A Prayer for God to Meet Your Needs
By Betsy de Cruz
“Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!” – Psalm 31:19
I’ll never forget the evening I served raw chicken to friends who came for dinner. Yes, you read that right: Raw Chicken. Even though I thought I’d put it in the oven early enough, for some reason that mystery bird just wouldn’t cook.
An hour after our guests arrived, their two-year-old boy made it obvious he was starving, so in desperation, I got the chicken out of the oven to carve it no matter what. The undercooked bird yielded a miserable quantity of meat. However, a small plate of undercooked chicken couldn’t ruin the laughter and conversation we enjoyed.
The next day the large bouquet of flowers our friends had brought reminded me of our lovely evening together. Yet I kept replaying the culinary disaster over and over in my mind. Until I realized I had a choice. Would I choose to remember the scarcity of that pitiful chicken? Or would I smile over the joys of friendship, laughter, and lovely flowers?
So often we replay shortage and insufficiency in our minds. Yet God has blessed us with abundance and more than enough provision. His resources and power are limitless.
Can you relate to having a scarcity mindset? We fall into it when we dwell on thoughts like these:
I have too much to do and not enough time.
I don’t have enough patience to deal with my kids.
My living room couch is threadbare, but I don’t have the money to replace it.
What if, instead, we chose to rehearse in our minds the truth from God’s Word about His abundance? Psalm 31:19 gives us words to remind ourselves of God’s generosity. Each time we affirm God’s abundance, we move one step closer to believing we have enough.
“Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!” – Psalm 31:19
Our Heavenly Father has an ample supply of all we need. We have more than enough time to do everything He calls us to, according to His plan, on His timeline. We have all the money we need because God provides abundantly according to His riches in glory.
God gives us more than enough grace for each day. Even when you feel like you’re hanging on by a thread, God is able to empower you with the grace, joy, and strength you need. His grace is always sufficient.
Friend, I’m not sure what lack you’re facing today. What if you choose to turn your thoughts to the bounty and generosity of God instead of focusing on your shortfalls and deficiencies? Will you pray with me?
Heavenly Father,
I praise you for your goodness and generosity. Thank you for the many ways you have cared for me and blessed me. Your faithfulness never ends, and your love endures forever. Lord, you know my present needs. Help me to trust you with them.
Forgive me for focusing on what I lack. Open my eyes to your abundant provision and loving care. Jesus, through you I have more than enough strength and grace for my tasks. In you, I have more than enough time to accomplish what you call me to do each day. Give me the grace that I need to let go of what I cannot do.
Thank you for the good gift of your Holy Spirit. Fill me today with your peace, grace, and love. Enable me to walk in peace as I work steadily on my tasks. Fill me with love for the people you bring across my path. God, I praise you for your abundant goodness to me.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Betsy de Cruz helps overwhelmed women take small steps to invite more of God’s presence and power into their lives. Connect with Betsy to get your free Quiet Time Renewal Guide and other resources at FaithSpillingOver.com. Her book More of God is a distracted woman’s guide to more meaningful quiet times. After living in the Middle East for 16 years with her husband and two children, Betsy landed in Texas, where she still enjoys drinking chai with friends.
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
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Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.
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