05/07/2024
One spring day my wife and I returned from Chattanooga where we had celebrated the graduation from college of a remarkable young lady, I plopped down in my prayer chair and was led to read a devotional message titled "Trouble and Prayer". The previous day I had written about this young lady's struggle with Multiple Sclerosis, but when we saw her this morning, after just a few weeks absence, she looked frail and was walking with a cane. It broke my heart to see her this way. Our prayers had been more than needed today, and now we waited confidently for God’s answer.
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.”
Proverbs 18:10 ESV
E.M. Bounds wrote that "Trouble often drives people to God in prayer, while prayer is but the voice of people in trouble." We ended our celebration of her academic accomplishment by praying for her healing. This is a family that doesn't have to be driven to prayer... to them it is so intertwined in their beings that it is like an instinct. My spirit was thrilled by her grandfather's prayer which led to those of several others. My heart was touched as her father lifted his daughter up to Jesus, and I knew from his spirit that this wasn't the first time he had brought her before the Lord. Then, as we laid hands upon her, I prayed for her healing as well.
Bounds ended his morning offering by writing "Wise is the person who knows his True Source of strength and who doesn't fail to pray in times of trouble." I had witnessed a family who prayed in all things and who was, in this case, coming before God in praise, thanksgiving, asking for guidance in a life, and yes... petitioning Him to heal in a time of trouble. They knew the source of their strength and visited this fount with well-worn jars.
We are inclined to seek God in times of trouble and to ask for His help in our lives, and we find solace in three very important facts. First, we know that God will not place any burden on us that we can't bear, and that he is often our escape in these times of trouble.
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV
Secondly, He is our God who hears our hearts as well as of voices when we pray...
“And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”
Isaiah 65:24 KJV
And then finally, that He answers our prayer. Jesus spoke again of this when He said...
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”
John 15:7 KJV
Each of us has a family which offers us an increased opportunity for praise, thanksgiving, confession... and yes; trouble. We are instructed to come before the Lord without ceasing, and in all things. Within every family we experience a wealth of opportunity to pray. Family, whether it is biological, spiritual, or any other coming together, is a living thing, and is life itself. Family is comprised of the good and bad, the highs and lows, and yes the righteous and unrighteous things that lead us to God in prayer. Families thrill us, scare us, fill us with hope and thanksgiving, and even break our hearts. Like all of life they are full to the brim and like our marriage vows that say “In sickness and in health”, they are comprised of all of life’s experiences.
So that day in Chattanooga we prayed for this beautiful young woman and her accomplishments, and we prayed that if it be God’s will that her weak and sickened body would be healed, but most of all we experienced family in that moment of prayer, and in that was God our Father who knew us all, and in whose goodness we trusted completely… regardless of what form His answer would take in this world it would be good. This is what brought this wonderful child of God to embrace His will, and to pray that regardless of what lay ahead for her, that her life would be good, and glorify Him.
“Pray without ceasing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:17
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
Philippians 4:6 KJV
Each and every day, all day, we should raise the desires and troubles of our families to the Lord. He is our strength in times of trouble, our provider in times of need, our healer when we are sick, and our redeemer from all sin. In Him is our comfort, peace, and joy forevermore.
The family I prayed with in Chattanooga is a model to us all. Though their trouble was great they praised and thanked God for His provision... And then brought their trouble before Him not out of desperation or wanting to be pitied, but with confidence in His ability to handle it as He promised, and His will dictated. The last prayer of our gathering that day was prayed by the young woman who was suffering from MS herself, and tears came as we listened to her ask God to glorify himself through her, but the shortest verse in the New Testament reads "Jesus Wept." and I have no doubt His eyes were full throughout her sweet prayer and that His heart was filled with love for her.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for giving us one another when we need prayer, and for giving us confidence that you not only know us, but hear us, and answer us. We thank you Lord for our earthly families, but more than that we thank you for our spiritual family that kneels with us as we pray before you. Help us Abba to seek your will in our lives and face the many wonders and troubles we will encounter there by leaning on you. In all of life we give you thanks Lord because we know and trust your Word that tells us that all things work together for good to them that love you. In all of life we will weather the sunshine and the storms of our lives, knowing that you do not bring us pain and suffering, but help us to walk through these as Jesus did. You are with us always, even when we walk through the valleys of despair. You are with us as we walk through the shadows, even that of death, but we will not be afraid because you have defeated death, and overcome sin and the world. You are the light, you hold the key to eternity and all that is good in the palm of your hand. Hear our prayers Father, and know that although we have many earthly faults that our greatest desire is to be like Jesus and the young woman that we prayed for in Chattanooga… our greatest desire is that you be glorified in us, and that your will be done always. Praised be your name forever!
Amen, Amen, Amen!
Rich Forbes