Are we letting our problems overcome how we approach Jesus in prayer?
Luke 10:40
Martha was burdened so she came to Jesus. She did well in approaching Jesus to try to find a solution to her problems. But Martha failed in how she communicated with God. Out of her stress she asked if God cared about her. Martha even moved towards demanding God to do as she sought right.
When we are overwhelmed our first instinct should be to turn to Jesus. To turn to God for guidance and peace. Rely on God to reorient our lives. To remind us to focus on God first and everything else second. Our approach should be humble awaiting instruction.
When we make our problems greater than God our prayers suffer. For we are now consumed by our pain and fears instead of consumed by God’s mercy, love, and care. That’s why Martha started with accusing God of not caring. Accusing God of not being attentive to her needs. We can see how she is blinded already by not seeing the love of God. We should stop ourselves if we approach God not seeing his great kindness.
Even worse, we should never reach a point of trying to tell God what to do. To pray for our wishes to be granted. To be the one to decide what is right. Only God can judge what is good. Let us recall that we are meant to do God’s will and not the other way around. But in the stresses of life, we should lean on Jesus for rest, guidance, and peace.
Related Reflections
God Asks. How Do We Answer? • Luke 14:6
Do we spend our energy challenging God that we are unable to see God’s grace?
Follow Jesus in Prayer • Luke 6:12
If we are Christians, are we spending time in prayer as Jesus did?
