Lord, Don't You Care?

Prayer is not just a “To Do List” to be given to God every day.  Prayer is a conversation with our maker, our father, our saviour and our friend. We often say it in our mind silently or sometimes aloud “Lord, Don’t you care?” in our own privacy, but never do we use this phrase or rather a cry from the depth of our heart in a public or even private prayer time.  We seem to be stuck with the traditional liturgical prayers that are in flowery language and often betray what our heart really wants to say.  The prophets of the Old Testament often made such prayers.  For example both David in the psalms and Habakkuk cried out “How long, Lord, must I call for help…?” (Psalm 13 & Habakkuk 1) 

When Jesus was on this earth, his disciples once had to wake up a sleeping Jesus and ask him “Lord, Don’t you care if we drown?”  This was when the disciples were in the midst of a storm and at risk of being sunk in the sea.  Jesus responded to them by calming the storm and also rebuking his disciples saying “Why are you so afraid? (you of little faith) Do you still have no faith?”(Mark 4:35-41) On another occasion, Jesus was in the home of his family friends Mary and Martha in Bethany.  Martha was busy with preparing the meal while Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to his teaching.  Martha asked Jesus “Lord, Don’t you care?” Jesus responds to her by saying “Martha has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

Jesus while teaching his disciples said “So do not worry saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ……your heavenly father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:31-32).  He further assures them by saying that “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered”. (Matthew 10:29-32).  Peter encourages in his letter saying “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”. (1 Peter 5:7).

Let us learn to pray from our heart casting all our anxieties on him, because he cares for each one of us.  And after praying let us seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.  May our father, continue to show His loving care on each of us as we serve Him!  John Amalraj, March 2018