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DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE

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by Dennis and Barbara Rainey

Psalm 34:17,18
The righteous cry and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

I still remember driving home from work after a series of challenging days in 1983. FamilyLife was long on problems and scarce on people to help solve them.

My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that I can still recall the white knuckles in the twilight. "Why," I prayed, "does it seem that secular companies have no problem finding the types of leaders they need to make their millions, while we struggle to find people to join our staff? I'm losing heart-please send me some help. Please, Lord, help!"

And sure enough, He did. Like many answers to prayer, this one didn't come instantly or easily. But over the years God has called together an incredible team to work with the ministry here in Little Rock.

Since then, I've observed that one of God's most prized prayers is one that cries out to God in total desperation. This prayer can't be mindlessly recited from a book, because it comes from a condition of utter helplessness. It says, "Lord, I'm empty. I've come up short again. I haven't got it! Only You can provide the answer."

At one point in the mission of C. T. Studd, a British missionary in Africa, he and his family had absolutely run out of food. If the next mail didn't contain some relief, they faced starvation. They had a night of prayer, pleading for help.

The next day they received a check for 100 pounds from a man they had never heard of. In his note he said simply that God had told him to send the money.

Does God always respond to our requests as dramatically as that? No. But what He does respond to is humility that expresses utter dependence on Him.

Prayer:

Express these needs to God in prayer. Confess your own helplessness in dealing with them and your total trust in God's power to render aid.

Discuss: List the most urgent needs and problems you face right now. Have you found yourself grimly relying on your own inadequate strength to overcome them?

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