“You can pass through His open gates with the password of praise. Come right into His presence with thanksgiving. Come bring your thank offering to Him and affectionately bless His beautiful name! For Yahweh is always good and ready to receive you. He’s so loving that it will amaze you—so kind that it will astound you! And He is famous for His faithfulness toward all. Everyone knows our God can be trusted, for He keeps His promises to every generation!”
One thing you can’t say about life with special needs children is that it’s uneventful. Over the past 21 years of raising a son who has a rare genetic disorder, we’ve never complained of monotony. Every time I think we’re in a good rhythm or a settled place, something new happens with or around Nicolas that causes me to once again “start over” in some area or another. Whether a new health challenge, school problem, caregiver crisis or our current situation of all three, I am always seeking a solution to enable our family to find a new normal.
Recently I became aware that my posture in prayer and quiet time with God is heavily infused with petitions and supplications. I am prayerful throughout each day, but lately my conversations with God are probably akin to those of a needy toddler on a day they didn’t nap.
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Please note: I am not saying that God doesn’t love it when we bring Him every need, every question and every desire in our hearts. He beckons us to lay down our burdens on Him so that He can care for and refresh us. However, when I read the scripture above as The Passion Translation expounds it, I see that the way through His gates and into the very center of His presence, where all true answers and wholeness are found, is not with a to-do list. As I shift my attitude to praise and focus my eyes on the wonders of His love, my burdens lift and my burning needs become less urgent in comparison to His abundance and sovereignty in my life.
When I feel myself initiating a conversation with God in request mode, I have decided to work on re-prioritizing His presence over my needs. As I practice that new muscle, I instantly recognize the refreshment and healing that pour into to my tired heart. I am reminded that He dresses the lilies and cares for each sparrow, so I am safe to simply sit in His presence. I can use the “password” as described above by The Passion Translation to enter through His gates and into His inner courts, and trust that He is “always good and ready to receive [me]”.
Perhaps today you are in that very familiar place of need as am I. Let’s together be intentional about how we enter His presence, how we engage His gaze, and remember that He cares so much for us.
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