It is a wonderful passage that illustrates a mother’s persisting love, Jesus power and hints at the world-wide reach of the work of Christ.
It is the words of her prayer that attract attention.
Lord, help me.
It is a refrain that echoes through the Psalms and is picked up in the prayers of the saints, O God make speed to save us; O Lord make haste to help us .
There is a directness and simplicity about this prayer that appeals, whether we address our prayers to God, our Father or his son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a prayer that acknowledges the status and power of the one being asked.
It is a prayer that humbly concedes that one’s own resources are inadequate and that help is needed.
It is a prayer that expresses absolute dependence.
It is a prayer that tacitly acknowledges not only power, but also compassion, kindness and willingness to help.
It is a prayer that rightly expresses the essence and wonder of prayer: that we can present our requests to the Lord of heaven and earth.
A prayer that is good for those times when you are feeling hard-pressed, down, morose, depressed, sad, nervous, or anxious.
A prayer that is good for the times when things are going well, when we may be feeling spiritually successful, delighted in the Lord…it is a reminder to ourselves not to be puffed up; a reminder that all good things are a gift from the loving hand of the one who helps when we call.
And it provides a model for those times when perhaps we might feel that we haven t got a prayer.
Lord help me. Lord help us.
This is a great prayer for the work of Moore College. We need the Lord’s help in all that we do: in supplying students to be trained for the Lord’s harvest; for strength and wisdom to teach faithfully; in the provision of the resources we need; in anything and everything we do. Thanks for your ongoing support and will you continue to join us in this simple prayer… Lord help us ?
Bill Salier is Moore College’s Vice Principal and lectures in New Testament.
