A DELIGHTFUL HANDICAP!

Dr. Crawford Loritts, in his sermon, “Shaping the Next Generation” speaks about prayer, as dependency on God, for parenting, and says, “The only way to be an effective parent is to be a parent on our knees…The greatest thing you bring to your parenting is your dependency upon the LORD.” Dr. Loritts calls such prayer “A DELIGHTFUL HANDICAP!” What a way to approach prayer!

Yes, prayer is “A DELIGHTFUL HANDICAP!” Prayer is dependence on God for all our needs. When we depend on someone else, for something that we need, it is in a way, a handicap. It means, we cannot do it on our own, or with our own strength. Hence it is a “handicap.” Since prayer is, looking to God, it is indeed, “A DELIGHTFUL HANDICAP!”

Dr. Loritts further says, “God is not asking for perfection, God is asking for Radical Dependence.” This radical dependence on God humbles us. It makes us realise that, we are not Omnipotent, nor Omniscient and not Omnipresent. It helps us to consider ourselves and our strengths in the proper frame, and then see through our own limitations, in the light of the limitless of God. This should make us eager and willing to seek God’s help in prayer, so that we may walk through all our struggles and storms, successfully.

The Bible, which is the written Word of God, says this in Proverbs 16:3.
– “​3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.” – Proverbs 16:3
“Commit thy works unto the LORD…” is a radical way to see prayer. The central idea behind “Commit thy works” in Hebrew is “GOLEL” – which is to literally ‘roll to’ or ‘roll upon’ – where it “…connotes a sense of finality; roll it unto the Lord and leave it there.”* – Bruce K. Waltke
– “…as a man rolls a burden to another, which is too heavy for himself, imploring his help. Refer all thy actions and concerns to God, and to his glory.” – Matthew Poole

The Word of God, further enlightens us on this subject of prayer, and the giving of all our burdens, or rolling our burdens onto the LORD, in the following verses.
– “22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” – Psalm 55:22
– “3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.” – Psalm 37:3-6
– “6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” – 1 Peter 5:6-7

Are we ready for this “Radical Dependence” on the LORD God Almighty? Are we willing to roll onto God, all our burdens, in prayer? Are we willing to consider prayer as A DELIGHTFUL HANDICAP? What are our thoughts on our dependency on our LORD, and prayer? May the LORD help us realise that, there is nothing better than to trust our troubles and struggles to God, and let Him carry our burden, as we walk faithfully and obediently, by His side. Even so the LORD help us.