Faith in the Dark: When Your Battle Isn’t Private Anymore
Chapter 7 Companion
James 5:16b
“...pray for one another, that you may be healed.”
Some struggles feel safer when they stay private.
Carter didn’t mind learning about the Armor of God in Sunday School. It was something printed neatly on a page — a lesson that could be folded and tucked into his hand. But when his mom mentioned his nightmares to Geraldine, the battle stopped being theoretical. It became personal. And suddenly someone outside his family knew about it.
That kind of moment can feel exposing. It can feel like something fragile has been handed to a stranger without permission. When we are fighting something quietly — fear, doubt, anxiety, nightmares — we often believe we can manage it better if no one else sees it.
But Geraldine didn’t respond with curiosity or judgment. She responded with recognition. “I’m writing it for my grandson. He has nightmares, too.”
In the space where Carter expected embarrassment, he found something unexpected: connection.
Spiritual battles often convince us that we are the only ones experiencing them. Isolation magnifies fear. But God frequently meets us through people who quietly say, “You’re not alone.”
Galatians 6:2 tells us to carry one another’s burdens. That means burdens were never meant to be hidden indefinitely. Sometimes what feels like exposure is actually the first step toward shared strength.
Galatians 6:2
“Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
🕯️ Think About It
Why do you think Carter felt uncomfortable when his mom shared about his nightmares?
Have you ever discovered someone else was struggling with something similar to you? How did that change things?
What makes it hard to let others help carry your burdens?
🌙 Week 7 Challenge — Battle Together
Draw two pictures:
A battle fought alone.
The same battle with someone standing beside you.
What changes in the second picture?