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"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16 KJV)
If ever there were a time when we need to approach the throne of grace, it's now! The whole world has been turned upside down. We need God. We need His peace. We need His strength. There is no one else to turn to.
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1 KJV)
Prayer is a gift from God and a privilege that we should never take for granted. If we want to pray, God is always available, but too often, we worry about what to say to God.
"In the same way the Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express." (Romans 8:26 GNT)
Anne Lamott writes in Traveling Mercies that our two best prayers are, "Help me, help me, help me!" and "Thank You, thank You, thank You!"
There is nothing that we can't bring to God in prayer. When we pray, we are telling God that we need Him. When we pray, we allow God to work in the circumstances of our lives and in the situations that we're praying for.
Many of us have time on our hands these days -- staying home, with no place to go. What a perfect time to find a quiet place to spend time alone with God, without the distractions of our usual busy schedules -- a perfect time to make prayer a priority in our lives!
Billy Graham tells a wonderful story in his book, Hope for a troubled world. A missionary and his family were forced to camp outside on a hill. They had money with them and were afraid of an attack by roving thieves. After praying, they went to sleep.
Months later, an injured man was brought into the mission hospital. He asked the missionary if he had soldiers guarding him on that night. "We intended to rob you," he said, "but we were afraid of the 27 soldiers."
When the missionary returned to his homeland, he related this story to a member of his church, who told him, "We had a prayer meeting that night, and I took the roll. There were 27 of us present."
Never underestimate the power of prayer!
"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." (Philippians 4:6-7 MSG)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us not to worry about anything but to pray about everything. We thank You that we can come to You at any time and for any reason. How good it is to know that You care about each one of us and that You are always ready to listen to us. Grant us strength in these trying times as we seek to know You better day by day. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Dee Renaud
Sauble Beach, Ontario, Canada
Reprinted from the PresbyCan Daily Devotional with the author's permission
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