In our story of Moses, the Pharaoh let the Hebrews leave Egypt after the tenth plague, but then changed his mind and chased after them. The Hebrews cried out to God because they thought they would die in the desert at the hands of the Egyptian army who was pursuing them.
Exodus 14:10 As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, 11 and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? 12 Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’ ” [1]
The Lord heard the cries of His people and would supernaturally part the Red Sea for them to cross on dry ground. Then God destroyed the Egyptian Army by closing the sea on them as they followed.
We live in fallen world and sometimes tragic things happen or someone is in serious trouble or very ill. What do you do? When this happens, we need God’s assistance. As believers, we lean on the Almighty God, who is more than able to help, no matter what has happened to us. In tough times we can cry out to God and be sure our prayers are heard.
In the Bible, crying out refers to speaking audibly with great emotion concerning an urgent need. God invites us to use this form of prayer to communicate that we desperately need His mercy.
It takes both faith and humility to share our heart’s concern and cry out to God. Crying out is a way for God’s children to express trust in the Lord’s ability and willingness to help. By calling on Him with urgency, we also lay down our pride and any “do I on my own” attitude. God’s Holy Word assures us that our Heavenly Father hears our cries and responds. In Psalm 3:4, for example, David wrote, Ps.3:4“ I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain.” [2]
When we call aloud for help in Jesus’ name, we invite His power into the situation. Remember that there is strength in just speaking His name. When we cry out to God, He may remove the problem immediately, but many times we may need to wait for His perfect timing. Harsh circumstances might even be allowed to remain for His good purposes. This is something that is hard to understand at the time. But we can always count on His comfort and presence, which enable us to live with joy and hope.
Are you desperate for God or praying for someone who is? Don’t hesitate to cry out to Him to help you in your present circumstance. 1 John 5: 14 And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. 15 And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.[3]
Our ministry loves to connect with our readers. If you have a prayer request or a comment, please let us know. Also, if this devotional helped you, please share it with others. To hear more about the story of Pharaoh and Moses, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/series/the-footsteps-of-moses/following-god-in-difficult-times
[1,2,3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.