CAMPBELLTON, New Brunswick, June 17, 2023 – In praying for others (which I know you do every day, even several times a day), don’t forget to pray for yourself. We often overlook our own prayer needs in focusing on the needs of others, but God wants us to let him know what we need. He invites us to let him know. He urges us to let him know. In fact, he stops just short of making it a Commandment. Jesus says: “Ye have not because ye ask not.” We need to ask God not only to protect and strengthen those we pray for, but also to protect and strengthen us. We should never presume God’s protection; we need to pray for it, just as we need to pray to God to protect others.

Jesus says that, in praying for ourselves, we should ask God to take us Home before the “test”, which most people call the tribulation. So, in following Jesus’ advice, we pray to God to take us Home before the tribulation starts. In case he chooses not to take us Home but rather to let us go through the test, we also need to pray for his protection and strength to endure it. We should never presume God’s protection, not now nor during the tribulation; we should always pray for it.

So today, and tomorrow, and the day after that and so on, when you pray for others, take a moment to pray for yourself, too. Pray for God’s continued guidance and protection and pray for him to strengthen you to endure whatever he sees fit for you to endure, which you know ultimately will be for your benefit.

Never presume God’s protection, but always – ALWAYS – have faith that he will provide it, even before your prayers leave your lips.