"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16 KJV)
If ever there were a time when we need to approach the throne of grace, it's
now! The whole world has been turned upside down. We need God. We need His
peace. We need His strength. There is no one else to turn to.
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psalm
46:1 KJV)
Prayer is a gift from God and a privilege that we should never take for
granted. If we want to pray, God is always available, but too often, we
worry about what to say to God.
"In the same way the Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do
not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit himself pleads with God for us in
groans that words cannot express." (Romans 8:26 GNT)
Anne Lamott writes in Traveling Mercies that our two best prayers are, "Help
me, help me, help me!" and "Thank You, thank You, thank You!"
There is nothing that we can't bring to God in prayer. When we pray, we are
telling God that we need Him. When we pray, we allow God to work in the
circumstances of our lives and in the situations that we're praying for.
Many of us have time on our hands these days -- staying home, with no place
to go. What a perfect time to find a quiet place to spend time alone with
God, without the distractions of our usual busy schedules -- a perfect time
to make prayer a priority in our lives!
Billy Graham tells a wonderful story in his book, Hope for a troubled world.
A missionary and his family were forced to camp outside on a hill. They had
money with them and were afraid of an attack by roving thieves. After
praying, they went to sleep.
Months later, an injured man was brought into the mission hospital. He asked
the missionary if he had soldiers guarding him on that night. "We intended
to rob you," he said, "but we were afraid of the 27 soldiers."
When the missionary returned to his homeland, he related this story to a
member of his church, who told him, "We had a prayer meeting that night, and
I took the roll. There were 27 of us present."
Never underestimate the power of prayer!
"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises
shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you
know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good,
will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ
displaces worry at the center of your life." (Philippians 4:6-7 MSG)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us not to worry about anything but to pray
about everything. We thank You that we can come to You at any time and for
any reason. How good it is to know that You care about each one of us and
that You are always ready to listen to us. Grant us strength in these trying
times as we seek to know You better day by day. In Jesus' name, we pray.
Amen.
Dee Renaud
Sauble Beach, Ontario, Canada
Reprinted from the
PresbyCan Daily Devotional with the author's permission
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