Word of Encouragement (9/14/2020)

The last right use of God’s promises is to pray them.

“Praying the promises is the most important element in the right use of the promises” (p. 65). Why? “As distant and out of reach as the promises of God may seem to us in [trying times], a mighty means of comfort is still available to us. That means is prayer. Even when everything seems to have failed and the very bottom of life seems to have fallen out, if we but cry out to God in prayer, even if we merely utter groans before the throne of God (Ps. 22:11-15), it will be enough” (p. 65).

I hope you see why prayer is “a mighty means” of comfort. It is not because we are mighty or our prayers are mighty in themselves. Prayer is not an expression of our strength. Far from it. If it were, the posture of our prayer would be us sitting down on a fancy chair with our back straightened, our legs far apart, our hands on our hips, our chins up, a haughty smile on our face, etc. No, prayer is an acknowledgment of our weakness and an expression of our desperate dependence on God’s mighty power. So, the proper posture of prayer is us on our knees with our hands clasped together, or standing up with our arms lifted up and wide in humble surrender, or prostrated on the ground with our head buried in humility, etc. “Prayer, more than anything else, denies self, relinquishes control, confesses need, leans on God, goes outside of ourselves, and cries out for help” (pp. 65-66) from the mighty God.

So then, we don’t have to become strong to pray. We don’t have to be somebody to pray. It is precisely when we feel overwhelmed, or weak, or desperate, that we can pray right there and then, asking for God’s power and mercy. This doesn’t mean that we pray only when we feel terrible and needy. We are always in need of God’s grace and mercy. When we don’t see that, we are deceiving ourselves; we should ask the Lord to open our eyes to see who we truly are and how desperately we need Him every hour.

How blessed we are that we can come to God in prayer! But if God gives heed to our prayers, it is not because He is moved by our misery and pathetic cries; it is because we come in the name of His beloved Son, who has made sinners like us acceptable to Him by His blood and righteousness. Oh, how we should cherish this privilege and use it at all times in gratitude and faith! Have a blessed day with the mighty strength of God!