Prayer: a MOPS devotion

I’ve been thinking a lot about prayer lately. I’m trying to consciously depend on God and think about Him as often as I can throughout the day. A few days ago, I came across a little story that has to do with prayer. It’s in a devotional booklet called “Our Daily Bread”.

“Several mothers of small children were sharing encouraging answers to prayer. One woman admitted that she felt selfish when she troubled God with her personal needs. ‘Compared with the huge global needs God faces,’ she explained, ‘my circumstances must seem trivial to Him.’
Moments later, her little son pinched his fingers in a door and ran screaming to his mother. She didn’t say, ‘How selfish of you to bother me with your throbbing fingers when I’m busy!’ No, she showed him great compassion and tenderness.”

Psalm 103:13 says, “Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.”
So this verse shows us that both humans and God respond with compassion when we love someone.

Now I’d like to share some verses from Isaiah 49 (13-16)
“Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains!
For the Lord comforts His people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones.
But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.’
(this is the Lord speaking) ‘Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands;’ ”

I just love this illustration. Think about how hard it would be for a nursing mother to forget her baby. I mean, when it’s time to feed your baby, you can’t think much about anything else! But God says that even if it were possible for a mother to forget her child, He could never forget His children. It’s as if He has even engraved us on the palms of His hands.

This kind of intimacy with God belongs to those who fear Him–those who are in awe of Him–who rely on Him rather than on themselves. As that child with throbbing fingers ran freely to his mother, we can also run to God with our daily problems.

And our compassionate God doesn’t neglect others to respond to your concerns. He is all-powerful and He has unlimited time and love for each of His children. No need is too trivial for Him. Aren’t you glad He is always there for you?

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