I’ve been trying hard to figure out what to write about three mountains in front of me.

During the last week, three separate friends have asked me to pray for their challenging situations. Each faces a similar huge trial. I don’t want to describe the situations out of respect for their privacy. But suffice it to say that they are facing something where they feel out of their depth to even know where to start. Solving the problem is far from simple. The path to understanding is murky at best.

And I’m also totally out of my depth in trying to solve their problem. (One thing I’ve learned the hard way is that giving advice on something I’m ignorant about is like entering a dangerous field of land mines. If I were a lawyer, I’d start to think about liability issues if a friend took my advice and it blew up in their face.)

So it’s off to the prayer rug. I’ve been praying for God’s mercy and wisdom for my friends. For peace in the midst of waiting till things change – or understanding to know what to do if things don’t change.

Two of my favorite verses of all time are Philippians 4:6-7. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

I’m praying for God’s peace to guard their hearts and their minds. And for that peace to be amazing as it settles in.

I rest in this: Matthew 19:26 – Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

Paul Merrill writes here every first Friday.