April 24th Devotion

A Prayer to Remember His Faithfulness and Our Value
By Ashley Moore 

“So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” - Matthew 10:31 NLT

“I am specifically praying that you would remember when God has been faithful to you,” she said. My friend's words of encouragement to my husband and me during a financial hardship prompted me to go down memory lane on the way home from our small group gathering. We recalled every time God had met a specific need of ours or answered a prayer in a way we couldn’t have orchestrated. By the time we were home, we had lost count of how many instances we had been on the receiving end of His divine provision.

While our situation had not subsided, something in my heart had shifted. Instead of dwelling on what we needed, but did not have, I became fixated on the faithfulness of God. I wonder, in what ways have you experienced God’s provision? Have you ever received a timely note of encouragement at just the right moment? Perhaps you had a surprise expense that was covered by an anonymous donor. Or maybe you didn’t know where your next meal would come from when someone showed up at your door with a well-timed casserole. We all have experienced these perfectly timed miracles that remind us of God’s presence and care. But when we're in the middle of a fiery trial it can be hard to recall God’s faithfulness. More often it's easier to worry over the unknown.

This is precisely why Jesus instructed us to look at the flowers and birds of the fields (Matthew 6:26-28). He knew we would need daily reminders of how God regularly cares for every need of His creation. More specifically, flowers and birds are major components of God’s creative design to maintain growth on Earth. The nectar of flowers draws in pollinating insects that buzz around causing crops and other life-giving plants to reproduce. Birds help by spreading seeds that will grow and produce more plants. And while the birds never technically sow or reap anything, their existence alone is aiding in the growing process. A process that benefits God’s children by providing food and clothes.

God says to us, look at these things. Let’s look up from our troubles and see how God sustains and provides for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field. Let’s look at how He keeps them alive and know that we are of much more value than these things. Today, when worry nibbles at our hearts causing us to fear how our needs will be met, let’s look at the birds and the flowers. God cares for the littlest, seemingly insignificant things we pass over millions of times a day and uses them as reminders of how He provides for His children. We are valuable to Him and can be sure He will take care of our every need by recalling His faithfulness right now and in the past (Matthew 10:31).

Let’s pray:
Dear Lord, 
Thank you for your creation! Thank you for the daily reminders of how you created and continuously sustain and care for all you have made. Lord, forgive us for so easily forgetting all the ways you have been faithful to meet our needs in the past. Lord, as we think about our current situation, would you bring to our minds all the ways you have shown up and cared for us in the past? Lord, would you allow these memories to increase our faith? Would you bring to mind promises from your Word that speaks to what you’re doing in our hearts through this struggle? Lord, let us live in a manner worthy of your calling on our lives (Colossians 1:10). Help us traverse the struggles of life with praise on our lips, confidently clinging to the hope we have in Christ. Bring others to remind us when we forget, Lord. And let us be reminders to those around us of your faithfulness. In Jesus’s name, Amen.