Who Needs To Know That You Care About Every Aspect Of Her Life

You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

I WAS HOME FOR CHRISTMAS BREAK IN 1976 and had been invited by my church to speak at a regional women’s conference. I was confident in who God was to me, and I wanted these women to know that despite my young age, my words were worthy of their attention. In addition to carefully crafting my message, I wanted to choose the right outfit to capture their interest and respect.

As I began considering what I would wear to such an event, I knew that I wanted to appear outwardly as confident as I felt within myself. Long maxi skirts were all the rage, and as I went through my suitcase, I was so glad that a good friend back at school had given me a skirt she no longer wore.

My friend might not have realized it, but God knew when and why I’d need her gift. It was something that could easily have been overlooked, but it didn’t go unnoticed by me. God cared about even this simple aspect of my life.

Sometimes when we pray, we ask the Lord only about the big things—needs and dilemmas related to our family, our jobs, our church, and our community. But I wonder how often we pray about the smaller things that are also weighing on our hearts. We limit the God of the universe because we think He has to manage too many other important things to care about our “smaller needs.” Do you know what I mean?

We might think to ourselves, Well, that’s something I can take care of, so why would I pray about it? Perhaps we don’t even think to seek God’s help or wisdom for these lesser concerns because we assume the Lord has only so much time or interest.

But we know from Scripture that this is not true...

You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.

I love the image of God hemming us in both behind and before. We are always shielded by His love, and His care and concern are all around us. He is omnipresent. That means that He is everywhere. He isn’t confined to one place in time as we are. He is our constant companion. He sees it all because He is with us through it all. Including Him in each moment of our day is as simple as whispering in our hearts our prayers about whatever is happening in that moment.

We can just turn our hearts toward His and ask for whatever we need, remembering that He always desires to meet us, lead us, and give us His peace.

Tonight we pray for the momma who needs to know that You care about every aspect of her life. Lord, You know about every part of her. There is nothing that she must face alone. You care about her peace, her healing, and her hope. Tonight we ask that You’d help her find the right resources to bring her mind, body, and spirit to a place of wholeness. Heal every sad, anxious, overwhelmed, and hurting place within her. We are thankful that You are the God who heals. Help her realize Your presence in this moment.

We ask in Jesus’s name, amen.

Lord, I often pray about my big concerns, but tonight I bring these situations to You as well: