He goes before us and is with us
Today’s scripture
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8
Each movement in this prayer guide will focus on the same scripture verse but will emphasize a different portion of that verse. As you dive into each movement, read the entire verse aloud, emphasizing the bolded words.
Movement 1: He goes before us
Read
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8
Reflect
Have you ever reflected on God’s omnipresence? This word means “all present”. It means God is capable of being everywhere at the same time. What about His omniscience? This word means all-knowing. It means His knowledge is total; He is aware of the past, present, and future.
The first part of this verse tells us that God goes before us. That means that He’s already been where we are going. He’s gone before us, and He knows what’s coming. Nothing surprises Him. That also means He knows what we need to be prepared for what is coming.
Pray
Talk to God about these qualities that He possesses. Give Him glory for who He is. Admit that you can’t understand these characteristics and that His ways are so much higher than yours. Thank Him for a time when you know He’s gone before you and prepared you for what is coming.
Movement 2: He is always with us
Read
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8
Reflect
We hear all the time that God is with us. But do we believe it? It is kind of a hard thing to wrap our minds around because, well, we can’t see Him. However, we can have trust when God tells us that He is with us.
However, let’s be honest, some times in life are really, really hard. Times when we feel alone. Has there ever been a time when you felt like God left you or forsook you? This verse counters the lie that we are alone. It reminds us that even though our God is omnipresent and with everyone all at the same time, He is with each of us individually. He never leaves us.
Pray
Think of a time that you knew that God was with you. Visualize that time in your mind. See Him with you and thank Him for His presence.
Now think of the time that you were struggling, and you could not sense His presence. It may have even felt like He left you or forsook you. Visualize that time in your mind. Let Him remind you where He was in that part of your story. Where do you see Him in that picture where you didn’t think he was before? Again, thank Him for his presence.
Movement 3: He sees you, He hears you, He’s glad to be with you
Read
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8
Reflect
Fear and discouragement are two things that invade our lives often. These are not a surprise to God. From the beginning, He said that we would have trouble on this earth and many, many times in His word he tells us to not be afraid and not be discouraged.
I believe He reminds us of this often because He knows that we’re going to encounter these emotions. So, hear this: you will encounter fear. You will encounter discouragement. The question is, how will we react when these emotions arise? Will we let them consume us? Or will we take them and lay them at the feet of our Savior?
Pray
Tell God about fear or discouragement that you are experiencing right now. Hear Him saying each of the following statements. And after each one, pause to listen to what else He has to say. Consider writing down what you hear.
“I can see you.”
“I can hear you.”
“I understand how big this is for you.”
“I am glad to be with you and treat your
tenderness gently.”
“I can do something about what you are going through.”