A 19th Century hymn contains these lyrics: “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to the Lord in prayer.” (What a Friend We Have in Jesus, Jospeh Scriven, 1819-1886). Hmm. I guess not a whole lot has changed in the last 2 centuries. That oldish, fussy-sounding word, forfeit, illustrates what the hymnwriter knew way back then; the availability of God’s total peace is too often perversely pushed aside in ‘favor’ of the crushing burden of Satan’s punishing, painful lies. And then God points out the always ready cure for our problem – dropping off the lies and attacks at the feet of Jesus (prayer), leaving them, and thereby discovering (again) the blessed assurance in the Presence of Jesus that is the inheritance of each child of God.
I have a hunch that prayer holds so much power to insulate us from the tactics of the Enemy that he concentrates largely on diverting our attention away from it. How? Oh, by distractions, by busyness, by insidious whispers like: You’re not worthy. You are a failure. He saw what you did! He doesn’t really love you or want you. You’re a disappointment. He won’t listen to you anyway. (and more besides). And you know what? All those things together can cause us to step outside of God’s grace and protection, distancing us from our inherited, perfect peace. Oh, what needless pain!
So, when Satan slithers up beside us the next time, let’s declare these words in his face:
The truth is I am my Father’s child. I make Him proud and I make Him smile.
I was made in the image of a perfect King. He looks at me and wouldn’t change a thing.
The truth is I am truly loved by a God who’s good when I’m not good enough.
I don’t belong to the lies, I belong to You.
And that’s the truth.
‘The Truth’*, by Jeff Pardo, Matthew West, Megan Woods, 2024
That’s a pretty good declaration King David would have been proud to have prayed. PD
