Praying to Jesus: A Man of Suffering and Familiar with Pain

The holidays are not always joy-filled; sin in the world has seen to that. However, there is One who knows and loves us completely and is there to walk alongside us in our pain, our grief and our anxiety, or in any other struggles we have. Our guest blogger this month is Jill Stafford, Awana marketing generalist. She explains how Jesus is very familiar with whatever we are facing.

Praying to Jesus: A Man of Suffering and Familiar with Pain

Does it ever feel like Jesus can’t possibly understand your prayers, your pain and suffering, hopes and joys? He offers you good news today. He does understand; he does know, and he gives assurance that you have hope for a future where  … There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain … (Revelation 21:4). As you pray to Jesus today, let God’s word encourage you that you have a Savior who is not unfamiliar with your prayers, who has compassion on you, and gives you hope for the future.

When you think of the Jesus you pray to, do you picture the One who was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain? As the One who took up our pain and bore our suffering, Jesus truly understands what you are experiencing with an empathy only He can offer (Isaiah 53:3-4). When Jesus bore God’s wrath for the sin of the world and experienced separation from God, He suffered to the greatest magnitude possible. You do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with you (Hebrews 4:15).

As the Son of the God of compassion, Jesus does not stop at understanding your prayers. He gives hope for a future. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, you are free from sin, death and decay. You have hope for a new heaven and a new earth, free of sin where you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6). In Revelation 21:4, God tells us: He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. 

Jesus tenderly cares for you through all you are experiencing this Christmas season. He keeps track of all your sorrows; He collects all your tears in His bottle; He records each one in His book. Draw near to the God of compassion and He will draw near to you. He cares for you; He has plans to give you a hope and a future, and He will never leave you nor forsake you (Psalm 55:22, 56:8, James 4:8, Jeremiah 29:11).

As you pray this month, please join us in lifting up the men and woman, and children and youth in Awana clubs around the world. Download our December prayer calendar to see what we are praying for each day. If you would like us to pray for you, please contact Partner Care at partnercare@awana.org or call them at 866.292.6227. We pray daily as a staff and would gladly take your requests to the Lord.