Jesus tells us to pray in times of trouble. He “told His disciples a parable…that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1). Praying instead of giving up means looking to God in times of trouble. This kind of praying keeps us from caving in.
I once read a story about a young boy who was saved from drowning by his brother and carried home unconscious by his group of friends. The grateful father wanted to know exactly who had done what so he could properly thank each child. So he said to John…
“Well, John, what did you do?”
He replied, “Oh, I jumped into the water and pulled him out!”
“And James and Thomas, what did you do?” questioned the dad.
“Oh, we carried Danny home!”
“And Mary, what did you do?” came the next inquiry.
And poor little Mary, who was only three years old, burst into tears and said, “Daddy, I couldn’t do anything at all, so I just prayed and prayed!”
Then her father gently said, “Mary, you deserve the most praise of all, for you did all you could, and God answered your prayers through John and James and Thomas.”
My friend, in times of trouble…when you can’t do anything at all…just pray and pray! Turn to God in prayer during the tough times, when you don’t know where else to go or what else to do.
Read When You Can’t Do Anything Else on Elizabeth & Jim George.