God of All ComfortSample

When we pray specific prayers, we can find peace whether they are answered or seemingly unanswered. During a season when I was launching my first book, I invited a group of influencers to a big release party. I prayed, “Lord, I pray that whoever you want to come, will come, and whoever you don’t want to be here will not come.” As the exciting day approached, everyone except one friend decided they couldn’t make it. One by one, they dropped out for valid reasons, but I felt disappointed. I had prayed specifically for this, yet only one friend could attend.

Psalm 131 is the passage I return to during times of great disappointment—when my plans fail or when what I anticipated to be wonderful falls flat. I remind myself that life is not on my terms but on God’s, and he knows my concerns. The psalmist does not fixate on things beyond his understanding; instead, he trusts in God.

Sometimes, I find myself drawn to rank and importance, seeking meaning and purpose. My heart craves approval in greatness. But I think of a calm, quiet baby who has been weaned from her mother—content with all the “no’s” because she trusts her. Practicing self-forgetfulness in seasons of disappointment means feeling content in the Lord’s arms, even without the “milk.” When God says “No,” I imagine him singing a song over me, enveloping me in his presence.

Listing the things I’m grateful for during these seasons helps me refocus on what is most important: God and his dominion. I work to guard against the spirit of vain glory, self-reliance, and validation through numbers and importance. I find that I can even feel comforted in the “no’s.” I try to anticipate how God is going to meet me even in disappointment and dejection. How will he show up, even in this?

In that season after I launched my book, I was able to focus whole-heartedly on the friend that did come. I realized that there was a purpose in her being the one that came and that God had something for us. I could maintain a calm spirit knowing that I had prayed specifically and that God met me intentionally and specifically. I was able to embrace Psalm 131:1–3, and instead of a contractual relationship with God, I was able to enjoy his presence.

Even when God seems silent or feels distant, I can still myself like a weaned child and preach to myself of his goodness and the sweetness of his presence. He is enough and he fulfills every longing of our hearts. Sometimes, enjoying the comfort of God is enjoying him even in the, “no’s,” and responding in faith-filled worship while experiencing both sorrow and joy.