10 Feb Instead of Complaining, Pray
How often do you find yourself complaining about something? Twice a day, a few times a week, a few times a day, everyday nonstop and then you complain in your sleep? What do you complain about? Your family situation, your finances, your search for inner peace, your love life, your lack of interest in school, your lack of interest or investment in your job?
Do you constantly sit there and overthink things until you’re literally crying your heart out and wallowing in your self-pity? Sure, everyone has those days and even those weeks where we would rather complain than do anything else. But complaining doesn’t help the situation, does it? How many times do you find yourself complaining and think about how much you don’t want to deal with the problem you’re facing?
In turn, not wanting to think about the problem only makes it even more difficult for you to face. So much energy is wasted on complaining about little things and turning molehills into mountains that we often get blinded to the beauty of life and the blessings of life that surround us. We refuse to look for anything good in our lives because there just doesn’t seem to be anything worth doing, or the effort to see things in life as beautiful just isn’t in you at the moment.
When we get down into that pit of misery and start thinking “oh poor, poor pitiful me”, it not only changes our mood, it changes our perspectives from “ I can do this and I can get through anything”, to a whiny voice inside our minds that wants us to sit there all day, every day and think about how bad life is for us. That is Satan. When you constantly complain about things in your life, whether they might be big or small things in your life, when you complain, you’re giving Satan control instead of turning to God for peace and answers.
Sure, we all have had days where the last thing we want to do is be told to get down on our knees and pray about everything. Some days the last thing we even want to do is think about bringing our problems to God. We might even begin to doubt His love for us or begin to turn our sufferings into the blame game. Instead of looking inwardly at ourselves, we turn right around and bash others for our shortcomings and our unhappiness.
Even worse, we might even bash God for our unhappiness by saying things like, “if you really loved me, why the heck are you letting me go through this?” “If you love me, why am I falling on hard financial times? How can you not let me have enough money to provide for the people I love?” “Why is my relationship suffering? How can you not be answering my prayers?” Satan loves to see us suffering and miserable. He hates it when we turn our suffering around and come to God. That is one of the most important things that we can ever do to help ourselves and our situation.
In my own experience, when I find myself complaining about something, it feels good to let off some steam and vent to myself. But it only lasts for a bit. Then I think, “well ok, now I’m tired and I just wasted all that time complaining when I could have been praying about it.”
Satan makes it feel good to complain. He loves to wear us out so much that we forget about how we can turn to God for anything and everything. Luckily after complaining even a bit, God normally wakes us up saying, “hey have you prayed about it as much as you’re complaining about it?! Hello. Turn to me I’m right here! I hear you complaining. Now let’s hear you pray instead.”
God doesn’t want us to complain all the time about life, day in and day out. He wants us to fall to our knees and pray about anything we have on our minds especially the things that worry us. We waste so much time complaining that we actually forget the true benefits of praying and the ultimate benefit of having a relationship with God.
So, stop letting Satan have control over your thoughts, your heart and over your life, and invite God into your heart, mind and your soul. Ask Him to turn your counterproductive thoughts into productive ones. Allow God to work in your life through prayer.
Prayer is the most amazing connection to God because we can call on Him any time, day or night. Don’t be afraid or too proud to turn to God and ask Him for help. Instead of always complaining, turn those negative thoughts into peace by praying. It takes much discipline to turn to God when you feel like complaining. It will make you a happier person and will change your perspective in life.
I am a singer, writer, and Christian. I have been freelancing with the Union Gospel Press for the past four and a half years and have recently had devotions published in Keys For Kids and Keys For Kids Unlocked. I love to write faith-based blogs, articles, as well as opinion pieces, editorial pieces and feature pieces. I lead worship with my church’s “praise team” every Saturday night. My all-time favourite movie is The Lion King, and I am a proud Disney fanatic. I can often be found enjoying nature and taking pictures of sunsets. My main objective is to become a full-time freelance writer.
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