*The God of All Comfort*
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
Father,
I praise you that you are the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. Your heart is full of mercy, compassion, and grace. You are not a God who is quick to criticize, judge, and find fault. You are not a spiteful, capricious God. You do not inflict suffering simply for the sake of sufferings. All my afflictions are wrapped in your mercies. All my sufferings come on wings of grace. All of my trials are dispensed by you, the wise physician who knows exactly what my soul needs.
When I suffer, I experience your comfort in a way that I would never experience it otherwise. You never send affliction without also sending comfort. You never send suffering without first wrapping it in mercy. In the midst of my suffering, let me experience your nearness and comfort like never before. Comfort me through your Word. Comfort me through the encouragement and prayers of others. Comfort me by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. As suffering digs a deep channel in my heart, fill that channel with your comfort and mercy.
Lord, one of my tendencies when I suffer is to pull back from you. To withdraw, to curl up into a ball, to push you away. Forgive me for doing that. I know that you long to comfort me in the midst of my sufferings. Through my suffering, equip me to comfort those who are also suffering. Guard me from the temptations of self-‐pity, selfishness, and bitterness. Protect me from my natural instinct to focus on myself when suffering. Instead, let me be a channel of grace to others. Use my afflictions to give grace to others who are also suffering. Empower me to comfort others with the same comfort I have received from you. Help me not to waste my suffering. Instead, let my suffering, and the comfort I receive from you in suffering, be a means of grace in the lives of others.
Amen.