Our First Recourse

“Now what am I going to do?”  When some calamity of life overtakes us we often ask ourselves this question.  So many things that befall us in life are so devastating, so bewildering, so perplexing that we find ourselves at a real loss as to how to proceed.  Especially when there is some painful affliction which tries us very sorely we find ourselves at “wits-end corner.”  Our text proclaims to us that the best recourse for us in our afflictions is prayer.

No life is free of afflictions.  In fact, the Psalmist declares that “many are the afflictions of the righteous” (Psalm 34:19).  They may be afflictions of the loss of material possessions, of children, or of health as in the case of Job.  They may be afflictions of the heart and mind as Asaph endured in Psalm 73.  They may be afflictions of the betrayal of supposed friends such as David describes in Psalm 55.  Whatever your particular affliction is, remember that you share that hardship in common with other saints of God who have gone before you.  Most of all, your sympathetic Savior understands thoroughly how hard it is for you to undergo that painful experience.  We may be tempted in the midst of our affliction to adopt some course other than prayer.

We may faint under the affliction, become despondent, resort to our own devices, become bitter, lash out or do something else unbecoming of a believer.  Abraham took Hagar as mistress; David resorted to Achish, Asa hired the Syrians as mercenaries, all on the pressure of the moment of one type of affliction or another.

God would have us to see prayer as our first and best recourse in affliction.  “Is any among you afflicted?  Let him pray.”  Prayer is our access link to the Power that governs the universe.  Prayer is our child-like plea to “Our Father which art in heaven.”  Prayer is that communication which the Sovereign God loves to answer.  Prayer avails where every human device fails.  No weapon in the Christian’s armoury works so successfully as the weapon of “All-Prayer.”  Whatever affliction you are enduring today, let the place of prayer be your first resort and prayer your first recourse.

Where the Bush is Burning
Tomm Tice