Can I Really Trust that God Will Provide What I Need?
Do not be like them. Four your Father know the things you have need of before you ask Him. Matthew 6:8
If you have driven to the gas station or been to the grocery store lately, you may have felt a little uneasy. The twenty-first century has unfolded as a time of war, bad weather, and gloomy economic conditions. When the stock market lost seven trillion dollars in one week a few years ago, Christian author Phillip Yancey was asked how to pray during a bad economy. Yancey gave a multilayered response, but it started with the advice to cry, “Help!” There is nothing wrong with that advice. God loves simple desperation in prayer. But we can also have some confidence when we pray.
Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:8 that even in tough times, including periods of unemployment or a national recession, God never forgets what we need. The first teaching in the New Testament on the subject of prayer includes this assurance that while God expects us to pray, we never need to worry about Him understanding our request. He knows “before you ask Him.”
Recently my wife needed her driver’s license renewed so I went with her to the Department of Public Safety and we waited our turn. The officer working behind the desk seemed to hate his job. He frequently answered people’s questions before they could finish asking them. He must have heard it all a thousand times and his answers never changed. None of us wanted to be there, but his obvious impatience with everyone didn’t help.
It is true that God, like the DPS officer, knows what we need before we ask, and he has heard every request before. But unlike the impatient officer, God is “your Father.” That loving relationship makes all the difference. So go ahead and ask. God loves to answer!*
Father, You know every need I have today, and You already know how the needs will be met. I am trusting You as You minister to me and build my faith in Your constant care for me. Amen.
*Kie Bowman, Austin, Texas