This Perspective Extremely Limits Our Prayers
This week the wife of a friend of mine had a heart attack. I still don’t know all the details, but I hear she can now leave the hospital. This news shook me as they are not much older than I am and also have kids similar ages.
As I prayed for them, I thought about how difficult that must have been for them to go through. While I have in the past put together a help on how to pray in an emergency, I was struck with something new.
One limiting perspective when we pray is that feeling that God is not there. In our need to have Him answer, we often feel alone and separated from Him. This hinders our prayers and adds to our anxiety in our time of need.
This feeling of separation from God leads to a great deal of bad decisions. When we feel all alone, we lose hope and try to take control of our situation. This is when Abraham takes Hagar and the Israelites make the golden calf.
God is With You
In Isaiah 43 the Lord reminds Israel that He will be with them.
When you walk through the waters, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. Do not fear, for I am with you.
I have formed you. I have made you. You are created for my glory. No one can take you out of My hand. You are mine.
This is also what Jesus wants us to know. Matthew ends with Jesus telling us that He will be with us until the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20). When He was born, He was called Emmanuel – God with us (Matthew 1:23). Jesus died for our sins to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18).
God wants us to be with Him. He wants us to know He is with us. Nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:39). We can boldly come before His throne (Hebrews 4:16).
Remind Yourself of This Truth
How do we overcome this limitation? Find ways to remind yourself that God is with you. Listen to worship music. Start your prayers thanking God for being with you. Some people set out a spare chair when they pray to help imagine God being there listening to them.
The truth is God is with you. He wants you to know that He is with you because He wants to be with you. He enjoys you. You are precious and honored in His sight (Isaiah 43:4). When you start to feel discouraged and alone, remind yourself of what God says is true… He is with you.
Invest in this truth by getting one of these devotionals: God Is With You Every Day by Max Lucado or Embraced by Lysa TerKeurst.