Burdens and Prayer

By Elder Thomas Waters

 

Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and ______________.  (Psa 55:22)  Without looking this Psalm up, can you properly complete the sentence?  We sing, “take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there.”  Often we hear, “Cast your cares on the Lord and worry no more.”  We even hear, “If you worry about something after you have prayed about it, then you really have not prayed at all.”

Is this true?  Are we to take our burdens to the Lord and leave them there?  Are such actions the witness and example of Scripture?

The answer might surprise you.  YES, we may reach a place where we “lay down” our burdens and carry them no more.   NO, we are not told in Holy Scripture to take our burdens to the Lord and leave them there.

Oh by the way, the Psalm reads, "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."

I do not think the Bible teaches a stoical detachment from life’s problems and worries.  Nor do I think it teaches some glib laissez-faire notion concerning problems, burdens, and worries.  Consider two examples from the Holy Scriptures: King David and the Apostle Paul.

Nathan, the prophet of God, brought news to King David that the child born from his illicit affair with Bathsheba would die.  The prophet departed, the child became very ill, and David fell to the ground weeping where he remained for seven days praying and fasting.

 

(2 Sam 12:16-23 KJV) “David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. {17}And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. {18}And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? {19}But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. {20}Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. {21}Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. {22}And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? {23}But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."

For seven days, David prayed and fasted for his sick child.  During this time he would not be comforted or deterred from his prayer vigil.  A week later the child died.  Apparently fearful for David’s well-being, his servants hesitated to tell him about the child’s death.  By the servants’ behavior, however, David perceived something had happened and asked if the child had died.  They informed him the child was dead.

Upon learning about the child’s death, David rose from the earth, washed and groomed himself, went to the house of God and worshiped, returned home and asked for food.  His behavior baffled his servants who asked him what he was doing?  They noted that for seven days David had been despondent, but when he learned of the child’s death he went on with life.  David said he prayed and fasted as long as there was hope that the child would live, but now that hope was past.

I do not interpret David’s actions or answer to be faithless, stoical, or even uncommon.  David prayed and fasted for a week, for as long as there was hope.  During that time, do you suppose someone should have said, “David, you should just take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there?”  Or, “David, don’t fret over this matter.  Where is your faith?.”

No!  I believe David’s actions were proper.  I do not believe that laboring with a burden for some time or wrestling about a matter in prayer for an extended season is wrong.  Yes, it is true the time usually comes when we should lay down a problem or burden and pick it up no more.  Yet, who can say when that is?  How long should we bear a burden before carrying it no more?

Some problems are prayer burdens for years, some perhaps for life.  Some problems are so acute that weeping and prolonged fasting is suitable.  David prayed since the outcome was uncertain, but once the child died, he got up, washed up and worshiped God.  These are actions of faith.  His worship was an act of faith and attests that he was submissive to God’s will, but so was his week-long prayer vigil. 

No, David did not just take his burden to the Lord and leave it there.  David carried his burden to the Lord and stayed with it, sustained of the Lord until his prayer was answered.

"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. {8}For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. {9}And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Cor 12:7-9)

The Apostle Paul had a thorn in the flesh that buffeted him.  The word buffet means to “rap with the fist.”  Calvin calls this buffeting a “severe kind of indignity.”  Paul asked God three times to remove this thorn.  Why three times?  Is it a sin to pray more than three times concerning a matter?  Is praying more than three times for something a faithless act?

No, I don’t think so.  I don’t think the number of times Paul prayed is the significant matter.  Paul prayed until God answered his prayer.  Some commentators suggest three is a representative number meaning many times.  That is, Paul prayed fervently and repeatedly concerning this thorn.  I suppose it is speculation, but I believe Paul would have prayed about this thorn in his flesh repeatedly until God answered him.  The point is not that he prayed three times and quit, but that he prayed until God answered him.

God’s answer was not the one Paul sought, but he was satisfied with it.  For Paul to continue to carry his burden past God’s answer would have been wrong, but to carry the burden until the answer was given was not wrong. 

Another factor to consider about Paul’s thorn is the length of time he prayed.  How many days, weeks, months, or even years did Paul’s three prayers span?  Who knows?  It is possible he prayed all three prayers in one evening, but I doubt that.  This thorn was something that had bothered Paul immensely, perhaps more intently at time than at other times.  I think that concluding Paul casually said three times one evening, “Lord, please remove this thorn” is somewhat naive.   Paul fervently poured himself out in prayer concerning this thorn until the Lord answered his prayer.

What are you burdened about?  Have you been carrying that burden for weeks, months, even years?  Well, I am not going to suggest, you should just “take it to the Lord and leave it there.”

It might be that the burden of your heart is the burden God would have you labor under.  It might be you have prayed and prayed and prayed to God concerning the spiritual well-being of a child, a spouse, or a parent.  It might be that you wash your eyes each night with tears of concern over your church.  It could be a loved one is terminally ill.  You have prayed and prayed and prayed about the matter.  It might be you have a prodigal child who has burdened your heart for years.

I will not glibly tell you to stop praying and fasting and laboring.  In fact, I will tell you just the opposite.  Continue to wrestle in prayer.  Fast and pray.  Do not quit. Don’t “lay your burdens down” until you know the answer from the Lord.  When the answer is given, however, don’t argue.  Humbly and thankfully accept the answer  and praise God for hearing your prayers.  Until then, labor on!  Pray without ceasing.  Remember the importunity of the widow.  Don’t be weary in well doing.  Fight on!  Pray on!  Labor on!