A Legacy of Faithful MotherhoodSample

Day 4: The Prayer of Exchange

I find that when it comes to prayer, I am much like the little boy in Luke chapter 6, who had the option of holding onto what He had or giving it over to Jesus. He had five loaves of bread, 2 small fish, and a big dilemma. He could hold onto his loaves and fish, keeping them close to maintain control of them, or he could hand them over to Jesus, letting go of control and trusting Jesus even when it looked like he would be left empty-handed.

Often, I go to God in prayer with my problems, but don’t actually let them go and release them to Him. As a result, the answers to my prayers are limited to what I can figure out and what I can control. However, when I hand over my problems and concerns to the Lord in prayer, Jesus is not only free to answer my prayers but also to answer in a way that I could never have imagined—and with a much greater impact than I could possibly have had on my own.

Mama, we were not created to be burden bearers. We were not created to carry and labor under the weight and stress of our problems. We were created to surrender them in prayer and lay them at the feet of Jesus. He graciously picks them up, carries them for us, and helps us in ways we can’t fathom.

So come to the Lord in prayer, bringing your heartache, fear, and burdens to Him. Then open up your hands and give your problems over to Jesus. Don’t hold on to them and don’t try to figure them out. Let Him take your heavy burden and find rest in His love. Exchange your heavy burden for His peace and allow God to answer your prayers outside of your limits and control.

Love, Virginia Oyler & The Help Club Team