Vital Signs: Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Praying for Character Over Circumstances

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When we pray out of our relationship with God, we learn to pray for character first. Research shows that 74% of Americans pray about their own problems. This happens because people focus on their circumstances in prayer. It is okay to pray about our circumstances. We can pray for a better relationship with our spouse. We can pray for wisdom to be a godly parent. We can pray about a financial difficulty we need to resolve.

However, it is even more important to pray for character. For example, the same research shows that 21% of Americans pray about winning the lottery. We pray for more money because we do not want financial worries. A better prayer is to ask the Lord to make us into people who trust in His provision and, therefore, do not worry about finances.

When we pray for character, it creates a permanent change inside us that affects our perspective. Our circumstances will often change as a result. However, we will be better human beings regardless of whether our circumstances change. We will be able to show the love of Christ to the world in both favorable and unfavorable situations.

Prayers for character give us confidence to walk through life. Instead of asking the Lord to make life easier, we should ask Him to change us. We will become stronger people who can confidently face anything life throws our way. Christ Himself described this confidence as the peace He gives His disciples. Jesus told us that we will face trouble in this world, but He also promised that He has overcome the world. The peace He gives does not come from this world—it comes from Him. As Christians, we can walk with God’s peace into any situation.

When we face life with the peace of Christ, we can always pray with confidence. We know that God hears us. We can be confident that all things will work together for good, as His Word promises. When we pray to become peaceful and confident individuals, we will live a peaceful and confident life in Christ.