Jump Start # 3404

1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your anxiety upon Him because He cares for you.”

It is a most interesting thing that takes place all the time in our worship services. Prayers are offered. Specific names and specific needs are lifted Heavenward. But recently it really hit me how great our God is. There was a newborn that had an issue and needed surgery. Prayers were lifted for that little child. Someone having to go through cancer treatments was prayed for. Another time, it was for someone in the hospital. Another time it was for a family that had a loved one pass away. So many serious concerns. So many different prayers. Comfort. Healing. Help. Answers. Hearts were poured out to Heaven.

And, when one considers just the avenue of prayer, he realizes how big, powerful and great our God is. Take just the above list I mentioned. Run those through the admissions of any hospital. The newborn needing surgery would be in a children’s hospital with surgeons at hand. The cancer patient would be in a cancer center with a team of oncologists. The person in the hospital would be on a med-surg floor, likely having tests being run to find out what was wrong. The family of the person who died would be meeting with a funeral director at a funeral home. Different needs go to different places in our world. You wouldn’t have the cancer patient and the newborn on the same floor, not in our hospitals.

Even in our phone calls to businesses and corporations, we are directed to different departments. If you call your cell phone company, you will hear a recording of several options. There is billing. There is customer service. There is sales. There is technical help. Each department is trained to take care of that one specific area. Don’t talk to the billing department if you have trouble keeping a charge on your battery. They won’t be able to help you.

Now, consider all of this and our prayers. God doesn’t have different departments. He doesn’t send us to the department that takes care of health care. There isn’t a special number to call for forgiveness. Thankfulness and praise isn’t sent somewhere else. All of our prayers, all of them, go to God. Cancer. Surgery. Death. Forgiveness. Guidance. Encouragement. Family problems. Church problems. Health problems. Worry. Fear. Anxious. Prodigals. Divorce. Discouragement. Everything goes to God. He gets it all. He hears it all. And, He deals with it all.

I expect the surgeon taking care of that newborn would not know much about how to treat cancer. It’s not his field and he hasn’t kept up on that. Likewise a funeral director wouldn’t know much about surgery on a newborn. Not his field. Not his study. But it is with God. He knows.

Now, here are some amazing thoughts:

First, no problem is too big for God. There are many things too big for us, but not for God. He has proven that. Fiery furnaces, lion’s dens, prison doors, massive armies, giants are nothing to God. We get overwhelmed. Not God. We get worried. Not God. We run out of options. Not God. We think the problem has us beat. Not God.

God can handle all of our prayers, all of our problems and all of our sins. Nothing to too great for God. While we are racing about trying to figure out which doctor or which department is best for our needs, God can do it all.

Second, you don’t burden God with your problems. God can handle it. If it is too small to pray about then it is too small to worry about. If you are going to be bothered by something, take it to the Lord in prayer. Otherwise, don’t let it bother you. God doesn’t get tired. God doesn’t have to stay late to take care of us. That’s the way we are. It’s not the way He is.

Third, it is amazing that no one understands you better than God. No one knows your situation better than God. And, no one can help you more than God. God is so good. But more than that, God is so powerful. God can read your heart. He knows your attitude and your motives. He knows your weakness and He knows how to help you. And, to think, with such information about you, God doesn’t use it against you, but for you. He is your best help. He is one that can truly change you.

Prayers to God. What a simple, yet amazing thing. Our prayers reveal God’s compassion. Our prayers are built upon God’ power and ability to do something. Otherwise, why pray. Our prayers are uttered with the understanding that He can hear us. My friend in Italy prays in Italian. A friend in Norway prays in Norwegian. Brethren in India pray in various Indian languages. Africa. Europe. And, here, I pray in form of English that we call “Hoosier Hick”. God hears, understands and is moved by all of our prayers. God speaks all languages. God knows all circumstances.

One of the great evidences for God is prayer. It is simply amazing.

Roger