The Hebrew word for heart refers to the will, the mind, the emotions, and the inner person. When our hearts are tossed and turned by the world’s troubles, it’s hard to navigate the waters of life smoothly. Here are three prayer strategies to calm your heart in life’s rough seas.

1. Before you act rashly, pray: The trouble in the world is supposed to bother us. Our reaction to the trouble matters. God desires us to seek Him and ask for guidance to handle our emotions well. When our hearts hurt, we can act out of reaction instead of prayer. If we are people of action, this can be additionally tempting. Reacting instead of praying when something overwhelms our hearts can lead to insufficient and wrong actions. Before we vent our emotions in negative ways, we need to slow down and seek God. Before we do anything rash, we need to pray.

2. Focus your prayers on God’s character, not your broken heart: When we anchor our prayers in God’s character, it changes our perspective. It reminds us that God is all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful. He is eternal, and there is nowhere we can go without his presence. As we lean into God’s immutable character, it stabilizes our prayer life. It prevents our emotions from twisting and turning our prayers. We need to focus our prayers on God’s character, not on our broken hearts. When we do that, our prayer life will be an anchor in the rough seas.

3. Repent during prayer: When our hearts hurt, it is normal to get angry and want justice. There are times when those emotions go beyond the Christian buoy boundaries God has set for us. We can’t harbor feelings of anger because they can drift us into hate. We need to bring our anger to God, let go, and forgive. As we turn towards God through repentance, He will set us back on course. His divine guidance will help us make it through life’s rough seas.