Oftentimes we are at our wits' ends, and we need immediate help from God. This could be we are going through a period of depression, our loved one is passing away in the hospital, or we are feeling like taking our own life.
In these times, it can make us question what we are supposed to do when we need immediate help from God. Most of the time, we pray over an issue, and it can take time for prayers to be answered, yet what are we supposed to do in times such as these?
Needing God's Help
Jesus tells us that He will always be with us always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20). This means that He will never leave us. In fact, the Lord is walking with us through every hill and valley (Psalm 23).
When we need immediate help from God, we can rest in the peace of knowing that He is right there with us. God isn't far away from us, nor is He in a distant galaxy. Rather, God is right there with us through every day and every dark night.
If you're similar to me and struggle with mental illnesses, maybe you have thought about suicide or had suicidal ideation. While this can be a scary situation to talk about, many of us have gone through this reasoning of thought.
At the moment of us thinking about taking our own lives, we most likely will cry out to God in need of help. For those of us struggling with feelings and thoughts of suicide, we want the pain to end. We don't necessarily want our lives to end.
Maybe on the flip side, your friend, family member, or partner is struggling with suicidal ideation, and they have a plan. At these times, you need immediate help from God because the situation is urgent.
At these times, we can choose to either panic or to have hope. While panicking is often the first resort for us, we need to turn to God in a spirit of hope and prayer. We need to turn directly to God in prayer.
Our prayers don't work like the mail system and take several days to be delivered to God. Rather, our prayers go directly to God, and He knows the immediate need of the situation.
God answers prayers according to His will, and we can trust Him with everything. Whether you are personally struggling with the immediate thought of suicide, or a friend is, know that God is with you, and He is with your friend also.
He never leaves any of us, and He can give us the peace that only He can provide. If you are on your final straw, ask God to strengthen you and give you rest.
Ask Him to help surround you with those who care about you and encourage you. God is with you right now and He hears each word you speak to Him.
Needing Immediate Help
Concerning matters of a loved one being close to passing away, we can also turn to God because we need immediate help. When my mom was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), I constantly prayed for my mom to get better and not die.
I needed God's help immediately because she was dying right before my eyes. As much as I want to tell you my mom lived, fully recovered, and still is with me, I cannot say this is true. My mom passed away in the ICU, and my prayer was still answered, just not in the way I had expected.
I turned to God for immediate help in healing my mom, and in a way, He did. My mom is in heaven now, and she no longer has to be in pain. She is running free with Jesus, and she isn't bound by her heart condition. She is free to enjoy the rest of eternity with the Lord.
While I will always miss my mom, I know that she is with the Lord and is happier now than she ever was on this earth. In this way, God did come to help me in my immediate need; however, the death of my mom was not how I thought the scenario was going to end.
I say this not to dishearten you but rather to give you a realistic view that sometimes the answer to our immediate need is found in a way we didn't want it to be found.
When I prayed for my mom to be well and return home with us, I thought with time, she would be able to do this.
However, God had other plans and chose to bring her home to be with Him. God answers our prayers when we are in immediate need, even if we may not see it at that time.
I would like to say that right when my mom passed, I had the peace of Christ wash over me, but it isn't true. It took me years to finally process everything and see how God was working.
It can be difficult to accept when bad things happen, yet there is no running from death. We all are going to pass away one day, and we need to be ready for this day. It is a sad reality when we see our loved ones pass away, yet God is always with us.
Never does He leave us alone, and never does He abandon us. We will experience illnesses to affect our loved ones, and we will turn to God in prayer, yet we cannot expect Him to answer our prayers in the exact way we want Him to answer them. God will answer them in His own way and will bring peace to fill our hearts in due time.
Turning to God No Matter What
Therefore, when we are in immediate need of help from God, we need to turn to Him in prayer. As soon as He hears our prayer, He is already working on the situation. We may not see it at the time, but God is always working.
It is important that we recognize and understand that not all of our prayers will be answered in the healing of an illness, nor will it result in comfort. Sometimes our prayers may be answered in the peace of knowing that our loved one is with the Lord.
Even though we might not see them again in this life, we can rest in the knowledge of the Bible and in the power of the Holy Spirit. We have the sure promises of Scripture that we will be reunited with our loved ones and will literally walk with the Lord.
This day might be earlier than for others, yet we can all hold on to the promises God gives us in the Bible. Not all things happen and play out the same way we want them to — and that's okay. God knows what is best for each of us, and nothing happens without His approval.
Whatever you may be going through today, know God is with you, and He can fill your heart with strength. He loves you, and He is always by your side. Never doubt how much He loves you.
Turn to Him in your immediate need, and He will help you. It might not be in the way you expect; however, He will still answer your prayer.
For further reading:
Prayers for Help in Times of Need: Pray for God's Help!
Where Does Our Help Come From?
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