First things first.....Prayer! In times of discouragement we ought to turn to the Lord first and foremost. I think sometimes we are such physical minded people that we forget to turn here first. When problems arise what do we do? We turn to our physical friends and relationships on this earth to get us through....while it isn't wrong to turn to those on this earth for help, it isn't the wisest thing to do first. People are human and therefore they will make mistakes...humans, despite what they think, don't know everything! When seeking advice and encouragement, who better to turn to than our God in heaven. He created us! He knows everything about us down to the number of hairs on our heads. He is the master of this universe yet we fail to rely on him and the words he has given us to guide our steps. His word offers us the answers to our questions and the strength needed of our souls!
Think about the actual act of prayer...we bow our heads and approach the throne of our God in heaven. This is available to us 24/7...no lines, no distractions, no limits. There is no worry too small that we can't bring before our God. We can confide in him knowing that our "issues" won't shared with the world for all to see. He can be trusted with the things that weigh our hearts down. We are to pray with confidence, faith, that the things we ask can be done by our Lord. However, as demonstrated by our Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane we need to pray that his will be done and not our own. Sometimes we will find that God answers our prayers with a "no". This is when we want to doubt or say that he doesn't care, but our God knows what is best for us and we must put our faith and trust in him.
I don't know what could be more encouraging than knowing that we have a mediator in Christ Jesus.
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" I Tim. 2:5
Christ literally takes our prayers and delivers them before the throne of our Father in Heaven. Why is Christ the chosen one to take our requests before God? Think about the relationship Christians share with Christ. He put on flesh and walked the same earth we live on today. He was in all points tempted yet he remained perfect! He knows what it means to be human because he was one. He knows the struggles of this earth because he experienced them...what better person to take the requests of men to our God in heaven. Those of us that are living in Christ have an amazing blessing in the act of prayer. So why to we fail to use it? I think sometimes we suffer here on earth for no reason when we could be taking our cares and worries and laying them at the feet of our Father.
Don't let yourself suffer needlessly....take it to your God in PRAYER!
You don't know how much I am encouraged by the devotionals. And I know how hard it is at times for you to find time to do these. So I am so thankful. I wanted to share something with you that my dad shared with me the other night that was so powerful to me. Two things really. I hope you and whoever reads this can find strength and hope in them as well.
ReplyDeleteWe were talking about life's struggles (for me as a mom) and he shared a passage with me. He took me to Acts 7, just prior to our brother Stephen's death. After speaking to the angry crowd and being accused of blasphemy, the crowd ran at him and began gnashing at him with their teeth (can you imagine), and the scripture says, "And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." This is significant because Christ "STOOD". Throughout the scripture we read of Him being seated at the right hand of God, but in this instance He stood. When Stephen needed Him most, He not only allowed Stephen to see Him in Heaven, He stood. To me this shows that Christ was showing concern and He wanted Stephen to know. And it is in the scripture for us today to know that in our weakest and most dire times, Christ is watching and is there for us.
My dad also took me to Psalms 136. You should read it sometime. The overwhelming theme of this psalm is God's mercy. How comforting to know that when all else fails, "...His mercy endureth forever..."
Thank you both for your comments. I love your devotionals and I need them so much in my life right now. I look for things to encourage me and bring me positivity and I am encouraged by you Amber and by you, too, Brit!
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