Until tragedy strikes. Or failure occurs. On a national scale, I think it is fair to say, we have all come to this realization. Driven to our knees, we are forced to admit that we need God.

Where else?

In the dark days of the War Between the States, Abraham Lincoln was recorded to have said: “I have been driven many times to my knees, by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.”

Of course the burden of a president leading his nation into a war is beyond the imagination of most people.  However, a current president might be able to comprehend how Lincoln felt!

Acknowledging the need for God’s guidance is, in fact, rare. The reason is easy to discern. It is pride.

We have convinced ourselves that we are beyond the guiding hand of God. We are convinced that we can make it on our own.

Until tragedy strikes. Or failure occurs. On a national scale, I think it is fair to say, we have all come to this realization. Driven to our knees, we are forced to admit that we need God.

Prayer is much more than good therapy. It is more than simply “getting it off our chest.” Seeking God’s guidance in prayer is far more than going to a rich resource of strength.

Prayer is when we go to the only source of strength!

“The prayer of a righteous person has great    power as it is working” (James 5:16, ESV).

Sometimes when I look at the church with its problems, I feel overwhelmed. I should pray.

Sometimes when I look at my child, and think of the scary things that she faces, I feel overwhelmed. I should pray. And when I look at my own life, and know my inadequacies, see my mistakes, and know my human weakness, I feel overwhelmed.

But to be overwhelmed is not all bad. As the saying goes, if life drives you to your knees, then perhaps you are in a good position to begin praying.

The people we should really worry about are those who never feel overwhelmed. Are they missing something?

by Stan Mitchell

 

 

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