DEVOTION / Be God's "reminder-er"

After reading an article I had written, someone pointed out an error he thought I had made.

"Why did you urge Christians to remind God about their praying?" he asked. "God knows everything. We don't have to remind him about our prayers."

God’s reminder-er

Of course, God doesn't need to be reminded about anything. Yet, God encourages us to remind him about our conversations with him. Let's look at Isaiah 62:6.

Ancient kings — and contemporary leaders — needed assistants to remind them about the people who were important to them and the promises they had made to help those people.

The Spirit used that fact to picture for his Old Testament people one of the ways prayer works. It's a picture for his people today to treasure, as well.

Keep reminding the LORD

"Upon your walls, Jerusalem, I appointed watchmen," the Spirit said through Isaiah. "All day and all night they will never be silent. You who keep reminding the LORD, do not rest! Do not give him rest until he establishes Jerusalem, and he causes her to be praised on the earth."

God wants us to know we can never annoy him by praying repeatedly for the same blessing. "Be my reminder-er," he says. “You have my permission to keep asking and never to rest until I have answered your prayers. But come to me, especially, for the most important blessings I can ever give the world. Pray repeatedly that Jerusalem — my holy, spiritual city; my holy Church — is established. Pray that every saint in her stays close to the Savior and that the gospel leads unending numbers more to become her citizens."

Why remind God?

Remind God about your prayers? Yes. Repeatedly. Not to nag him. Not to demand from him. But to express your trust that he will keep his promises to you. Remind him. Not because he needs reminding, but because we need to be reminded that he is listening. Repeat your prayers. Because we need to be reminded he will act at the best time and in the best way.

Isn't that why the one who guarantees our prayers are acted on promises, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened" (Matthew 7:7,8)?