FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8
Psalm 77:1-12
Romans 8:26-31

Jesus is my Friend!

THE SPIRIT HELPING

It is a sad fact that many believers when faced with the cares and problems of everyday life will, under pressure, resort to doctors, psychiatrists, tranquilizers and sedatives. Not a few become nervous wrecks. It would not be wrong to say that most of today’s psychiatric and psychological ailments could have been prevented or ameliorated if genuine and earnest prayer had been employed in the first place. The best loved hymn by Joseph Scriven has a relevant message for those in trouble.

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear.
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!

Are we weak and heavy-laden, cumbered with a load of care? Answer: Yes, too many of us are weak and infirm, overloaded with worry and care. These are the infirmities which the Holy Spirit Comforter can help. Modern education and “high tech” curriculums fail to teach us how not to fret and fume or complain and murmur under stress, how not to groan and moan or become gloomy and depressed when things go wrong. All of us have these and other infirmities, the greatest of which is prayerlessness.

Our Lord knew well how infirm and unreliable the disciples were and how dependent they were on Him. So are we. “I will not leave you without a Helper. I will come to you.” How marvellous His grace. He sent us the Comforter to be our constant and abiding Helper. Of this role John Calvin says: “The Spirit takes on himself a part of the burden, by which our weakness is oppressed; so that he not only helps and succours us, but lifts us up, as though he went under the burden with us.”

Our infirmities shall ever be with us. But so is our Comforter ever present to help. Read what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:9.

THOUGHT: (Read 1 Peter 5:7.)
PRAYER: Lord, give me a deeper ministry in prayer.