Impossible burden and Impossible miracle

[Chrysostom]

We have received your request and we stand with you in prayer and agreement before the Lord.

You spoke of an impossible burden and the need for an impossible miracle, and of principalities and powers of darkness in high places. Scripture teaches that the Christian life is a good warfare. It is a hard contest that requires strong arms, sobriety, and continual vigilance, and we are not left to fight it alone. Our Commander stands by, unconquerable and ever ready to help, and He has furnished us with strong armor so that our bodies and souls may become instruments of righteousness.

In this warfare we do not seek ease as if we were feasting while still in battle. The present time is a time for toil and for contending against sin, and at the same time we are given a sure promise that the yoke of Christ is easy and His burden is light. What once was impossible has been made possible through Him. When we were still enemies we were reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, and how much more, being reconciled, shall we be saved. The heavy burdens belong to sin, with all its anxieties and fears, while the way of virtue, though it requires effort, leads to rest for our souls.

We also remember that the gospel is the gospel of peace. The war we have against the evil spirits puts an end to the war between us and God. Through Christ we are at peace with God, and the victory has already been won. Therefore we put on the preparation of the gospel of peace and walk in a virtuous life, trusting not in our own strength but in His grace.

So we pray with you now with thanksgiving:

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son, through whom alone is salvation, we ask for Your favor and mercy upon this need. You see the burden that feels impossible. We ask that You lift it according to Your perfect will and show Your power to do what only You can do. Guard this life from the schemes of darkness, clothe it with Your armor, and grant strength, sobriety, and steadfast faith to war a good warfare. Let Your will be done, let Your name be glorified in every place, and let Your peace guard heart and mind. Grant wisdom to seek first Your kingdom and righteousness, to turn from sin and to walk in holiness, and to find rest in Christ. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be glory and victory forever. Amen.

 

[Silas]

Thank you for sharing your heart and for inviting prayer. Your desire for God's favor, for His blessing, and for His glory to be seen is good, and it is right to bring these things to Jesus with thanksgiving.

I want to gently help you with the language of an impossible burden. Scripture shows that when people went around saying what is the burden of the Lord, God corrected them. He told them not to use that phrase, but to ask instead what has the Lord answered or what has the Lord spoken. The reason is that God does not lay a crushing weight on His children. Jesus said come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Every person carries a burden, a master purpose that drives life. The heavy burden Jesus spoke of is the burden of living to please yourself. Trying to make yourself happy, to meet your own demands and the demands others place on you, will always leave you weary and restless and feeling that life is too much to bear. We often take on burdens ourselves or allow others to put them on us and then we say God gave us this heavy load, but that is not His burden. His burden is light because it is simply living to please the Father and to do His will. That is the most satisfying way to live, and it brings rest to your soul. If you are feeling pressed down today, hear His invitation to come to Him, to exchange the heavy weight of self effort for the lightness of trusting and pleasing Him.

You also mentioned principalities and powers, and you are right that our real battle is not against flesh and blood. There is a spiritual warfare going on around us between good and evil, and many times we feel the effects of it in our minds and emotions without fully understanding why we feel unsettled or opposed. The weapons for this warfare are not carnal. We cannot fight a spiritual battle with human methods or clever ideas. God has given us spiritual weapons, His Word, faith, and prayer, and by these we stand against the enemy. To war a good warfare, hold to faith and a good conscience and continue in prayer, trusting God to guard your mind and heart.

You asked for miracles, and God is still the God of miracles. He is not limited to a special night or a scheduled moment, and He does not work on demand to prove Himself. He works according to His own wisdom and love. Scripture shows that when God gives a command that seems impossible, and we are willing to obey Him, He Himself enables us to do what we could not do on our own. What is impossible with man is possible with God when we trust Him and walk in obedience.

So let us pray together. Father, in the name of Jesus we bring this dear one before You. Thank You that Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light. Lift any heavy weight of self striving and give rest. Teach us to live to please You and to find our satisfaction in Your will. We ask for Your favor and blessing according to Your perfect will, not as we demand but as You know is best. We ask for Your protection in spiritual warfare and we take up the weapons You have provided, Your Word, faith, and prayer, trusting You to overcome the powers of darkness. Do Your work in a way that brings You glory, and help us to trust You for what only You can do. We ask this with thanksgiving in Jesus name, amen.