{"id":3378,"date":"2016-12-21T13:03:57","date_gmt":"2016-12-21T18:03:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/prayerplainandsimple\/?p=3378"},"modified":"2016-12-21T13:03:57","modified_gmt":"2016-12-21T18:03:57","slug":"prayer-god-pays-attention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/prayerplainandsimple\/2016\/12\/prayer-god-pays-attention.html","title":{"rendered":"A Prayer to the God Who Pays Attention"},"content":{"rendered":"

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Psalm 56:8<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The Lord helps the fallen. He lifts those bent beneath their loads. Psalm 145:14<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Sorrows and trials don\u2019t discriminate. They come to all of us at all times and seasons \u2013 even Christmas. Perhaps the gifts you\u2019ve purchased for loved ones aren\u2019t the only burdens you will be carrying on Christmas Day.<\/p>\n

What we love about God is that He not only carries our burdens, but He carries us. Now, giving those burdens to Him is another story. It\u2019s a skill that needs to be developed, that of intentionally releasing cares and handing them over to Him. Not that we don\u2019t do our responsibility in the situation; not that we don\u2019t do our\u00a0part! But what we don’t carry \u2013 and must adamantly refuse to carry \u2013 is the fear and the sorrow and the self-pity and the hopelessness and the worry and the anxiety that attend those cares.<\/p>\n

God is faithful! Did you know that He is paying attention to your sorrows and burdens? He bottles your tears, my friend! Imagine Him labeling\u00a0them in His heavenly storage sheds. You have vintage tears laid up in Heaven! Yours might be labeled, \u201cChristmas 2016.\u201d Perhaps you\u2019ve lost a loved one or a relationship you held dear or a job or a child\u2026 Whatever your sorrow, each and every tear has been valued by Him.<\/p>\n

And did you know He also journals about you? He has recorded your feelings and emotions in his book. Imagine! He writes about what you are going through and how much He loves you. He has a plan to set you back on your feet and to return your heart to joy once again. What a wonderful Heavenly Father we have!<\/p>\n

Dear one, if you are carrying cares this Christmas? Pray this Plain and Simple Prayer:<\/p>\n

Father,<\/p>\n

Your eye is on the little bird I\u2019m watching out my window. And your eye is on me, too. You are big enough to see the small things and loving\u00a0enough to care about me. Lord, these are the issues that make my heart heavy today\u2026. I choose to give you this heavy heart and all the burdens I am carrying. I ask you to take the pain and sorrow and depression that seek to weigh me down, causing hope to evaporate. I choose to believe your promises for me today. I choose to read your Word, yes, to drink it in like water to my thirsty soul, and I choose to embrace your promises and utter my hearty\u2026<\/p>\n

AMEN!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Psalm 56:8 The Lord helps the fallen. He lifts those bent beneath their loads. Psalm 145:14 Sorrows and trials don\u2019t discriminate. They come to all of us at all times and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":478,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,15,7,4,25,3,1],"tags":[662,1969,1966,1968,1967,1549],"class_list":["post-3378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible","category-bible-prayer","category-daily-prayer","category-god","category-jesus","category-prayer","category-uncategorized","tag-abiding-in-gods-love","tag-becoming-aware-of-gods-presence","tag-depression-at-christmas-time","tag-god-is-love","tag-joy-at-christmas","tag-joy-to-the-world"],"yoast_head":"\nA Prayer to the God Who Pays Attention<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/prayerplainandsimple\/2016\/12\/prayer-god-pays-attention.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Prayer to the God Who Pays Attention\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You keep track of all my sorrows. 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