Jeremiah 29:12 – Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. (NKJV)

Some time ago, I was asked to visit a lady in the hospital. She had just survived a serious operation, she was in extreme pain, and she was worried about her husband who was at home alone and not coping well. She wanted to tell me about all the problems that were bothering her, and I listened to her. After she was through, we had a prayer together, and she told me that she felt a lot better. Although she was still in the hospital and nothing had really changed, we had told God about it, and she felt better.

Turning over to God in faith the things that are bothering us makes a huge difference in our lives.

Even Jesus had times when He needed to turn His problems over to God — people just did not understand Him. In Luke chapter 6, we find the story about the religious authorities taking Him to task because His disciples were picking some grain on the Sabbath. On another Sabbath, He taught in the synagogue, and there was a man there with a withered hand. The Pharisees suspected that Jesus might do something about this, and they watched Him closely. Sure enough, He healed the man's hand.

Luke 6:11 – But they were filled with rage, and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus. (NKJV)

They were upset with Jesus, and that bothered Him. He tried to explain His position to them, but they just would not listen. He had this need to talk to His Father in heaven about the things that were bothering Him. The next verse says:

Luke 6:12 – Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. (NKJV)

When we have problems, we, too, can approach God and talk to Him in prayer. Some of us may have a friend or a member of our family or our church with whom we can discuss things and pray about them. Others of us may have no earthly person with whom we are able to share. But all of us have our Friend in heaven Who will listen to us at any time under any circumstance.

As a well-known hymn says so beautifully:

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
       – Joseph Scriven, 1820-1886

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, we do admit that so often we try to do things on our own — times when we don't open our hearts to You. We pray that we will always be aware that we can come to You with all our problems, and our thanks as well, and we can know that You will listen. We offer this prayer in Jesus' name. Amen.

Forward this devotional     Share on Facebook

About the author:

Joel Jongkind <austria67@bmts.com>
Meaford, Ontario, Canada
Send your feedback to the author