Seeing God's Presence in Our Darkest Moments

Devotional

Day 1: God Opens Our Eyes to His Unseen Power

In moments when fear and hopelessness surround us, it is easy to focus only on the visible challenges and forget that God’s presence and power are at work in ways we cannot see. Just as Elisha prayed for his servant’s eyes to be opened to the heavenly armies encircling them, we too can ask God to reveal His protection and provision in our darkest times. When we feel overwhelmed, God invites us to trust that He is with us, working for our good, and that His resources far exceed what we can imagine. [15:30]

2 Kings 6:15-17 (ESV)
When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Reflection: Where in your life do you feel surrounded by difficulties? Ask God today to open your eyes to His presence and power at work in that situation.

Day 2: Jesus Brings Peace and Drives Out Fear

Fear often dominates our hearts, especially when we cannot see a way forward. Yet Jesus promises to be with us always, and His presence brings peace that overcomes our anxieties. When we come to Him honestly with our fears, He calms our hearts and reminds us that we do not need to be afraid. The peace of Christ is not just the absence of trouble, but the assurance that He is with us, undefeated and victorious, no matter what we face. [32:30]

John 14:27 (ESV)
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Reflection: What fear is weighing on your heart today? Bring it to Jesus in prayer and ask Him to fill you with His peace.

Day 3: The Holy Spirit Empowers Us Beyond What We Can Imagine

God has given us His Holy Spirit, who surrounds us, lives within us, and empowers us to live with hope and courage. The Spirit’s presence is the unseen force that sustains us, gives us wisdom, and enables us to pray boldly for God’s kingdom to come in our lives and communities. Even when we feel weak or uncertain, the Holy Spirit is at work, doing more than we could ever ask or imagine, and inviting us to participate in God’s ongoing work of transformation. [33:11]

Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need the Holy Spirit’s power and wisdom today? Ask the Spirit to fill you afresh and guide your prayers.

Day 4: God’s Kingdom Advances Through Prayer and Vision

When we face negativity or situations that seem unchangeable, God calls us to pray with faith and to seek His vision for what heaven on earth could look like. Rather than giving in to despair, we are invited to ask God to show us His perspective and to pray for His kingdom to come in our families, churches, and communities. As we pray, God can transform our hearts, renew our hope, and begin to bring about change that reflects His love and justice. [35:59]

Matthew 6:9-10 (ESV)
Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Reflection: Think of a situation that feels hopeless or negative. What would it look like for God’s kingdom to come there? Pray specifically for that vision today.

Day 5: Christ’s Victory Guarantees Our Hope

Even when all seems lost, as it did when Jesus was crucified and buried, God’s power brings resurrection and victory. Christ is undefeated, and when we trust in Him, we share in His triumph over darkness and despair. No matter how bleak our circumstances, we can have confidence that Jesus is with us, working all things for good, and that in Him, we are more than conquerors. This hope is meant to fill us with joy and courage as we live out our faith each day. [41:01]

Romans 8:37-39 (ESV)
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Reflection: Where do you need to be reminded of Christ’s victory in your life? How can you live today with the confidence that you are on the undefeated team with Jesus?

Sermon Summary

Today’s gathering began with gratitude—gratitude for the gift of life, for the breath in our lungs, for the friendships that enrich us, and for every good thing God has given. We acknowledged that so often we overlook these gifts, yet without them, our lives would be so much less. We prayed for open eyes to see the steadfastness of God’s love, a love that reaches out to each of us, a love that shepherds us and promises to bring us home, no matter where we find ourselves.

We confessed that we often fall short of the kindness and compassion we see in Jesus. Though God welcomes us as honored guests, we sometimes struggle to welcome the stranger. We are distracted by worries and busyness, losing sight of what truly matters. Yet, in Christ, we are forgiven, cleansed, and empowered to walk in a way that honors God and blesses others.

The heart of today’s reflection centered on what to do when life feels dark, when hope seems lost, and when fear threatens to overwhelm us. Drawing from the story of Elisha and his servant surrounded by an enemy army, we saw how easy it is to be blinded by fear, unable to imagine God’s deliverance. Elisha prayed for his servant’s eyes to be opened, and suddenly the servant saw the heavenly armies surrounding them—God’s unseen power at work.

This story is not just ancient history; it is a living example for us. We, too, are often blind to the reality of God’s presence and power in our struggles. But we have one greater than Elisha—Jesus—who promises never to leave us or forsake us. In our darkest moments, we are invited to come to Jesus, to ask for our eyes to be opened, to let him calm our fears, and to receive his peace.

