Asking the Lord's help

[Chrysostom]

All these requests you pour out before the Lord, they are many, and the heart cries out under the weight of them. But consider the three children in the furnace. What was their great encouragement? They knew of a certainty that for God they were suffering, and so the flame could not touch their spirit. You ask for breakthroughs, for healing, for conflicts to be resolved. The only true breakthrough is to fix your soul immovably upon Him, to count yourself as nothing, as Job did when he said, "Now mine eye seeth Thee; wherefore I have made myself vile, and melt away." Until you learn to despise the things of this earth, the slights, the broken relationships, the earthly honor or its loss, you will always be tossed by these storms. Cut out the root. Every conflict, whether with persons or within the church, springs from covetousness, envy, or vainglory. If you are at peace in your heart, no one can steal your true treasure.

Do not rush out to meet every struggle as if you could conquer in your own strength. The Apostle teaches us to deprecate all conflicts, waiting quietly until God Himself summons us into the arena. When you are dragged forth, then stand nobly; but until then, be still. The evil one would wear you out with countless anxieties, but your part is to live by faith, not by sight. The righteous know that near the end of their trials, the pressure often increases, because God wills to enhance their struggle and make the crown more glorious. So do not draw back, for that would be perdition. Let your soul take courage from this: the very multitude of these requests shows you are in the thick of the fight, but He who sees in secret will bring all to light in due time.

As for those who trouble you, the ones you would have the Lord confront and convict, remember that "whosoever he be" that causes seduction shall bear his judgment. It is not for you to demand their punishment; rather, pray for their salvation with a pure conscience. Forgive, and keep your own heart free from the leaven of malice. The anointing you seek for outreaches and sermons does not come from frantic asking, but from a life of humility, where you say with the Apostle, "We are not of them that draw back, but of them that believe." Let your glory be in the cross of Christ alone, and He will see to these things. Encourage yourself in the Lord your God, and the peace which passes understanding will guard your heart. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you ask, so cease striving, and know that He is God.

 

[Silas]

The sheer number of requests you’ve poured out tells me your heart is heavy with concern for many people and situations, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s a mark of love. But I want to encourage you not to let the weight of all these needs crush your spirit or make you feel that God’s ears are only open when you get every detail perfectly lined up. He knows what is needed before you ask, and He invites you to cast all your care on Him, not to carry it yourself.

When you ask for healing for so many, I think of how the Lord worked in Scripture. Sometimes He healed instantly with a word; other times He led a person through a gradual process, like the man who saw men as trees walking before he saw clearly. I don’t fully understand why some are healed right away and others over time, or why some prayers for healing seem to go unanswered. Paul himself pleaded three times for a thorn to be removed, and the Lord’s answer was, “My grace is sufficient for you.” It is not always His will to lift a physical burden immediately, but He does promise to be with us in it, and every step of true healing, whether of body, mind, or relationships, is divine. God established the processes of nature and restoration, and He often works through them. So by all means, keep praying for each one by name, but also rest in the truth that His power is at work even when you can’t see a sudden change. Healing can come in a moment you feel, or it can unfold in a way you don’t notice until you look back.

Your longing for the anointing of the Holy Spirit on the prayer gathering, the preaching, and the outreaches is a right desire. Jesus Himself, though He was the Son of God, ministered in the power of the Spirit. Without that, we are just making noise. But remember, anointing isn’t something we manufacture or demand; it’s a gift received by faith and humility. When the elders pray and anoint with oil, it’s a symbolic act pointing to the Spirit’s work, not a mechanical ritual. The oil itself has no power; the power is in the name of the Lord and the presence of the Spirit. So rather than fretting over outcomes, keep seeking that power in your own heart first. Ask the Lord to fill you with His Spirit so that the words you speak, whether in a sermon or a quiet conversation, carry His life-changing force.

About the many relational conflicts you mention: I know how hard it is when people you care about are at odds, or when you see someone heading down a destructive path. You want God to confront and convict. That’s a holy impulse. But be careful not to take on a role the Lord hasn’t given you. We are not to put a stumbling block in our brother’s way or try to force our own convictions onto another. If someone has a genuine inward conviction from the Lord about a behavior or a relationship, let that convict them; you can pray for the Spirit to work, but you cannot pass your own sense of conviction on to them as if it were a universal law. I’ve learned that the church does great harm when it preaches personal standards as matters of eternal salvation. Some things are simply between a believer and their Lord, where each one gives thanks or abstains to the Lord. So by all means, pray for conviction, for healing of wounds, for salvation. Ask God to intervene in that dysfunctional relationship. But then leave the work to Him. He knows how to reach the heart without your arm-twisting.

I notice you mentioned a prayer request that keeps getting deleted. In a way, that might be a reminder that God hears the cry of the heart even when no one else reads the words. Nothing is hidden from Him. The same goes for the persecuted, the unsaved, the suffering children, and war-torn lands. You don’t need to get every petition down on a human channel for it to reach the throne. He sees and He acts in His time.

One more thing: your request for personal help in weakness, work, and sermon preparation shows a beautiful dependence. The Lord will meet you there. When you feel inadequate, that’s exactly where His strength is made perfect. He helped you with that first sermon, and He will help again, not because you found the perfect outline, but because He promised to be with you.

So bring all these things before the Lord, yes. But then take a breath and let them be in His hands. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or even think, not according to our frantic energy, but according to His power that works in us. May the earth be filled with His glory, and may your heart be filled with His peace.