A Thought On Prayer

     While standing in for my father teaching Sunday School, studying God's work in the believer's life through the hard times, I was reminded of the words written by Joseph Scriven,

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! 
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! 
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, 
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.1
 
     To those reading this that do not know me or my family, it is not uncommon for me to end up standing in for my dad in Sunday School due to a complex back injury and other issues tied with and in addition to it (but I shall not go into detail here). In addition to this, a number of my friends and coworkers have been on my mind as of late, leaving me concerned for their well being. Leaving the realm of personal matters, the world is full of things to be concerned about: wide spread persecution, civil disorder in Egypt, recent legislation, etc.; there is a plethora of reasons to be weighed down with concern.
     However, it is of great comfort to me to know that all believers can come before God any time of day and give their concerns, fears, and burdens to Him, knowing that He is more than able to handle them and knows how to take care of their troubles better than anyone else. Even when you do not know what to say to God, His Holy Spirit within you speaks on your behalf (Romans 8:26-27).
     When I was born, I was put on the ECMO due to a lung collapse. Being only my parents second child, this time was very stressful and worrisome. However, my parents were given a card/bookmark with the following verse from Psalm 55:22,

      Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you;
      He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.2

Even after all of this time, and through the relatively little that I have experienced, I am continually learning the truth of this passage. God will uphold the righteous and care for them, we must merely give Him our fears and concerns and follow Him, humbly submitting to Him. So if I may offer a word of encouragement, cast your burdens upon the LORD, trust the all powerful and loving God with your problems, and obey His directions on how to live life.





1. Kenneth W. Osbeck, Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1996), 19. 

2. New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995)