You bring a long list of desires before the throne of grace, and there is much in your prayer that is right and proper: the safety of your husband, the godly upbringing of your children, the payment of honest debts, and wisdom in your calling. Yet I fear there is a hidden snare that has woven itself into your requests, a glittering burden that, if left unchecked, will rust the very blessings you seek.
You plead for fidelity in marriage: that is excellent. But know this, the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ is the only sure root of human faithfulness. If your husband is kept from sin, it will not be by your anxious watchfulness but because Christ abides faithful, even when we believe not. He who has loved his own to the end will not forsake those who hang upon him. Pray, then, not merely for outward restraint but for the renewing of both your hearts by the Holy Spirit, so that you may love one another with that love which flows from the cross.
You ask that your children may grow wealthy and improve their community. The impulse is generous, but the path is perilous. The way of wisdom is not paved with gold; its price is above rubies. I have seen many a man who, gaining the world’s riches, lost his own soul and became a curse to his community instead of a blessing. Have you ever considered that God may give your children poverty as a greater boon? For when they are emptied of their own conceits, they are fit to be filled with his fullness. Pray rather that they may be led of the Spirit, for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. That is the one never-failing family likeness. If they are his children, they will be guided into wisdom, and whether they have much or little, they will be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom.
You desire to be healthy and reach an old age so that you may care for your children. That is a natural longing, but fix your hope on a stronger peg. Because Jesus lives, you shall live also. He who bore your sicknesses and carried your sorrows holds your breath in his hand. Trust him with your days; he will not call you home an hour too soon. Your true care for your children is not measured by the length of your years, but by whether you point them to the Eternal Father. Let your home be a nursery of prayer, where His praise is upon your lips, not a place of mere worldly ambition.
You ask for wisdom in examining your patients. That is a noble petition. But where shall this wisdom be found? It is not taught in the schools of men, nor is it the product of your own skill. The world by wisdom knew not God. True wisdom stands next to the Eternal One, and it is given to those who distrust themselves and lean wholly upon Christ. If you go to your work with this humble dependence, the Lord will direct your judgments, and your diagnosis will be a blessing. But if you look merely to your monthly target, you have already begun to lean upon the broken reed of your own strength.
You cry out to be free from debt. The Lord knows your burden and he is able to make a way. But remember: all things are yours, whether the world or life or death, if you are Christ’s. The jailor of Philippi rejoiced, believing in God with all his house, though his chains had not yet fallen from his wrists. So you may rejoice even before every debt is settled, for your true treasure is in heaven. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. He who gave up his own garments on the cross will not leave you naked. Do not let the desire to pay quickly drive you to fretfulness or to a covetous eye upon the world’s wealth. That path leads to a snare.
Above all, I charge you: do not let your prayer closet be neglected for the clatter of daily cares. Watch that family prayer does not grow cold while you chase after the wind. Your husband, your children, your patients, all are given you for a brief season. Commend them again and again into the hands of the Good Shepherd. He is faithful that promised. And if, in his providence, he delays to grant you every particular of your request, still trust him. For even if we believe not, yet he abides faithful: he cannot deny himself.