An Apostolic Incitement for Prayer Day

Rev. M. Karens, Werkendam, the Netherlands

Taken from De Saambinder, March 6, 2014

Prayer need

Simon Peter has written a pastoral letter to the dispersed strangers. They are the Jewish Christians who have been spread throughout Asia Minor. They are spiritual strangers here upon the earth. A wonder of grace has taken place in their lives.

By nature, a person feels himself so much at home here upon earth, but Peter describes in the introduction of his epistle how a child of Adam becomes a stranger: “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ...” (1 Peter 1:2). It is through the free and powerful working in the heart by a Triune God that these strangers, through the new birth, have become citizens of another kingdom. They have been reborn to a living hope.

Has this wonder occurred already in your life? Such a wonder becomes visible in the fruits, and to earthly pilgrims the apostle exclaims, “Casting all your care upon Him.” Your care—this phrase points to an anxious concern, a burden which weighs you down. It is something which seriously perplexes your thought process and disquiets your heart. In Paradise this word was not heard. The cause of this condition is sin. All your care! It creates a prayer need in daily life—in sickness, adversity, and sorrow—and in personal life, whether in your family or business. Every house has its cross.

There can be cares in spiritual life. Do you know of them? In addition, do you have a pressing burden of sin? “For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin” (Psalm 38:18). Casting all your care—care regarding uncovered guilt, about a Security for my soul, about the application of His blood, and about my besetting depravity—care about the future of the church and about the nation and people. Where must such a pilgrim go with all of these anxious cares? Peter points you to an excellent way: Cast all your care upon Him.

Prayer Day advice

The apostle gives loving advice: casting upon Him. Casting means to take your distance from something, to let go, to move away from it—casting upon Him, the Almighty One, the mighty God with His strong arms. Let the Lord take over your cares. “Forever trusting in the Lord, take heed to do His will; so shalt thou dwell within the land, and He thy needs shall fill” (Psalter 100:1). Casting your care upon Him—you say, if I could only do that, to lose everything by the Lord. Something must precede that, for grace is necessary. That is inseparably connected to verse 6 in chapter 5: “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” It means to be humbled under His mighty hand and to be drawn away from all trust in self and upon others—to be brought in the dust at His feet as a suppliant without any rights. There, that same mighty hand also becomes the hand wherein I may lay all of my cares. To cast our cares upon Him is a holy ability. Do you know something about that in your life, to experience that He has taken it over for you? Blessed stranger! “My soul in silence waits for God, my Saviour He has proved” (Psalter 161:1).

Prayer Day comfort

For He careth for you—literally stated, it says He takes your cares to heart. He cares for you personally, oh pilgrim; He does not leave you over to your own devices. As the Almighty Creator and Keeper He cares for all of His creatures. He blesses both man and beast. No one will seek His help in vain. He cares in a special way for His Church. He causes all things to come unto them from His fatherly hand. He will also turn all evil to their profit for Christ His Son’s sake. That is because all of their cares are cast upon Him and because Christ has humbled Himself so immeasurably deeply under God’s hand. He bowed unconditionally in love under God’s Justice. See Him bowing in Gethsemane and upon Golgotha. That is how He carried the cause of all of their cares. In this way He has taken upon Himself the curse of His pilgrims so that they would be satisfied with blessings for time and eternity.

Oh, troubled strangers, He cares for your salvation. He is Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. His care over you is not to give you everything that you want, for in his perfect instruction He withholds that which is not good for you. Therefore, in this new season, let Him provide the care for you. Let Him take it all out of your hands even if you do not understand the reason for it. Beg Him to do it. Oh, to be wholly without cares. “Not human strength or mighty hosts, not charging steeds or warlike boasts can save from overthrow; but God will save from death and shame all those who fear and trust His Name, and they no want shall know” (Psalter 87:2).

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