Learning to Love the Life You Have - Your Nightly Prayer - October 6th

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Learning to Love the Life You Have
Your Nightly Prayer
By Alisha Headley

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” -  Philippians 4:11b

SOMETHING TO PONDER

Contentment doesn’t come naturally. It’s not something we wake up with. In today’s culture, everyone seems to be striving for the next best thing because so many aren’t content with where they are. And with social media constantly showing us what everyone else has, it’s easy to notice what we lack.

That’s why contentment must be learned—over time. It’s not easy, especially when reasons to be discontent are constantly in our faces. That’s what Paul was saying in Philippians 4:11: “I have learned to be content…” Not “I’ve always been…or “it’s easy for me, and I never struggle with wanting something different.” Even Paul—the man who wrote much of the New Testament—had to learn contentment. And so do we.

The problem is that comparison is louder than ever in today’s world. It’s dressed in someone else’s Instagram highlight reel. It’s the couple who just bought their dream house while you’re still renting. It’s the pregnancy announcement after your third negative test—or after multiple miscarriages. It’s the career win while you feel stuck in a job that drains you.

Comparison whispers: “You’re behind…why does she get that and not you…you’d be happy if your life looked like hers…or “maybe I don’t deserve it, maybe I’m not worthy of it…” But contentment? It speaks differently. It says: “Even if this season looks different from what you dreamed… you’re still worthy of love…and “even if you’re still waiting… God is still working” and “even if you don’t have her life… you still have a beautiful one right where you are.”

The powerful part of this verse is where Paul was when he wrote it—he was not on vacation or living in luxury. He wrote it from prison. With chains on his feet and uncertainty of the unknown in front of him. That means contentment isn’t about our circumstances, it’s about our perspective. It’s about looking around at what you do have and choosing to love it. Note that word: choosing. You get to choose whether to look at life through God’s lens—or the world's.

Even if it’s not the timeline you planned or if your life isn’t as sparkly as someone else’s. And especially… when it comes with loss.

Some seasons aren’t just less than expected—they feel like they broke you and you’ve lost a lot. I’ve walked through five miscarriages in the past three years—and it broke me. Loss after loss, while everyone around me was gaining. All while I was praying, crying, and waiting ,everyone around me seemed to gain exactly what my heart longed for the most.

So how do you learn contentment after loss? After watching others receive what your heart aches for?

You learn it slowly and oftentimes tearfully. You learn it by anchoring your hope in a God who doesn’t waste pain. By trusting that the story He’s writing—even through heartbreaks still good. And because He is good, the story He’s writing for you must be good—even if it doesn’t feel good in the moment. You learn it when you realize joy isn’t only found in what you’ve gained…but in how God has carried you through what you’ve lost. And that kind of contentment? It’s deep. It’s sacred. It’s holy.

So tonight, focus on your right now. Not your next. Not your “if only I had that one thing.” Just your now. There is goodness here in the now. There is a purpose here. There is joy—right here, if you choose to look for it.

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Lord,
I confess—it’s hard to love the life I have sometimes. It’s painful to watch others thrive in areas I’ve prayed for. When my prayers feel unanswered, it feels unfair. I feel forgotten. Help me love this life—not the one I imagined, or someone else is living. But the life I have right now, in this very moment. Teach me to find beauty in the ordinary, purpose in the waiting, and joy even in the midst of loss. Quiet the comparison in my heart and show me this season is still sacred. Forgive me for focusing more on what’s missing than the present blessings. Tonight, instead of longing for what’s next… I’m choosing to thank You for now:
For the roof over my head. The people I love. The breath in my lungs. Thank you for walking with me through it all and for your faithfulness. I trust You with today, tomorrow, and everything in between.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

1. What small blessings in my life have I been overlooking…what do I have to be grateful for today?

2. How can I invite God into the areas where comparison has stolen my joy?

3. What simple things can I eliminate that stirs discontentment and make more room for peace?

Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/ Anthony Tran

Alisha Headley is a writer + speaker who has a desire to meet the everyday woman in her everyday life with biblical truth. Stepping into her true calling, she left the corporate world behind as a former-financial VP to love on her family as a stay-at-home wifey + dog mama, while also being able to pursue her passion as a writer. Healing from a chapter of life consumed with lies she once believed about herself, she is inspired to point women to Christ to experience the freedom + power to overcome those lies with the truth written in God’s word. In her free time, Alisha enjoys road trips around the country, working out so she can eat her favorite foods, and creatively styling her outfits with a craft for fashion. Alisha is a proud wifey and dog mama living in Scottsdale, Arizona.

You can follow her blog by visiting her website alishaheadley.com or connect with her on facebook + instagram.

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