Praying About Everything

We all have a tendency to forget to pray about everyday issues we feel are well within our control. We pray about the big scary things, but the routine stuff? We can handle it on our own. The truth is, however, that God doesn’t want us to believe that it is our own strength and skill, the latest technology or another person's expertise, that solves all our problems. He wants us to put our trust in His power over even the smallest circumstances and to pray about everything.

Glynnis Whitwer of Proverbs 31 Ministries writes about learning this lesson when she recently spent the day caring for a child home from school with the stomach flu:

It wasn't until evening that I realized I hadn't prayed once for my little boy. His fever was high and as I held his hot little body, I placed my hand on his head and asked in the name of Jesus for Robbie's fever to go down and for it to stay down during the night. I gave him another dose of medicine, soothed his feverish skin with a cool cloth and held him on my lap. Thirty minutes later his fever dropped from 103.6 to normal and Robbie slept peacefully and fever free through the night. He woke the next morning with a tender tummy, but feeling much better. As most moms know, a fever that high doesn't drop that fast on medicine alone. God definitely intervened.

As I reflect on that incident I wonder how many other times I have relied on something other than God's power to solve a problem....Relying on God is a habit, actually a discipline, which brings joy and peace as we develop it in greater measure in our lives. As I learn to depend on God in the small and big areas of my life, I find I have more stories to tell about how good, powerful and wonderful He is. Like the night He brought my son's fever down to normal in 30 minutes.

I really like the following suggestion from Glynnis: Identify one decision you have to make today that normally you would make on your own. In prayer, ask God for His help with it.

You can read more of Glynnis’ thoughts in today’s Encouragement for Today daily devotional.

"Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord." Isaiah 31:1

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6