7/21 Days of Prayer & Fasting
READ:
PSALM 28 (NIV)
To you, Lord, I call;
you are my Rock,
do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Hear my cry for mercy
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
toward your Most Holy Place.
Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
but harbor malice in their hearts.
Repay them for their deeds
and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done
and bring back on them what they deserve.
Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord
and what his hands have done,
he will tear them down
and never build them up again.
Praise be to the Lord,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise him.
The Lord is the strength of his people,
a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
Save your people and bless your inheritance;
be their shepherd and carry them forever.
As a dad, there have been times that I have sat back and watched my kids struggle to do something on their own, sometimes it’s homework or opening a stubborn container. It’s not because I am a bad dad. It’s just because I want to give them the opportunity to try for themselves. I also want to give them the opportunity to ask for my help. When they ask, I am always happy to help them with whatever they are struggling with.
Sometimes I wonder if that’s what God sees when he looks at us.
We are struggling to fix our problem and God is patiently standing by, listening and waiting on us to simply call for help. We often treat prayer like it’s our spare tire when we should be treating it like our steering wheel. In other words, prayer shouldn’t be the last thing we do when all else has failed. Prayer should be the first thing we do.
God wants to help you, all you have to do is ask.
PRAY:
God, I need your help! (Now take a few moments to ask God to help you with whatever you need help with.) In Jesus’ name, Amen.