We are called to imagine what heaven might look like in our most difficult situations and to pray for God’s kingdom to come in those places. Even when negativity and despair seem intractable, we are reminded that Jesus is undefeated. His resurrection is the ultimate declaration that darkness does not win. When we put our faith in him, we are on the winning team. We are invited to live with hope, to pray boldly, and to let God’s Spirit fill us with peace, vision, and courage for the days ahead.

Key Takeaways

1. Gratitude as the Foundation for Faith Recognizing and giving thanks for the daily gifts God provides—life, breath, relationships—shapes our hearts to trust him more deeply. When we cultivate gratitude, we become more aware of God’s steadfast love and provision, even in seasons when we feel lacking. This posture of thankfulness opens our eyes to the ways God is already at work in our lives, preparing us to see his hand in our struggles. [10:34]
2. Confession and Cleansing Lead to Empowerment Admitting our shortcomings—our lack of kindness, our distractions, our failure to welcome others—does not lead to shame, but to freedom. In Christ, we are not only forgiven but also cleansed and empowered to live differently. This ongoing process of confession and receiving grace is what enables us to honor God and be a blessing to those around us, advancing his kingdom in tangible ways. [12:37]
3. Seeing Beyond Fear to God’s Unseen Power Like Elisha’s servant, we are often blinded by fear, unable to see God’s presence in our difficulties. The invitation is to pray for spiritual sight—to ask God to open our eyes to the reality of his power and protection that surrounds us, even when circumstances seem hopeless. When we see with the eyes of faith, fear loses its grip, and we can rest in the assurance that God is working for our good. [29:08]
4. Praying for Heaven’s Vision in Earth’s Darkness In the midst of negativity and seemingly intractable situations, we are called to ask, “What does God’s kingdom look like here?” Rather than resigning ourselves to despair, we are to seek God’s vision for our families, communities, and even our enemies. This kind of prayer is not passive; it is an act of faith that invites God’s transformative power into the darkest places of our lives. [35:59]
5. Living Undefeated in Christ’s Victory Jesus’ resurrection is the ultimate assurance that darkness and defeat do not have the final word. When we put our faith in him, we are on the winning team—no matter how things appear. This truth calls us to live with hope, to let go of fear, and to boldly participate in advancing God’s kingdom, knowing that with Christ, we are never alone and never defeated. [41:01]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[06:42] - Call to Worship and Opening Hymn
[10:34] - Opening Prayer of Gratitude
[11:12] - God’s Steadfast Love and Shepherding
[11:47] - Prayer for Open Eyes and Softened Hearts
[12:37] - Prayer of Confession and Assurance
[13:35] - Rise and Shine: Children’s Hymn
[15:03] - Children’s Time: Facing the Unknown
[15:30] - The Story of Elisha and the Blind Servant
[22:10] - What to Do When Life Feels Hopeless
[25:23] - Elisha’s Supernatural Insight and God’s Team
[29:08] - The Unseen Army and Grace for Enemies
[31:33] - Jesus’ Presence in Our Darkest Moments
[35:08] - Praying for Heaven’s Vision
[36:48] - Faith in God’s Power Over Negativity
[39:55] - Christ’s Resurrection: The Ultimate Victory
[41:01] - Living Undefeated with Jesus
[43:40] - Closing Prayers and Blessing
[48:04] - Praying for Others in Difficulty
[49:35] - Blessing for the Church and Community
[55:50] - Final Blessing and Sending Forth

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

2 Kings 6:15-17 (ESV) — > When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Matthew 6:9-10 (ESV) — > Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Hebrews 13:5b-6 (ESV) — > For he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Observation Questions

In the story of Elisha and his servant, what did the servant see at first, and what changed after Elisha prayed for him? (2 Kings 6:15-17)
According to the sermon, what are some of the daily gifts from God that we often overlook? [10:34]
What does Jesus teach us to pray for in Matthew 6:10, and how does that relate to our difficult situations? [22:10]
How does the sermon describe the difference between Elisha’s response to the enemy army and what might be expected in a normal battle? [29:08]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Elisha asked God to open his servant’s eyes instead of just telling him not to be afraid? What does this say about spiritual sight and faith? (2 Kings 6:16-17)
The sermon mentions that we are often “blinded by fear.” What are some ways fear can keep us from seeing God’s presence or power in our lives? [31:33]
The Lord’s Prayer asks for God’s kingdom to come “on earth as it is in heaven.” What might it look like for God’s kingdom to come into a situation that feels hopeless? [35:08]
The sermon says that in Christ, we are “undefeated.” How does Jesus’ resurrection change the way we view our struggles and fears? [39:55]

