The difficulty you are facing may just be the hand of your Heavenly Father.

The incredible blessing for every Christian today is that they can address God as Father.

No one before Jesus called God this name.

No one after Jesus calls God, Father, except the followers of Jesus.

The sign that you belong to God is that you call Him Father.

“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? ⁸ If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. ⁹ Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!” (Hebrews 12 v 7-9)

But the sign that you belong to Him is not only that you can call Him Father and not only that you feel loved and cared for but that you at times face difficulty.

This discipline is not placing some difficulty on you to punish you but to in the end empower you and to fulfil His purpose.

The desired goal for this difficulty from the Father is that you live (v9), this is not so that you fail but that you become even more in alignment with your Father.

We do that by enduring and submitting to His correction on our lives.

We do that knowing He is the Father of spirits. He is spirit and He moves upon our spirit to help us in this difficulty.

Here is a prayer I wrote in my journal a while ago. It is a prayer for when you are facing difficulty.

Lord, fill me again and again with the Spirit.

I am aware of the difficulty I am in. I know this is your discipline on my life because you care for me. I will not run from it. I will not cave into it. I will stand up against it. I stand in faith.

I set my face like flint, I resolutely set myself towards what is ahead of me, just like you did.

I am where you have placed me. So I will remain. I will not be removed. I will keep going.

I embrace courage. I say NO to easier paths.

I choose my attitude and my actions for today, this is my armour. My character is inside of me and it is there where the armour is needed.

My outward appearance is not as important as what is inside of me.

I can only do this battle with you. I can only go through the pain and the trials with you. So Lord, fill me again and again with the Spirit.

The devil is my accuser and I am not unaware that he is scheming even now. He has his methods, crafty and deceptive they may be, but he will not outwit me, for you are with me. He may condemn me but there is no condemnation. He may accuse me before You but your blood speaks a better word. He is a liar and there is no truth in him.

I clothe myself with Christ. I receive your Spirit. You are my Father. I take my stand. I am ready today.

Amen