While visiting some people at an assisted living facility, I was asked whether it is okay to pray for yourself. Apparently, the person had heard a preacher say that it was inappropriate to pray for yourself. What do you think? Does the Bible ever tell us to only pray for others, or are we also told to pray for ourselves? The Book of Joel will answer that question. Not only did Joel pray for himself, he also prayed with great emotion!
- What does it say? (Joel 1:19-20)
After describing the troublesome time in which he lived, Joel cried out to the Lord. He needed God’s help because a fire had burned up the pastures and trees. And the animals in the field also cried out to God because the water brooks were dried up and the pastures were burned up. - What does it mean?
Prayer points us toward the Lord (Joel 1:19a).
While his statement is not very long, it is full of emotion. Joel cried out to the Lord. What does that mean? Crying is usually something that is not held back. It is an outward, loud exclamation. A child screams when he falls down. A woman cries out when someone is attacking. A man cries out when he is trying to get someone’s attention. In this case, Joel was crying out to the Lord. It was not a quiet meditative prayer but one of great emotion. He needed God’s help.
In this case, prayer was reaching out to God as if He was the only One available to help with the problem.
Prayer addresses the problems around us (Joel 1:19b).
The rest of the chapter is filled with a terrible description of terrible events that were happening all around Joel. But in verse 19, Joel summarized what the living conditions were. The pasture lands had been burned up. Pasture lands were large tracts of land used to feed livestock. Without them, there was no way to feed them. Along with the pastures, the trees had been destroyed by fire. This could have included all types of trees including those which provided fruit. All of these were destroyed. It was a hopeless situation for those who had survived the calamity.
In this case, prayer recognized the details of the situation and presented them to God.
Prayer reminds us of others in need (Joel 1:20).
Joel tells us that the beasts of the field were also crying out to the Lord. But this time, he uses a different word that refers to panting for water. “עָרַג pictures the desperate, audible panting of a creature that must reach water or die.”1 It is true that the people were struggling for survival, but it was also true that the animals were. They panted for water but were unable to quench their thirst. Not only were the pasture lands burned up but so were the brooks of water used to water them.
In this case, prayer also addressed the needs of others by pointing out how the situation affected them. - How does it apply?
It is good to cry out to God.
Joel cried out to God with great emotion about his situation. It was more than he could handle but he knew that the Lord could help him. In the same way, we need to remember that God is the One to whom we should call during distress. Don’t be afraid to cry out. Don’t think you must be strong and do everything yourself. There will be times when you need to carry your own burden, but there will also be times when you can only cry out to God for help. Thankfully, He will always be there.
It is good to point out the problem.
Joel described the calamity to God. He didn’t say why it had happened, only what had happened. It was affecting his daily life in a drastic way. When you are burdened with a situation that is more than you can handle, tell it to the Lord. Tell Him all that you are facing and how bad it is. He will listen and wants to hear what you say. And it may be that while you are talking with Him about it, He might point you to the cause or the solution. So, tell it to the Lord.
It is good to think of others.
You may find it interesting that Joel’s prayer includes the animals in the field. Joel saw beyond his own problems to the needs of the barnyard animals. When you pray, always remember that you are not alone. No matter how difficult your situation may be, there are others that are affected as well. Thinking of others will help you to see that you are not alone. It will also help you to be more level-headed about your own trouble. Pray for yourself, but don’t forget about others who also have needs.
Conclusion
When things are going well, it may be difficult to understand Joel’s response. Why didn’t he keep his cool and just persevere? And yet, that is not what he did. He cried out to God with great emotion because things were really bad. As we pray tonight, we may not have the same incentive to cry out to God. But we do have the same God who is ready to hear our prayers when we come with crying or with confidence. Thankfully, He is the same no matter our situation. So, call out to God and seek His help no matter your situation.
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