Prayer to Have Jesus with You through Life’s Ups and Downs
Life has many ups and downs and experience has taught me that inviting Jesus into your life will give you the ability to go through life with confidence and purpose. This “Prayer to Have Jesus with You through Life’s Ups and Downs” gives you a prayer to invite Jesus to be with you today and always.
How my mother kept Jesus with her during life’s ups and downs
My mother carried a small picture of a painting of Jesus in her wallet from when she graduated from high school and left home to when she passed away at age 91.
That picture was with her when she met my father. It was with her at their wedding. It traveled with her overseas as a WWII military wife. It was with her when she fellowshipped and prayed with others at church.
It was with her when she gave birth to her children and throughout all the years of birthdays, holidays and vacations. It was with her for 42 years of marriage, and it was with her during divorce.
It was still there when her parents were sick and died, and it was with her at their funerals as she wept.
It was with her when she was diagnosed with cancer, and it continued to be with her through five rounds of chemotherapy. It was also with her when she went into remission.
It was with her when she almost lost one of her daughters to a suicide attempt, and when one of her grandsons became estranged from the family. It was with her at her children’s and grandchildren’s graduations and marriages, and even when she became a great-great grandmother.
It was with her when her cancer returned years later, and it was in the hospital room when she passed away.
The Scripture promises that Jesus will be with us through life’s ups and downs
Like that picture in my mother’s wallet, Jesus can be with us through all of life’s ups and downs, rejoicing in the good and next to us in the difficulties of life. The Bible says in Hebrews 13:5, “… I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Also, Romans 8:38-39 reads, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
My living proof that Jesus can be with us through life’s ups and downs.
I now have that picture of Jesus. I’m sure it started out in my mother’s wallet in perfect shape, but just like my mother, over the years it aged and wrinkled, yet it still remained a constant reminder of her connection to the Father.
I’m the same way because every time I see it, I’m reminded that He is also with me everywhere I go, no matter what I experience in life. You wouldn’t be able to see the picture of Jesus that is now tucked away in my wallet unless I took it out, yet it’s still there. And that’s the way it is with Jesus, too. You don’t physically see Him, but He is still with you.
Like my mother, I have experienced joy as well as heartache in my life. I’ve been betrayed by someone I’ve loved, yet I take comfort in knowing that Jesus was also betrayed. I’ve experienced God’s presence and I’ve had prayers answered. I’ve been sustained during times of illness and rejoiced when I was healed. I’ve had loss and sorrow so profound I didn’t know if I’d survive the night, yet I did survive because my Savior was not only by my side, but He understood my pain. Psalm 30:5 promises, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” That’s not to say that my sorrow immediately ended, but Jesus softened it and was on my journey with me as I gradually accepted it.
Also like my mother, when the time comes for me to leave this world, I have assurance that Jesus will be there, as well, to lead and guide me like He has been doing for years, but I was shown long ago that I had to first enter into a relationship with Him here on earth.
Prayer to Have Jesus with You through Life’s Ups and Downs
In the Bible, John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
If you have not invited Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of your life, please pray this prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father,
I love You, I trust You and I thank You for creating me. You knew me before I was ever formed in my mother’s womb. You love me and want what is best for me.
I believe that Jesus is Your only begotten Son and that You sent him into this world to cancel my sins. Thanks for loving me so much that You would sacrifice Your only Son who was perfect and never sinned.
I want all of my sins to be forgiven. I want to go through life knowing that You are always by my side no matter what and that I will one day live forever in Heaven with You.
I admit that I have sinned against You, and I’m so very sorry for all of it. I humbly ask that You forgive me. Here is a list of the things that come to mind that I am asking forgiveness for:__________________________. I also ask that You forgive me for anything I’m not remembering.
I know I can’t change my past, but moving forward, I’m going to do my best to live a life You are proud of. Please lead me, guide me, strengthen me and help me throughout the rest of my life, Father. With Your Holy Spirit living in me, I know that I am never alone.
Thank you, Father, for hearing my prayer. Amen
Now that you have prayed that prayer, have faith that the one true God has heard you. Have the assurance that your sins are forgiven. There’s nothing else you have to do to be saved other than the prayer you just prayed. You’re now a Christian. Welcome to the faith!
Things to do to keep Jesus close
Find a fellowship
I do encourage you to seek out a local church and be in the fellowship of other believers. It’s like a big, loving family you now belong to! Tell them you’d like to be baptized which is a ceremonial cleansing of your sins. There will be friendly people there who will answer your questions and show you the way.
Read the Bible
A sin is doing anything contrary to the will of God. And the only way you’re going to know what God wants for you is to read the Bible which is a book of God-inspired writings that explains how He wants you to live your life. You can also learn what God wants of you by attending church and listening to other believers talk about Him.
I recommend setting aside a quiet time each day to read portions of the New Testament of the Bible, especially. If you don’t have a Bible, any local church will gladly give you one for free. You can even ask that someone meets you before a service and sits with you. Just call and ask to speak to the pastor of the church.
Talk to God every day
And most importantly, talk to God every day. He’s very much alive and so is Jesus! Talking to Him doesn’t have to be fancy or in a certain way, nor does it have to be a long conversation. But like any relationship, it takes effort. Talk to Him simply like you would a loving Father or a trusted friend. Seek His guidance, counsel and wisdom. Tell Him you love Him. He loves you more than anyone ever has or ever possibly could!
Remember that God is not looking for perfection, He’s looking for change and growth.
He’s not looking for perfection; only Jesus was without sin. But He is looking for you to change your ways and do your best. And when you slip, ask Him to again to forgive you and move forward always trying to do your best each day, obeying His direction. You’ll feel Him in your heart.
God wants what is best for you, and He will communicate with you through the words of the Bible, through other believers, through Christian music and in many other wonderful ways.
The Bible says, in Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” All you have to do is step forward in faith.
Other helpful articles
How to Increase the Power of Your Prayers by Getting to Know Jesus Personally
Articles by Lisa Roth
Copyright Lisa Roth 2022. All rights reserved.
