Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Stress in Your Life

"In my distress I cried to the LORD, and He heard me."

Psalm 120:1

An adult son was talking with his dad about stress. His life had become very stressful with problems too numerous to mention. His senior adult dad was sharing some good advice with him. Finally, he said, "Well son, there is only one place where people have no stress and that's the cemetery. Let stress motivate you to make changes in life."

Dad said it well. Stress can motivate us to take action, or it can distress us. Stress in life is a call to prayer for the believer. When we really believe God hears us, we call upon Him without any reluctance.

The psalmist faced stressful situations in his life. He described them in Psalm 120. He became distressed, but he chose to do the right thing. He prayed. He confessed His faith in God, who hears our prayers. The psalmist said, "He heard me."

Doubt says, "I will pray. Maybe God will hear me." Unbelief says, "I could pray, but it won't do any good." Faith says, "I prayed and God heard me."

Do you have some stressful issues in your life? Have they led you to distress? There is something that you can do about it. Offer the prayer of faith to God. He wants to hear from you today. The stress of your life is always a call to prayer.

LORD, deliver me from all my distress.