Lay it at the Cross

09 Apr, 2026

A prayer to endure.

Lord Jesus

I come to You tonight with a heavy heart and heavy burdens of brothers and sisters.

In our lives are countless family and friends who are resistant to Your message of hope and salvation. They are resistant to their own world around them declaring You. They are belligerent in word and action, determined to live in rebellion to You and with hatred towards those who proclaim Your name.

Grant us strength to endure.

But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” -Matthew 13:57

God, we will be rejected, too. We will be despised for simply uttering Your name. You tell us plainly to expect division.

For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. -Matthew 10:35-38

Like Isaiah said, You were

despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. -Isaiah 53:3

But the hope we have in You soon followed.

He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. -Isaiah 53:5-6

Jesus, I too have strayed, still stray from Your ways. This absolute gift of reconciliation with You is wholly unearned and undeserved. But You offered it anyways.

Part of this anguish tonight is my unworthiness. In what world does it make sense for You to die for me? And if You did, why would anyone deny You?

Seeing it from my side, my heart breaks for my old, unrepentant self. And we can't help but hurt for those we love living as we once lived...without You.

Lord, give us comfort. Your own disciples doubted You. Your own family lacked faith until You walked out of that grave! The ones we love are doing the same thing.

Cover us with Your mercy and understanding, Lord. Give us patience to endure.

Let us be a light for You in their midst, an ever-present sower or waterer of the Gospel. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians:

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. -1 Corinthians 3:6–7

Lord, You give the increase, but we must go forth to plant and water.

That's a hard passage to hear. I admit to defying this duty again and again. Give me courage and conviction to overcome.

And when those days of rejection come, when division has inserted itself into my family, Jesus, let me turn to You.

Lord, I don't even know what to say to end this. The immense depth of what salvation means is gut-wrenching to watch a complete stranger reject. How much deeper is the pain from our kin?

God work in me. Plant in me faith to endure this race, faith to keep running against the obstacles of this world.

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. -Hebrews 12:1-2

Let me look to the cross and lay down the pain of my heavy heart.

You said:

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. -Matthew 11:28

I will face rejection. I will face division of family or friends. I will be shamed and mocked.

But let me face the troubles in this life as Paul did. When he pleaded for reprieve from his burdens, You said:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” -2 Corinthians 12:9

Shower me with Your grace Jesus. Help me turn daily to the feet of Your cross as I struggle to carry mine.

Amen.