Application Questions

The sermon began with gratitude for life, breath, and relationships. What is one specific gift from God you have overlooked recently? How can you practice gratitude for it this week? [10:34]
The confession in the sermon admitted to being distracted and failing to welcome others. Is there someone in your life you have struggled to welcome or show kindness to? What is one step you could take to change that this week? [12:37]
When you face a situation that feels dark or hopeless, what is your usual response? How might you ask God to “open your eyes” to his presence and power in that moment? [31:33]
The story of Elisha’s servant shows that God’s help is often unseen. Can you recall a time when you realized, after the fact, that God was helping you even though you didn’t see it at the time? What did you learn from that experience? [29:08]
The sermon challenges us to pray for “heaven’s vision” in our hardest places. Think of a current struggle or negative situation in your life. What would it look like to pray, “God, show me what your kingdom looks like here”? [35:08]
Jesus’ resurrection means that darkness does not win. Is there an area of your life where you have been living as if defeat is certain? What would it look like to live with hope and confidence in Christ’s victory in that area? [39:55]
The sermon invites us to let go of fear and let God’s Spirit fill us with peace and courage. What is one fear you want to bring to Jesus this week, and what is a practical way you can trust him with it? [43:40]

Sermon Clips

There's a different power, and it's not there to, there's not this darkness, darkness fighting darkness. There seems to be a light that's overcoming darkness. And so when Elijah's with the people of Israel, they're undefeated. And you see what, why is that in the scripture? Why do they place that in the scripture? Why put that story in the scripture? Because we have one greater than Elijah with us. And he says, I will never leave you or forsake you. [00:30:15] (36 seconds) #LightOvercomesDarkness

But we can be like that servant. And we can see all of the troubles and all of the difficulties and all the ways things can go south. And that's all we see. We can start believing that there is no way of bringing heaven to earth. That the thing that, the difficulties that we are in are going to overwhelm us and destroy us. But we have Jesus. And he knows that we win. In fact, he has said to us that I'm going to work everything to your good. That somehow, every difficulty you watch, I'm going to somehow make good out of it. [00:30:55] (57 seconds) #FaithSeesBeyondFear

And so the first thing to do when you find yourself in a dark and difficult place is to come to Jesus and to say to him, Help! Like, I don't know what heaven looks like here. All I can experience is the trial and the difficulty of this moment. I don't think that things will get better. I see the army, I see the difficulty right before me. Like, come, Jesus. And you know that he's answered your prayer because when the presence of Jesus comes, fear leaves. [00:31:59] (41 seconds) #HolySpiritStrength

And the Holy Spirit's role is to let everyone know the good news, working on every human soul to say there's hope, that there's heaven that can be established in your life, that everything that's destroying you can be undone through Christ. [00:34:02] (16 seconds) #PrayForHeaven

When you have those places of negativity, places where you have this intractable sense that there can never be a change, that there can never be a breakthrough, those are the places where you're to go in and ask, okay, Lord, what does it mean for your kingdom to come here? And then our faith is in what he can do. [00:39:01] (29 seconds) #DefeatedNoMore

``And the power that happened on the third day when he rose from the grave was the declaration that he is not defeated, that he is victorious, he is the risen king, he is the king of kings, he's the Lord of lords, that nothing on this earth can destroy what he has and what he will accomplish and is accomplishing. It will be so. All power in heaven and earth has been given to him. He has that power. And he will advance his kingdom. [00:40:24] (35 seconds) #JesusOurCaptain

And when you put him on your team, when you let him be captain, when you let him be your intelligence, when you let him be your wisdom, when you let him be your miracle worker, when you let him be your everything, when you put your faith in him, you are undefeated. And his kingdom comes. [00:41:01] (26 seconds) #DialogueWithHope

So what do you do when everything was dark and difficult? I think you do what the servant did to Elijah. You let Jesus draw near to you and you talk to Jesus about the thing that you're negative about. You let him know, listen, is there any hope for this United Church of Canada? Is there any hope for this family? Is there any hope for me? Is there any hope? Have a dialogue with him. And then let him open your eyes. Let him calm your fear. and watch as he does...does infinitely more in your life than my life. [00:41:28] (41 seconds) #NeverForsaken

If you didn't have Jesus, I would say that's true. But you have one who's promised, I'm never going to leave you or forsake you. I'm with you to the end of the age, and I'm undefeated. No one can defeat me. And you put on my jersey, Jesus says. You're on my team, and we win. You win. We win. Imagine being on a team that never gets defeated. [00:42:21] (39 seconds) #TeamUndefeated

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