Anxiety, Hope and Our FatherSample

Your Father Knows What You Need

A friend of mine worked among Native American believers one summer. She reported later that, unlike our campus group, whose prayers were loud and clear, when her Native American teammates gathered to pray they spoke softly—enough to be audible, but too softly to be understood. My friend wryly commented, “They didn’t think they were supposed to be talking to the rest of us. They were just talking to God.”

That small group was praying for the attention of the Father, just as Jesus instructed us to do in Matthew 6:5-8. Our prayers should be simple and directed at God only. And we don’t need to be concerned about praying “correctly” —the unseen but seeing Father knows what we need even before we ask. But He wants us to ask Him. The apostle Peter writes, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

In obedience and likely in emotional distress, Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac. While he didn’t know what God had in mind, Abraham did know that he had a need and trusted that God would keep His promise through Isaac. Then God stopped Abraham from killing Isaac and Abraham spotted a ram caught in the thicket. After that, Abraham called the place, “The Lord will provide” (Genesis 22:13-14). The Father knows our needs and concerns before we pray, but He still wants us to trust Him enough to bring them to Him.

What concern do you want to express to the Father? Try praying about it now.