05/27/2022
What problems or challenges are we facing right now in our lives? No matter their severity we are meant to bring them to God through Jesus. It is our nature to think that the trivial issues in life can be a bother to God, and that it would irritate Him if we can’t solve them, or we bring them to Him, but He is not human, and He does not think as we think. The Lord wants us to lean on Him always, and to bring even our most routine problems and needs to Him. Are we embarrassed to repeatedly take our trivial and daily needs before the throne?
“And he said, “Bring them here to me.””
Matthew 14:18 ESV
When my children were young they would come to me with whatever they were dealing with at the moment, and frequently ask me the same questions over and over again. At first I would answer them, but after a while I would become annoyed, and tell them to solve the problem themselves, or ask them “what did I already tell you?”
Now that I am older I look back on those days and wish I could hear those repetitive, and seemingly trivial, questions again. When my grown children make decisions in their lives today, I want nothing more than for them to seek my council, but I find that I have taught them well, and more often than not they simply take those matters into their own hands. In human terms I taught them to be self-sufficient, but that is not what God wants us to be. He wants to be engaged in every aspect of our lives, regardless of what it is, and for us to ask His advice, no matter how many times we have already asked Him the same question.
“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7 ESV
We have no problem with thanking God for our meals every day, and we thank Him for His many blessings all day long. So, where, in our minds, is the dividing line that separates the trivial from the more serious issues; you know, those things in our spiritual journey that sound like we are asking our Heavenly Father “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” From those more pressing and important questions like “Dad, can we stop so that I can use the restroom?” The answer should be that there is no line drawn in our relationship with Abba God, and that there is no question we can ask, or problem we can bring before Him that is unwelcome.
““Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”
Matthew 7:7-8 ESV
God wants us to be in the habit of coming to Him all day long, and on every single day. He wants to hear our needs, even the routine and trivial ones, so that He can answer, give, defend, provide, and lead us. His intention is for our will and His to remain indistinguishable from one another in every regard. The question we need to ask ourselves is this… “Am I praying without ceasing, and taking everything to the Lord in prayer?” And the first question we should ask our Heavenly Father should be “Is my will your will in this?”
Prayer:
Father, thank you for wanting to hear everything about our lives, and for always being gracious when we come to you. Thank you for your Son Jesus, our intercessor, who told us to ask in your will, and in His name, and that in so doing you would give to us whatever we asked for. Thank you Lord for drawing our life into yours, and making our desires inseparable from yours… from the most trivial to the incredibly complex issues that are beyond our ability to handle. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God that was, and is, and is to come. We praise your name for allowing us to abide in you just as Jesus abides in you, and you in Him. We worship you with all our heart, and ask that you reveal the depths to which you desire us as we seek you in our continuous prayer. Help us Father to see how even our most simple, or repetitive request of you contains the fullness of eternity within it; that there is nothing insignificant, and that every prayer is like a heartbeat… one leading to the next, and the next, as they join together to give us life. Merciful are you who sent your Holy Spirit to pray for us in those times when we don’t know how, and amazing is your love that has made your grace available to us through your Son Jesus Christ. Wash us in the blood of Jesus, and remove every sin from us by His redeeming power, and your unrelenting forgiveness. Transform us into new creatures, as we follow Jesus, and reshape our will to conform to yours. Help us to be righteous and holy, so that when we stand in judgement before you it will be the essence of Christ that you see, and that in this moment of determination you will find us worthy in Him. Call us your children in that moment, and hear our prayer for salvation and forgiveness, each one uttered as it has been for all our faithful lives; over and over and over again… bringing forth the echo of eternity from deep within them as we offer each one to you.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 ESV
Rich Forbes