Prayer 2

Prayer 2

O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.

Psalm 62:8

What do we do when we’re up against a problem that’s far bigger than anything we can handle? Some problems in life are solvable—like the time I turned on my blender when the top wasn’t securely fastened. It made quite a mess in my kitchen, but in ten or fifteen minutes I had it cleaned up. Larger problems that can’t be solved either quickly or easily—like giving birth to a baby who has severe medical problems—are often accompanied by overwhelming feelings.

I remember a time I encountered a life experience that I neither wanted nor understood. All I knew was that I felt a lot of pain and sadness. I decided to get alone for one day of thinking and praying. I wasn’t really alone, though. I have special memories of God’s presence and strength washing over me as I paced the floor with open Bible in hand, reading accounts of people in the Bible who met up with seemingly impossible circumstances. The common denominator in their prayers was that they meditated on things God had done in the past, like parting the waters of the Red Sea and protecting Daniel in the lions’ den.

We too are wise to begin our prayers with reminders of things God has done in the past. That helps answer the question we all ask when we hit a snag—“Is God really in control?” As we remember what he has done in the past and cry out to him for help in our present situation, our hearts are stirred to trust him.

Father,

Thank you for the honesty of the psalmists and other writers in the Bible who were good examples for us of how to pray even when our hearts are heavy. May we pour out our longings to you and rehearse your faithfulness to us. Amen.