I have a small book in my office written by one of my seminary professors called Take it to the Lord. The sub title of the book says Prayer Laments for the Afflicted. It is not a book for people who have never had tragedy or hardship in their lives. It is a book that recognizes that faithful Christian people sometimes suffer.

Wendell Frerichs wrote the book, and he searched through the scripture to find prayers that people had prayed in the midst of a variety of afflictions. Some of the things people say to God in the midst of their suffering are surprising and bold. Many people would be too cautious to say confrontational type things in their prayers to God. Many writers in the Old Testament threw such caution to the wind and said what was on their minds to God. I believe that God can take it when people do that type of thing.

I do not advocate being disrespectful toward God in prayers. I do advocate letting God know exactly what is on your mind. Let God know both the good and the bad.

Wendell Frerichs suggests a prayer for someone with a lingering illness. As part of the prayer, he uses portions of Psalm 38. You can hear the pain and the distress of the person who wrote Psalm 68. It says, “I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; I go about in mourning all the day long. My loins are filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. I am utterly numb and crushed; I wail, because of the groaning of my heart. My heart is pounding, my strength has failed me, and the brightness of my eyes is gone from me. Truly, I am on the verge of falling, and my pain is always with me.”

If I felt like that, I would have a difficult time bringing a happy prayer to God, and indeed it would be inappropriate to do so. If we prayed to God as though we were happy when we really felt more like the person who wrote Psalm 38, God would not be fooled by our deception, nor would God be pleased. God wants us to call on His name in good times and in bad. I have much to be thankful for in life, but there are also a number of things that frustrate me.

It frustrates me when people that I know suffer from long term illnesses that get progressively worse. It frustrates me when drugs and alcohol enslave people that I care about. It frustrates me when things planned in the congregation don’t happen they way I hope they will and aren’t attended as well as I hoped they would be. It frustrates me when people starve to death in this country and in other countries around the world even though the food supply is more than adequate for the earth’s population.

Jesus was able to make the deaf hear, the blind see, the lame dance and even raise the dead. Surely he could cure someone with Crohn’s disease, heal someone who is confined to a wheel chair, or relieve someone with chronic arthritis. Jesus was able to rebuke the wind and the rains and walk on water. Surely he could help someone overcome their addiction to drugs or alcohol. Jesus was able to gather disciples who dropped everything they were doing to follow him simply by saying the words, “follow me.” Surely he could create a desire to worship in more people. Jesus fed more then 5000 people with a few small loaves and two fish. Surely he could intervene on behalf of those starving in our world today.

I have asked God to intervene. I will continue to do so. I ask you to do the same. Pray for the people you know who are ill or injured. Pray relentlessly no matter what. Ask God to intervene with deeds of power and mercy right here among us. Pray for those who are enslaved to addictions. Pray for those who absent themselves from worship. Pray for those who hunger. Pray believing that what you asked will be accomplished. Pray knowing that you are not praying alone. Pray for the things that concern you most, for those will be your most passionate prayers.

Every time a baby is born alive, I believe a miracle has happened. Each day of life is a gift from God. Every sober breath taken by someone who is addicted is another miracle. A huge number of addicts have been sober for many years. Every person who gathers to worship God is a testament to the fact that the Holy Spirit is still at work in the church. Every item of food in a cupboard, in a refrigerator, or in a freezer is a gift from the God who nourishes the earth. We have much to be thankful for.

Recognizing that we have much to be thankful for, it is also true that many around us are suffering. Some have been suffering for many years. It is right and proper for us to ask God to do more for them, and to ask God to do it soon. It is right and proper that we should work to relieve their suffering too.

Please pray regularly for those who suffer from illness or disease. Especially pray for those whose disease is long lasting and gets progressively worse. Please pray for those with addictions. Please pray for those who suffer the effects of poverty, and pray for the spiritual health of our congregation.

Let us work as though every good thing in life depended only on our work, and then let us pray as though it all depended solely on our prayers.

May God bless each and every one of you.

Sincerely,

Pastor Birk