And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” (Matthew 8:25 NAS95)
Days like this happen. The disciples found themselves feeling overwhelmed and under resourced to handle the circumstances facing them. Fear had risen in their hearts. Even the experienced fishermen among them carried concern and didn’t know what to do. The waves crashed over the boat and the water in it was rising. Jesus, though, was peacefully asleep, despite the storm. The hectic pace He’d maintained that day caused sleep to overcome Him. The disciples, though, didn’t quite understand how He could sleep so serenely during such a chaotic a storm.
The rain and waves kept coming and fear drowned their sense of security, so they cried out to Jesus and woke Him up. “Save us” rang out of their mouths as a simple prayer. Why? They feared for their survival! Yet the connected One, the One Who knows the care of His Father, wondered at the disciples’ lack of confidence in God. Even so, Jesus responded as a lover and stilled the storm that wreaked havoc upon their hearts. Calm ensued. A simple cry, even one that flowed from the fear that engulfed their hearts, created a context for them to clearly see God and His care for them. Jesus responded as God would: longing for them to mature in faith, and yet meeting them in their experience of life. Their simple prayer, made in the full weight of that moment, permitted them to grow in the wonder of God’s magnificence and love. I wonder if that’s the point of prayer?
For Reflection:
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?” (Psalms 27:1 NAS95)
- What times do you recall in your life where you cried out to God in an emotionally poignant moment? How did He meet you in those circumstances?
- How quickly do you turn to God in prayer in moments that seem overwhelming? What does the pattern you notice in your life tell you about your relationship with God?
