What is Real Help?

When people suffer loss of food, shelter, property, health….material and physical needs, we tend to think of prayer as simply ‘consolation’ (last resort) because we don’t have the means to provide the ‘real help’ replacing what they lost. If we primarily or even only give physical and material/temporal aid, we simply enable them in their self sufficiency and to go on living life apart from God. It is critical to address temporal needs in order to enable them to address their eternal/spiritual need. Hence the work of God is believing prayer foremost and then put feet to our prayers in rendering aid.

    The real and lasting need is that they come to recognize their need for God and real life in Him. Prayer is the only way to help them have that need met. Providing food, shelter and other material/physical needs serve to relieve present pain/anxiety in order to focus on the real need of eternal life.

Jesus told Martha, “only a few things are necessary, really only one” and Mary had chosen it…listening to Jesus, experiencing personal relationship with Him. Luke 10

I want my prayers to be along the lines of “Lord Jesus, meet this presenting physical/temporal need in order for them to recognize Who You are, Your love and their need for You, and come to know You more intimately and fully.”

If God answered my prayers exactly as I asked them, what would be the result? People coming to faith and experiencing eternal life or people feeling comfortable and self sufficient and continuing to live life on their own?

Possibly the greatest need after full surrender to Christ is training in life skills, making wise decisions, and discipline in living out godly values.