You Lift Me Up From the Depths of the Earth

You have allowed me to suffer much hardship,
    but you will restore me to life again
    and lift me up from the depths of the earth.
You will restore me to even greater honor
    and comfort me once again.

—Psalm 71:20-21 (NLT)

Loving and Gracious LORD,

In Your sovereign and infinite wisdom You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, over the course of my life—but the story You are writing with my life is not finished yet!

In every trouble I have faced, I have always seen Your hand at work to take each hardship that I am going through and turn it to something good—something that brings me closer to the abundant life that I find only in You.

So I pray that You would help me to continue look for You in every difficulty that You allow me to suffer and that I would see Your faithfulness again, as You lift me up from the depths of this earth—as You pull me from the heartache, pain and evil of this fallen world and restore me to life again in You.

Let me find my only comfort in this world in You, as You graciously honor me by taking me to those higher and deeper places I have yet to discover in Christ—as by Your grace you help me surrender of all of my life to His Lordship.

Keep me and sustain me in every way, and may my life here bring You glory, honor and praise, until such time as You choose to rescue me completely out of this world—and take me to my forever home with You.

In Your sovereign and infinite wisdom You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, over the course of my life—but the story You are writing with my life is not finished yet!

In the name of Jesus, Amen.