A Prayer to Help Us through the Cold, Dark Nights of Winter
By Lynette Kittle
Bible Reading: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” - John 1:5
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Winter months with extended darkness and colder temperatures can sometimes leave us feeling alone and low. Like spiritual darkness, physical darkness has a heaviness to it that can affect how we feel, but we don’t have to let it.
Whether summer or winter, because Jesus is the Light of the World, no matter the condition of the physical world surrounding us, we can bask in His light, day and night.“When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12).
So it’s natural as believers in Jesus Christ to shy away, even run, from darkness; as 1 Thessalonians 5:5 explains, we’re drawn to light. “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.”
Darkness No Longer Has a Hold over Us
Before receiving Christ as our Savior, darkness had a rightful hold over us because of Adam’s sin, but once Jesus came into the world and freed us from its grip, it no longer has the power to restrain us. As Jesus explains,” I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness” (John 12:46).
When darkness tries to overtake us, we need to remember, as 1 John 1:5 explains further, “This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.”
5 Ways to Chase Away the Darkness
So how do we escape the darkness when feeling low? The following are five ways to chase it away.
1. Receive God’s life through Jesus. Receiving Christ, and the life He offers us, is the first and foremost way to chase away darkness because, “In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:4).
2. Seek God’s truth because truth and light walk hand in hand. Like Jesus said in John 3:21, “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”
3. Read, study, and hear God’s word. The Word of God shines His light brightly into our lives, as 2 Corinthians 4:6 explains, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”
4. Spend time with other Christians. Spending time discussing, studying, and sharing God’s word with other believers helps us to stay in His light.1 John 1:7 explains, “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”
5. Choose to shine our light. If ever feeling loaded down by darkness, Jesus gives us the ability to break through it to live in His light. So even in what may feel like our darkest of days, God reminds us, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14).
Ephesians 5:8 urges us to choose to live in His light. “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”
When we choose to shine, the enemy of our souls is defeated and God is glorified. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Let’s Pray:
Dear Father,
Let us seek You during the cold, dark days of winter and turn our faces and focus towards You. Help us to humble ourselves to receive Your life, seek Your truth, read, study, and hear Your word, along with finding fellowship with other believers.
Strengthen us to look to You in times when we may feel like darkness is trying to overtake us and to let Your light shine in our hearts to overcome all the darkness we may face in the coming months and years.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Mira Kemppainen
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
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