A Good Prayer When Feeling Lost

One Psalm that can serve as our lighthouse in seasons of darkness is Psalm 23. David wrote to us about God as our shepherd, which is one of the most soothing and comforting balms to our aching and weary souls. In times when we feel lost, there is nothing more comforting than being reminded that we have a shepherd who is with us even if we are in the middle of a dark valley.

Father i heaven, I thank You. Whenever something happens in my life that makes me feel lost, I am not really lost, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff comfort me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Disorienting Moments

To better communicate the kind of “feeling lost” we are talking about, we will use the word “disoriented” or “disorientation.” Disorientation is what we experience when something shocking or surprising happens. For example, let’s say a soldier is in a convoy. Suddenly, an explosion happens just right beside his vehicle, and bullets start to rain from enemy combatants. That sudden ambush may have caused shock and disorientation to the soldier, which results in him not knowing what to do. 

Obviously, soldiers know what to do when they encounter the shocking surprise of being ambushed. They are trained to respond whenever they get disoriented. However, in life, there are seemingly shocking, sudden, and surprising happenings that cause disorientation whether we are prepared or not. It could be the sudden passing of a loved one, an unexpected betrayal from someone you trusted, abruptly not being able to achieve what you worked hard for due to an unforeseen event, unanticipated emotional damage from the very people you cherished, a staggering natural disaster that swiftly damaged your properties, or anything else.

When those moments come, they come so swiftly and surprisingly that we are disoriented and don’t know what to do. We are only left with uncertainty, terror, and fear. However, it is not just about the surprise or timing. When we talk about feeling uncertain, disoriented, or lost, we focus more on the magnitude of what happened rather than the timing of its suddenness. For example, the magnitude alone of discovering that your spouse is cheating causes disorientation in the sense that it is so overwhelming that you don’t know what to do.

However, there are three comforting truths the Bible teaches us. These truths can serve as our lighthouse, compass, and torch whenever we walk an uncertain path.

Three Comforting Truths When Feeling Lost

The Lord’s Sovereignty

You may not know what to do or what will happen next, but the Lord does. The Lord is sovereign (Psalm 97). Are you suddenly surprised by unexpected bad news at work? Still, the Lord reigns! Has a close friend appallingly caused you tremendous pain? Still, the Lord reigns! Did your business suddenly go bankrupt? Still, the Lord reigns! Are you lost in the darkness of emotional turmoil? Still, the Lord reigns! No matter what overwhelming and drowning circumstance you are facing that is causing you disorientation and uncertainty about what’s next, take heart, for the Lord is not surprised by what happened. He is not scratching His head up above, wondering what to do. Instead, He is the one in charge of everything.

He rules and reigns on His throne, and He will bring to completion and accomplish His purposes (Psalm 103:19). He works all things according to the counsel of His will, and the purpose of the Lord shall always stand (Ephesians 1:11; Proverbs 19:21; Isaiah 46:9-10).

 

The Lord’s Providence

Because God is sovereign, His Providence is imminent. Providence refers to the fact that God foresees and works in every detail of our lives as He directs it. An excellent example of this is the life of Joseph, the dreamer. Joseph’s brothers’ aim was the demise of Joseph. They sold him to slave traders going to Egypt, where Joseph became a slave of Potiphar and was falsely accused and thrown into prison. Little did we know that God’s providential hand was working behind the scenes in every detail. He lead Joseph to become the second-in-command of Egypt and save Israel from being annihilated due to the famine.

We may not be like Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his very own brothers and later on thrown into prison, but surely, we may be wondering what is going on in our lives without knowing what the future holds. But know that God’s Providence is still at work despite what you are feeling (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28).

The Lord is Our Shepherd

Our sovereign and providential God is also the one who leads us. If you are in Christ, you can rest assured that Christ is your good shepherd who leads you and guides you even if you are in the middle of the valley of the shadow of darkness, disoriented and uncertain of what to do or where your life is going (Psalm 23:3-4). 

Even if what happened is unexpected, emotionally damaging, terrifying, confusing, and overwhelming, Christ is our gentle and gracious shepherd who restores every fiber of our parched and weary souls (Psalm 23:2). 

Hence, in a disorienting and discouraging time of uncertainty, we should come to Christ, whose grace and mercy are extraordinary. His grace is greater than our deepest sorrows. He calls upon the heavily burdened sheep and invites them to rest in Him as He guides and leads them (Matthew 11:28-30). Oh, how soothing to our aching hearts is Christ’s modesty, humility, and lowliness. He is a gentle shepherd who will never break a bruised reed, nor quench a smoldering wick (Isaiah 42:3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;). He executes His ministry with great tenderness and care toward His frail, weary, and discouraged sheep (Psalm 23:6).

A Prayer in Times of Feeling Lost

With all of those truths given, shall we despair in times of sudden, overwhelming pains, terror, and uncertainties? If we are on our own, in sin, and away from God, perhaps there is reason to despair. However, if you are in Christ, you were bought with a price. If Christ is your shepherd, you are in good hands, for nothing can snatch you away from Him and His care, not even the unexpected disorientation of your life’s current circumstance. Hence, we respond in prayer.

How can we pray when something happens in life and we feel lost, disoriented, uncertain, and terrified? We can say a prayer that hinges upon those truths that we mentioned. In other words, knowing that God is sovereign, providentially cares for us, and is our shepherd, we simply cry out to Him. We come to Him in humility, being honest with Him about what we are feeling and, in the end, trusting Him, knowing that He is our sovereign shepherd.

Father in heaven, I didn’t expect that such misfortune would happen in my life. I don’t know what to think, what to do, or what will happen, Lord. I am terrified and surprised. You are the only refuge I can run to. I know that You love me and care for me. Even when I feel lost and disoriented, You are not. Your hand always guides me wherever I go. You always watch over me. I will place my trust in You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

You have a shepherd who leads you and holds your hand as you take one step at a time, moving forward in the midst of a dark valley. He has already gone before you, ordering your steps and providentially working in every detail of your life, placing you wherever He wants or allows you to be, and His goodness and mercy follow you always wherever you go. Whether good times or bad, everything works together for the good of those who love God (Romans 8:28). With that, we trust our Lord no matter how disoriented, uncertain, discouraged, hurt, and overwhelmed we are.