It is easy for me to fall prey to several of Satan's lies that can consistently work together to attack my faith and well-being. First, I can believe his lie that I am on my own. This puts me into a state of mind (often so quickly and so quietly that I don't even realize I'm there!) that prompts me to try to figure things out on my own. I spring immediately into action-mode, and in that mode, I am essentially relying upon not only my own strength, but also my own wisdom. Trust me when I tell you that it is not a place in which my best interests are served.
A second lie that the enemy often whispers to me is that my prayers are little more than wispy ramblings that float up to a God who sits far from me and then pass on into nothingness. According to the Word, this is far from the truth.
The Bible tells us that "the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" James 5:16b (NIV). It also tells us again and again that God hears us, and that we are remembered by Him because of our prayers. When we call out to Him, He hears us. What is more awesome is that not only does He hear us as I might hear a passing train, but He also listens. He is present and engaged in our prayers. Isaiah 65:24 tells us that before we call, He will answer, and that while we are still speaking, He will hear us! Hallelujah! The words that are translated here into His answering and His hearing combine to imply careful attentiveness.
The Lord is not some far off entity passively hearing our rumbling prayer in the distance. No, He is a best friend, leaning in close to us as we speak, drinking in our words and opening His heart to what we share.
The primary verse for me this morning was 1 Peter 5:7: "Cast all your care upon Him; for He careth for you" (KJV). The language choices here are wonderful. Casting our cares upon Him literally implies a very active hurling of our cares. This speaks to me and tells me that not only can I share my burdens with the Lord, but I can remove them from my own shoulders and throw them - with all the force they may inspire - upon Him. He can carry the load, and He will.
As the second part of the verse tells us, He cares for us. And this word doesn't imply really a simple passive interest, as it may in English. Instead, it implies that I am something under His care. I am a thing of the Lord's for which He has taken responsibility; I am within His care. Like a sick invalid or a small child, He is the One who is my Caretaker. Praise You, Lord. I know I need it! I need You, Lord. Care for me!
As I wake this morning, there are rumbling fears and anxieties waiting in the wings. The stronger my faith grows, the more energy the evil one puts into standing in my way. The lies get more and more fervent, and the attacks become more and more frequent. However, I am letting the Word abide in me richly, and I know I have nothing to fear. For HE is caring for me. As I turn to Him in prayer, He hears me and He takes into His concern my concerns. As the Bible and my own experiences have shown me again and again, when He cares, He also acts.
Lord, help me to cast my cares upon You today. Help me to fling them completely from my own worrying grasp, and to turn to You, resting in the knowledge that YOU are involved and at work. Thank You, Lord, for listening to me! And I thank You, truly, for the authority You've given us in prayer. As I pray against the lies of the enemy today, and pray in the power and authority of Your name, help my heart to know beyond all doubts that my prayers are a weapon of death to the lies of the evil one, for You and Your Spirit are at work in them! I praise Your Lord for Your loving attentiveness to me! Thank You for always loving me and bestowing on me more blessing than I could ever deserve! I love You!!!
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