Practical Help for Times of Trouble

5 Ways God Helps Us

The things that have helped me in times of trouble are the ordinary things that God talks about in his Word.

Experiencing his beauty in creation, being outdoors, and being reminded of his goodness and beauty have been helpful.

Prayer is a very significant help. The prayers of other people for me, their love that comes through those prayers, and the way that God answers their faithful prayers. Also my own experience with prayer and crying out to the Lord in times of trouble.

The worship and the sacraments of the church are very significant. The Lord’s Supper is for our spiritual nourishment and that’s particularly important in times of trouble.

The presence of caring Christian friends, the community of God’s people, is important. They may have occasional counsel that is helpful. But certainly their words of encouragement, and even simply their presence, make a difference.

And then especially the Word of God and his promises, which apply to every difficulty that we face, are vital.

These are some of the things that God uses to help people in times of trouble.

Philip Graham Ryken (DPhil, University of Oxford) is the eighth president of Wheaton College. He preached at Philadelphia’s Tenth Presbyterian Church from 1995 until his appointment at Wheaton in 2010. Ryken has published more than fifty books, including When Trouble Comes and expository commentaries on Exodus, Ecclesiastes, and Jeremiah. He serves as a board member for the Gospel Coalition and the Lausanne Movement.