Prayer Amid Struggles of a ‘Snatching Away’ Hope While Living Everyday Life

Father,

I believe You. I believe that You are the Potter and I am the clay, and that every detail of my life—past, present, and future—is in Your hands. You have written all my days before even one came to be. You are not reacting to me; You are forming me.

And yet… I confess, Lord, I struggle. I know You are in complete control, and I rest in that truth—but I still wrestle with my failures, my mistakes, my regrets. I look back at things I’ve done, the paths I’ve taken, and wonder, “Was that the best way?” I see the faces of my children and ache to know what is best for them. I want to lead them well, but I also know that even their choices, their future, and their faith are in Your sovereign hands, not mine.

I live knowing the “snatching away” could come at any moment—that You could call us into the air and change us in the twinkling of an eye. But I also wake up each morning to a world in which bills still need paying, and a future that still seems to need planning. I hold this tension—longing for Your call home, but also wanting to be faithful here.

I have dreams, Lord. Some are small and some are big. I imagine things I’d like to see, places I’d like to go, experiences I’d love to have. But I know… when You clothe me in immortality and give me the mind of Christ, my desires will be different. Some dreams may remain, others may fade away in the light of Your glory. And yet, here I am—still wanting them now. How do I hold these longings loosely without letting them take over my heart?

I know the answer is in You. I know the answer has always been You. Whether my current dreams match the ones I will have in Your kingdom or whether You replace them with something far greater, my life is safe in Your plan. Still, I need You to teach me how to live today—with joy, with wisdom, and with hope—while trusting You completely for tomorrow.

Thank You for never leaving me. Thank You for ordering my steps even when I stumble. Thank You for loving my children more than I ever could. Thank You for the certainty that You will finish the work You began in me.

I am Yours. Completely. Even in my confusion, even in my longing, even in my failures—You are still the Potter, and I am still the clay. Shape me however You see fit.

Reflection & Response: Living Honestly Under a Sovereign God

If you’ve read this far, you know the truth: God is not merely watching history unfold—He is writing it. Every detail, every decision, every breath, is in His hands. The Potter does not lose control of the clay.

And yet, knowing this doesn’t always remove the tension. We still feel the pull between what we know in our minds and what we wrestle with in our hearts. We still grieve over past mistakes. We still question the “what ifs.” We still wonder how to plan for tomorrow while expecting the “snatching away” at any moment.

The letter you just read is my way of being honest before God about that struggle. Not to doubt His sovereignty, but to bring my confusion, desires, and regrets into His light. It is in the bringing that we find peace. Because God doesn’t just ordain the outcomes—He also ordains our prayers, our tears, our longing, and even our wrestling.

Here’s the takeaway:

• You can trust God’s control and still admit your fears.
• You can plan for the future while knowing He might call you home before you see it.
• You can dream, even if you know those dreams might change when you stand in His presence.

Don’t wait until you have “the mind of Christ” to talk to Him about the mind you have now. The same God who planned your first breath has already planned your last—and every moment in between. That includes the moments when you’re unsure how to live, how to love your children, how to spend your time, or how to balance longing for heaven with life on earth.

The key is not to figure it all out. The key is to keep placing it all—your past, your plans, your pain—back into the Potter’s hands. He’s not just shaping the outcome; He’s shaping you in the process. And when the work is finished, you’ll see that every detail, even the ones you couldn’t understand, was part of His perfect design.