Pray!

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."  Matthew 11:28

Today our pastor preached on this verse.  And I was surprised, because this is a verse which has been close to my heart this week.

I love this verse from Matthew because in it Jesus specifically tells us to come to Him when we are weary, when we are heavy-laden - when we feel the burdens of life weighing us down.  And what does He promise us?  Rest.  That wonderful, calm feeling of peace that ONLY comes from our Creator, the one who loves us and wants us to feel rest.

Today during a "praise and prayer" part of our service, I put up my hand to share that this week I have been re-convicted of the power of prayer.  Not just in the big things, but the little things too.

I have been having an issue with one of the children over the past weeks, and I have been trying many things to cure it.  Many many things, but not prayer.  Isn't it funny how we can sometimes just not think to pray?  We try to battle on our own.  But it's only when we pray about our specific issues, when we "come to Him", that we feel the peace of God working through us - and we see results too!!!  After weeks of battling in my mind over this issue, I handed it to God just a few days ago.  And of course, instantly things are better!  I know it will be a continual process, but I now know I'm not in this alone.  God has commanded us to pray without ceasing, to come to Him with all the many burdens of our hearts.

As I heard for the first time today, "Prayer should be our first resource, not our last resort".

So today, let me encourage you to pray.  To talk to God about the details, the little things, the hurts, the dreams, the struggles, the disappointments.  Keep on praying!  Come before Him in thanksgiving too.  As we ask God for wisdom and to work in our lives, and thank Him for His guidance and blessings, we are drawn closer and closer to Him. 

And it's wonderful to see just what He can do in our lives.