We Need Him

In one month, a very big event will take place in the Cunningham household as our youngest daughter will be wed to her beloved, Andrew.  Many thoughts come to my mind at this moment as I consider the past twenty-two years.  From before she was born, we prayed that she would be saved at the earliest possible moment, and we prayed for her mate that she would marry someday.  When she had back-to-back surgery as a toddler, we prayed.  When she stayed overnight with a friend for the first time, we prayed.  When she started kindergarten as a home-schooler, we prayed.  When she struggled with school, we prayed.  When she was outside riding bikes with the neighbors, we prayed.  When she was working on her 4H project for the county fair, we prayed.  When she came to gospel salvation, we prayed.  When she had to leave her friends in Indiana and move to Tennessee, we prayed.  When she struggled with music lessons, we prayed.  When she moved into her junior high years, we prayed.  When she was learning to drive . . ., we prayed!  When she was being influenced by the wrong crowd, we prayed.  When she started her first job at Chickfila, we prayed.  When she backed out of the driveway on her first solo auto flight, we prayed!  When she left for college, we prayed.  When worked for two summers at the Wilds, we prayed.  When she moved out of town, we prayed.  When she and her fiancé were hit head-on eight weeks ago by a drunk driver going the wrong way on the interstate, we prayed!  When they were looking for an apartment to rent, we prayed.

As I look back over the past twenty-two years, not only did we pray, but . . . we have rejoiced over and over and over and over again at answers to prayer for so many things!  You see, God has made our lives such that we need Him, we need to pray (Matthew 6:6-9; Luke 18:1; 1 Timothy 2:1-8).  We need to pray desperately, consistently, persistently, faithfully, firstly, joyfully, gratefully, etc.  If you live your life without that kind of prayer, you have convinced yourself that you can handle life on your own.  I remind myself and you of Jesus Christ’s very pointed words from one of his discourses on prayer, Without me, you can do nothing (John 15:5).  Enough said.

In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus, give me Jesus
You can have all this world
But give me Jesus

And when I am alone
Oh and when I am alone
And when I am alone
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus, give me Jesus
You can have all this world
But give me Jesus

And when I come to die
Oh and when I come to die
And when I come to die
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus, give me Jesus
You can have all this world
You can have all this world
You can have all this world
But give me Jesus

—– Fernando Ortega