Pentecost VII
July 11, 2021
“Come to Me . . . I Will Give You Rest”
How comfortable or how challenged are you when it comes to your prayer life? Is there even an answer to such an intrusive question? Generally, I’d change the subject or answer with a question of my own — why are you asking? But it’s a thought worth mulling over a bit, each of us from our own perspectives.
As we’ve been going through over a year of pandemic and derecho-related stress, a number of people are likely wondering whether there’s any point in praying, what it accomplishes, and whether we can tell if our prayers are heard. The people of the Old Testament had a lively prayer relationship with God. The prayers of the prophets, of King David’s Psalms, or of ordinary people wishing to relate to God, make for interesting reading. They praise, they give thanks, they express fear and anger, they complain, they beg for help in times of hardship, even as we do today.
Jesus’ disciples witnessed and learned from his prayerful relationship with his heavenly Father, and eventually they asked Jesus to teach them to pray. In response to their request, he taught them the prayer we know best, the Lord’s Prayer. When the sick and disabled came to Jesus for healing, he prayed over them, calling on God’s power to relieve their suffering. Between illness, personal loss and lives turned upside down during this pandemic, we might hesitate to vent and complain to people who are struggling with even more difficult situations than our own. But remember, we are encouraged to turn to our Lord with worries and problems as we are with thanks and praise. He tells us to come to him, to let him ease our burdens, to let him give us strength, and that we aren’t going through the tough times alone.
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)
We are assured that God hears our prayers, however inadequately worded and stumbling they may be, because he knows and understands how we feel. Encouraging the church in Rome to pray with confidence, Paul writes: “The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27).
Once again, God’s Word reminds us that we don’t have to muddle along on our own. We are God’s own children, loved and valued. If we struggle to express ourselves, the Holy Spirit is there, strengthening us in our times of need, and bringing us into relationship with our Father in heaven.
Grateful to be cared for and loved,
Your Friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers