Turn My Heart, Lord

Have you ever been so bombarded with bad news that you shut down? There is so much turmoil in the world today. News stories like the hostage situation in Israel or the fires in LA… children who are suffering from poverty or sex-tracked victims who need a way out.

These stories can tug at your heart. If you’re like me, they can make you angry or make you cry. It can be overwhelming, in fact, and its heaviness can be paralyzing.

When you are overwhelmed, God is your Rock.

“From the end of the earth, I will cry to You when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” Psalm 61:2 NKJV.

In the midst of all the overwhelming turmoil, God has called us to be His hands and feet. He’s commissioned us to be His heart of compassion to a hurting world.

If we retreat into a place of inactivity, or worse yet, expect someone else – someone richer or stronger or more capable – to step in and offer relief, we’ve missed our calling. We’ve shrugged off our responsibility to be ambassadors of God, shining bright in a dark and hurting world.

Where do you begin?

Most of us really do want to make a difference. We want to do our part in the plight of mankind, even if it’s a small bit of help or hope in a sea of turmoil, distress and need.

As I scrolled the news recently, I prayed and asked God to show me how I could help. Where is the best place for me to direct my prayers, resources, time and energy?

How can I ease the suffering or fight for the oppressed? How can I be a catalyst for change? How can I lift the heavy burden of another?

God will guide you.

“The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord. Like the rivers of water, He turns it wherever He wishes” Proverbs 21:1.

King Solomon penned this proverb many years ago. I’ve read it many times before, but today, as I prayed and sought God’s guidance on how to respond to world situations, it engaged me in a very personal way.

If the Lord can guide King Solomon’s heart, mine can, too! In the turmoil around me, where there is so much need and so many urgent situations, before I allow myself to become paralyzed with indecision, fear or worry, I can pray. I can ask the Lord to turn my heart where He knows I can do the most good.

If I yield my life to Him, my heart becomes fluid in His hands. My thoughts and intents can flow like a river where He leads, where He wishes. What was once overwhelming now becomes manageable.

What about your home front?

What overwhelms you today? It may not be world news. It may be something much more personal and closer to home—a sick child or a marriage that feels like it’s slipping away. You’re unsure what to do, how to help or how to ease the pain.

But God can guide you. He can direct your heart and show you how to pray, what to say – even what not to say or do in a situation. It all begins with prayer.

Here’s a prayer you can pray:

God, I yield my heart and my life to You. I ask You to hold my heart in Your hands and show me where I can do the most good. Help me to be aware of Your promptings and then give me the grace to follow through. I believe I can make a difference in the world and in my home. In Jesus’ name, I pray.