Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,
Have you thought about the question, “How do I demonstrate to the Lord that I trust Him?” Particularly in this season of the coronavirus and all the radical changes it is causing going on around us. Trusting God is supposed to be a way of life for Christians, but how do we know that we’re actually doing it? Is trusting God one of those things where we can just take it for granted that we’re doing it – only to discover that we’re not? Is this something we have to be intentional about?
We heard a powerful message that was one in a series on what the good news of the gospel really is. The focus was upon having a life that tastes the goodness and power of God and that demonstrates dependence upon the Lord. The primary way this is done is through prayer. And prayer is something that defines who we are – much more that it being a weapon to be pulled out in times of need.
Prayer expresses our dependence, our helplessness and trust in our Lord. It is a continuation of our acknowledgement of our need for God that we experienced when we were born again. It is a daily acknowledgement and recognition that we need Him in all the areas of our lives – not just those where we feel needy.
The primary purpose of prayer is not to ‘get’. It is the life-blood of our relationship with Him. He wants us to have times set aside for Him AND times throughout the day where we talk with Him in the midst of all we are doing.
While He encourages us to make our needs known to Him, He wants us to develop an ever-richer relationship with Him. The amazing thing is the reality of how many of our ‘needs’ disappear because they are dealt with by our thriving relationship with Him. And for those needs that don’t, He is our refuge. He enables us to walk wisely and in obedience through those needs.