God Responds to Our Prayers for Help

I asked the LORD for help, and he answered me. (Psalm 34:4, NCV)

What do you need help with? Sometimes we need help with something big, and at other times it may not be big, but all the same we need help. God promises whenever we call upon him, asking for help he will help, he won’t deny us or close his ears to our prayers for help. The problem is we often forget God is not only waiting, but willing to help; waiting for us to call on him in prayer so he can give us the good way to go forward or proceed.

David had a particular prayer request. Up until that point David had been running, but he couldn’t go on running or avoiding his enemy, Saul, so he called upon the Lord to help him, and God showed him what to do: when he showed up at the kings doorstep instead of asking for help as he had planned, David pretended to be insane and with that Achish turned him away. God had shown him in an instant what to do: Achish was not David’s help, but his enemy. The change of strategy helped keep David alive.

God knows the kind of help we need in our circumstance. When we invite him into our situation, he will give us the help we need, direct and guide us. We should always remember God has not given us a spirit of timidity or fear (2 Timothy 1:7), but we still need God’s help to know the best approach to take. God is about victory and will impart whatever information or strategy we need to secure our victory or success. Whether your request is concerning help with fear, like David’s or something else entirely, the one thing you can trust is that God will help you when you call upon him in your time of need. Let’s Pray,   

Sometimes we need help with the matters that arise in this life, Lord. For David, his need was to be rescued from his fears, for us sometimes its something altogether different. Thank you for assuring us that whenever and for whatever reason we call upon you for help, you come to help us. Thank you, Lord. Amen

Reflective Questions for Examination and Soul-Tending: Have you read the full account story about David and king Achish in I Samuel 21? It’s both amusing and enlightening. Are you ready to do what God instructs you to do even when it seems out of the ordinary?  How will you incorporate today’s message into your plan of self and soul-care?