NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

January 14

Scripture focus: I, Paul, have been sent on a special mission by the Messiah, Jesus, planned by God himself. I write this to God's congregation in Corinth, and to believers all over Achaia province. May all the gifts and benefits that come from God our Father and the Master, Jesus Christ, be yours! Timothy, someone you know and trust, joins me in this greeting. All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too. 2 Corinthians 1:1-5, The Message

My friend doesn’t believe in prayer (although she believes in God) because she thinks that prayer is man’s attempt to manipulate God. Other theologians take a different approach. They suggest that prayer is one way that man makes peace with the will of God (Friedrich Schleiermacher, Immanuel Kant, Robert L. Simpson). Lots of people have tried to explain how prayer works and why we humans keep trying it – especially when we find ourselves in need of a sturdy foxhole.

I don’t know about all that fancy thinking, it just seems to me that prayer is a cry to God from one of his children. I think we pray because we hope that God will come alongside us when we go through hard times. I think we pray because we hope that God will help those we love when we can’t figure out how to help them ourselves. I think we pray because we all know that we need help.

I’ve learned so much about the character of God as I’ve come to worship in a recovery community. One of the early principles that we ask each newcomer to embrace is this: Ask for help. My friends in recovery have taught me to pause and wait when someone approaches me in obvious distress. I’ve been coached to ask, “What do you need?”

Early on in my own recovery journey, I didn’t understand the value of letting a person articulate their own need. I’d hear a story and assume I knew what they needed!

“Isn’t it obvious? Clearly they need…” I’d suggest to my mentor.

“Although it may be obvious to you, it may not be obvious to them. And until it is obvious to them, nothing you or the community does matters,” she would respond patiently. I’ve since learned that it does no good to offer a thirsty man a glass of water when he thinks his issue is hunger.

If it is beneficial for one person to tell another their need, why wouldn’t that same principle apply to our relationship with God?

Would you join me, this year, in finding a bit of time each day to tell God what we need? Then let’s see what happens….

Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!

© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community

---