Lord, I need you - Thursday, March 19, 2015

SCRIPTURE READING:

     Hebrews 5:5-10

"So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But G-d said to him, 'You are my Son; today I have become your Father.' And he says in another place, 'You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.' During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by G-d to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek." 

THOUGHTS:

     Sometimes the only prayer we need is "G-d, I need you." We complicate that.  We demand certain prayer formulas and even positions in which to pray.  Prayer isn't cookie cutter. Prayer happens in many ways and comes in many shapes.
     Jesus himself prayed. This passage highlights his cries and tears that he let out in the Garden of Gethsemane on the eve of his death.  But I am certain that Jesus lived a life of prayer. That's what reverent submission is.  Jesus positioned himself to be in constant connection with the Creator.
    You see, I need that.  I need that constant connection.  Jesus did too.  We suffer. Life hits us.  We make mistakes and other people's mistakes happen to us. Things go sometimes go absolutely right, and other times they go tragically wrong.  We learn from everything. We learn from the good, the bad and the ugly of our lives.  We learn only because we have reverent submission and seek G-d in those hard things.  When we are able to have the constant conversation, we are able to draw strength and wisdom from him.
     Of course, there are indeed those times where like Jesus, we loudly cry out and tears flow like  Niagra Falls. There are times that we find ourselves completely helpless, completely broken, completely tapped out and we fall to the floor screaming out "G-d, I need you." But that should be our prayer everyday and in every moment because we desperately need his presence in our lives, not just in the bad times.

ACTION:

     Lord, I need you.  Even at my strongest I desperately need you. My weakness is greater than my strongest moments.  I need you.  In every moment I need your presence with me.  I need to feel you close and know that you are near.