In all relationships, seasons of difficulty arise. Sometimes brought on by conflict or misunderstanding, other times by external forces such as personal loss or financial struggles. When the temptation to take the easy road of escape presents itself, we must rely on God, who both unites us and sustains us.
Lord, when the challenges we face seem too great to bear, we want to escape.
It’s painful to love in the midst of conflict, tiresome to carry each other’s burdens, and impossible to see our way through the storm that surrounds us.
Take our hands, Jesus, and lead us, so that in you we may find refuge and direction.
Teach us to forgive, that we may be free of the bitterness that weighs us down.
And surround us with the love that covers a multitude of sins, that we may be bound with the peace and unity of your Spirit.
Amen.
United in the Lord, we are stronger than we could be without Him. "A cord of three strands is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12).
