Psalm 143:1 (NIV) - O LORD,
hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and
righteousness come to my relief.
Being helpless is not fun. To love
someone deeply and know they are hurting… and then to know you are not in a
position to do anything about it is frustrating, to say the least. More likely
it leans toward being emotionally painful. Many people confess to a built in
“fix-it” mentality and disposition. When something is wrong they just want to
step up or step in and make it all better. They often are “take-charge” people
who know how to get things done in an efficient and effective manner. But when
you are 600 miles away from the hurting person and cannot get to them… when
they are in trouble or in some kind of bad situation… you know you cannot fix
it for them. Then you feel helpless.
When you feel helpless like this you
are typically in a situation over which you have no control. What can you do
when you have no control? You could panic or have a meltdown. You could take
out your frustration on those nearest to you. You could have a pity party. You could
self-medicate. You could resort some habit that gets you through.
A better response to helplessness,
in my view, is to trust God and to trust to prayer. It is not actually true
that we are helpless. Perhaps we ourselves are not in a position to solve a
loved one’s problem or help them escape a troubling situation. But we are not
ultimately helpless. Is not the Lord aware of that situation? Is not the Lord
there in that situation with the one we love? Is the Lord not strong? So often
I catch myself thinking or saying, “All I can do is pray.”… as if it was
nothing much to offer. How very opposite the truth that is. Words like that and
the attitudes that go with them reflect a poor, limited view of God that
basically thinks of Him as nothing, or nothing very important.
No, feeling helpless is not fun. But
to feel helpless without turning to God is like living next to a lake when your
house is threatened with fire and thinking you have no resources to draw from.
You really just need to know how to access the water. How might we say God and
His unfailing and unlimited resources are “accessed”? By serious, deep,
heartfelt, sincere, trusting prayer.
For the last 12 hours I have felt
helpless for my daughter stranded overnight in a New York City airport with a 9-month-old
sleep-deprived child, running out of diapers and baby food, uncertain about
when a flight home will be possible, sick to her stomach, having had no sleep
herself. I know she is strong and capable. I know she will get through it. It’s
a difficult situation, but others have endured far worse. Yet I still feel for
her and feel so limited in what I can do. Nevertheless I am not helpless. Nor
is she. The God who created all there is knows her and loves her and is with
her. He will sustain and strengthen her. He will do for her all that she needs
as His will in her life is worked out. Therefore I will trust Him and lift her
up to Him.
If you know and trust to the value
of prayer, are you involved in your church’s prayer ministry? Does your church
need you to start one? Are you committed to praying much for others, as we are
directed in 1 Timothy 2? Are you willing to go to God on behalf of other people
in need? In our church this is fairly easy… just ask and you will be placed on
our prayer team email list. Then pray when asked. Though it is quite “easy”, it
is serious business, and matters in deep and eternal ways. It’s a joy and a
privilege to pray for others. And it certainly is not helpless.
Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV) 14 Therefore, since we have a great high
priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold
firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a
high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one
who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. 16
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so
that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Psalm 38:21-22 (NIV) 21 O LORD,
do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God. 22 Come
quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior.
Psalm 145:17-18 (NIV) 17 The LORD
is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. 18 The
LORD is near to all who call on
him, to all who call on him in truth.
Philippians 4:4-7
(NIV) 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again:
Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The
Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but
in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests
to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
PRAYER: Father, when I have no control, let me see
that you do. Let me rest in you and trust you fully. Let me see your glory made
known in all of that which can trouble my soul. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”
Jesus
Christ is Lord!
Scott
No comments:
Post a Comment