“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭12:31‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Sometimes on our journey of faith we find ourselves in great need. We are weary and worn. We don’t seem to be able to continue on. 

I remember a retired  colleague of mine telling me about a low place during his life in the ministry. He said he found he couldn’t pray. He just couldn’t find the words or the te strength to say them. What once had been a great comfort to him was now gone. And it might have destroyed him. 

But he confessed to a friend that he’d lost the ability to pray. And his friend said, “That’s ok. I’ll do it for you. Until you find your ability to pray again.” And his friend was faithful, praying for him daily. Lifting up the things that my colleague couldn’t lift up to God. 

And slowly, more slowly than my colleague would have liked, his ability to pray returned. It was like climbing out of a great valley – one painful step at a time. But he knew he wasn’t alone in his journey, and that made all the difference. 

When we are in a state of need, we are reminded that God is the great Provider. God shows up – not always in the way we might expect – and provides for our need. For my colleague, it was a friend who faithfully prayed in his place. 

It’s a good practice during a season like Lent to look back at the times when you have been in need and see how God has provided. I suspect you’ll find there are things that God brought your way that you wouldn’t even have known how to ask for. 

This Lent, may you know that God is providing for you. May you be surprised in the way he does it. And may you be drawn closer to him as you recognize his faithfulness.