One of our members was commenting that everyone at work on Wednesday had been up all night worried about the election. When asked about her night, she responded that she went to sleep before the results. They asked her if she was afraid of what the outcome would be. Her answer was that she prayed that God would have control over the election, and had a peaceful night. Why do we not think to come to God when we’re afraid?

Many people believe in God’s existence, but not his sovereignty. Maybe they’ve had struggles and wondered why God let them suffer. Maybe they look at what’s happening in the world and wonder if God is even paying attention. It’s easy to loose faith when we focus on the pain around us. Some of us do believe in God’s power, but we want to fix things ourselves. So we take on burdens of worry that we do not have to bear. I’m reminded of the bible story where the disciples where attempting to cast out a demon from a boy without success. When Jesus approached, he explained that this time, prayer was needed. If Jesus’ disciples needed to pray while he was present with them, we definitely need to face our own demons with prayer.

I wonder sometimes if the phrase, “I’ll pray for that” is perceived as an empty promise – an ineffective solution. God answer prayers, but not always with a yes. We’re not going to agree with God’s plans all the time. In fact, with our limited understanding of the world and situations around us, most times we won’t be able to comprehend what God’s plans are until they fold out. That doesn’t mean that we should loose faith in God and stop praying. So I encourage you to pray if you are not already doing so. Pray for our leaders, pray for this nation, and believe that God will answer you. Liston to Paster Zedick’s sermon here.