CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 917

“He is Near”

…that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for In him we live and move and have our being’; (Acts 17:27-28)

What do you reach for when you are anxious, stressed, or feeling like you have been gut-punched by life? Linus, a character from the popular Peanuts cartoon had his blanket to give him comfort. Abbie, from the NCIS television series reaches for her stuffed hippo doll. What is the first thing you reach for?

Far too many of us reach first for something or someone other than God. Tobacco products, alcohol or other drugs are the first choice for some people. Others seek out comfort food and indulge their senses in an attempt to temporarily escape the unpleasantness of the reality of their circumstances.

The truth is that anything that we reach for apart from God will leave us empty and only bring temporary comfort at best.

There is a God-sized hole created in each of us that only He can fill. There are times when life circumstances leave us empty, dry and without hope for a brighter future. We feel that we are wandering aimlessly in a desert wasteland, unsure which way to turn – merely existing, not thriving.

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Psalm 63:1)

God is always near. He is not a distant God, too busy to bother with the stuff that bothers us. He is our omnipresent, loving Father who is attentive to our prayer and every need. He is always near us.

In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me. (Psalm 86:7)

He is as close as the speaking out the Name of Jesus. Worship Him by reaching for Him first above all else in this world.

But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. (Micah 7:7)

You may have to wait for the Lord to move the mountains in your life. Other times, His deliverance is instantaneous. Either way, remain steadfast in your hope and trust in Him.

Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. (Psalm 116:2)

May you know the very real and near presence of the Lord. May you know His peace and power to remain steadfast in faith as He leads you through difficult times.