Crying for Company (Friday Devotional)

The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.

- Psalm 145:18

Sometimes Lindsey and I hear her at 2:00 am, sometimes at 2:30. Sometimes she makes it until 3:00 or 3:30. But eventually, inevitably, we hear Katherine talking in her crib and one of us has to climb out of bed and check on her.

The strange thing is that, more often than not, she doesn’t really need anything. Her diaper is dry, she’s not hungry, and she hasn’t rolled over. All that’s happened is she’s woken up for a moment and realized she’s by herself. Her cries are not cries for help so much as for company—all she needs is for one of us to come and sit with her for a few minutes until she goes back to sleep.

Sometimes prayers are a lot like Katherine’s early morning cries—you don’t have a specific request to bring to God, but you need to know He’s with you. You’re not looking for a spiritual handout so much as for your Father to sit next to you and help you rest in Him. Especially in this time of social distancing and self-quarantine, we want God’s presence even more than His provision.

Thankfully, the Bible affirms this desire, reminding us that “the Lord is near to all who call on Him.” When you pray to God in truth, He doesn’t leave you alone in your struggles. The ministry of Jesus, from the cradle to the cross, is proof of God’s incarnational love for us—he doesn’t comfort His children from a distance, but up close and personal. The Father is there for you—all you have to do is cry out.