Pastor's Corner: Finding real solutions: Prayer works

Who was the first person you called when your doctor gave you the bad news? Or maybe when the phone rang in the middle of the night and a stranger asked if they were speaking to the parents of...? Where did you go for help when the bills were beyond overdue and there was nothing coming in to pay any of them.

For many, a memory of a loyal family member or a faithful friend coming to your rescue or at least available to listen and offer comfort in your moment of crisis comes immediately to mind. Like you, we are so grateful for the people we can truly count on in this life.

Yet, "In God we trust." It is what it says on our money; and it is what many of us would say personally, "I believe in God," or "I'm trusting in God." Still, in moments of crisis, we usually exhaust every other resource and potential solution first before we simply ask the One who knows best, has the greatest power and loves us most for the help and direction we need.

Prayer is not a religious exercise to make us feel spiritual. It is a cry for help to our most Faithful Friend who has promised to listen. Jeremiah 29:12 says, "Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you." What comfort there is in knowing that He promises to hear what we need to share... our needs yes, but also our pain and our fears. The One who has known us since we were formed in our mother's womb and knows every thought and intention of our hearts will not only listen, but He will truly understand.

Even more, He has the power to change things on our behalf and sufficient love for us to motivate Him to do so. Matthew 7:7 records Jesus saying, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." He then goes on to say in verse 11 that God is even more eager than the very best father to "give good gifts to those who ask Him!" The problem is that we do not talk to Him; we simply do not pray.

Instead, we knock on every other door and when that doesn't solve the problem, we worry and stress. Philippians 4:6-7 shows a better way, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Beyond giving us access to the One with the power and the answers to our problems, prayer allows God to fill our hearts with peace, while we wait on Him to work all things out for our good.

Faithful friends and family are great! We hope you have them and that you keep them close. But as Proverbs 18:24b tells us, "There Is a friend that sticks closer than a brother" and we need to be talking to Him every day. When you need help or advice or just a friendly ear, talk to the One who has ultimate wisdom, unlimited power, infinite love and can fill your heart with unfathomable peace. Let's keep praying!