Ask Him To Help

Mark 6: 35-49 –

‘That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’

 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.’

It’s a story too long to share here but, in a wave of gathering grief, my misjudgement had left my seven-year-old daughter and me stranded at sea and Eliza was showing signs of hypothermia. Quietly, her frail voice broke through my despair: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’ We prayed together, I waved my yellow paddle in the air once more and – after an hour surrounded by nothing but waves – a speedboat veered towards us. They ‘happened’ to be heading exactly where we needed to get to. 

The disciples found themselves in a very different scenario. Among their number were expert boatmen who had made a living out of being on the water and yet here they were in a blind panic with Jesus asleep in the bottom of the boat! Not used to being out of control, this situation was beyond them. They didn’t wake Jesus in confidence that he was their saviour, but in disappointment that he was not. Jesus’ extraordinary grace means he changes their story anyway.

When rip tides were impeding our progress, my pride welled up. I wanted an easy escape where I didn’t look like an incompetent, irresponsible dad! I prayed quietly and sought to hide my growing concern.

Fred Hartley writes: ‘Prayer without God’s presence leaves us scrambling to see how much we can accomplish as we try to make up for what God is not doing.’* I was frantically paddling and making little headway whilst offering half-baked prayers for deliverance. It took Eliza’s prompting to turn me truly to Jesus and welcome his presence. As I did so – as we did so – he answered.

I wonder how many times we miss out on God’s rescue because we struggle to invite his presence and ask for his help?

Prayer – Lord, we invite you in to everything we face – where we are confident and where we are lacking. Help us believe in your power and your desire to rescue us.

*Prayer on Fire: What Happens When the Holy Spirit Ignites Your Prayers