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Tuesday December 27
Cast all his cares on him, for he cares for you (1 Pet. 5:7).
He will be greatly relieved if he prays hard to Jehovah when troubles overwhelm him. In answer to his prayers, he will receive "the peace of God, which is beyond what no human being can understand" (Phil. 4:6, 7). Jehovah uses his powerful holy spirit to calm our anxieties (Gal. 5:22). When you pray to Jehovah, he will open his heart wide open to you. Be specific: tell him what the problem is and how he makes you feel. If he has a solution, ask him for the wisdom to find it and the strength to put it into practice. If there is nothing you can do to fix the problem, ask Jehovah to help you not to worry too much. If his prayers are specific, in time you will see more clearly how Jehovah answered them. If the response is not immediate, don't get tired. Jehovah wants his prayers to be constant as well as specific (Luke 11: 8-10). w21.01 3 pars. 6, 7.
What should we include in our prayers?
When you pray to Jehovah to let off steam, it is important that you also think about all the good things he has despite his problems and thank him for them. There will be times when you will have a hard time finding the right words to express his intense emotions. But remember that Jehovah can answer him even if he only manages to say: “Help me, please!” (2 Chron. 18:31; Rom. 8:26).
How can we find authentic protection?
Trust in Jehovah, not in yourself. In the eighth century BCE, the people of Judah were so afraid of attack by the Assyrians and of becoming their slaves that they asked Egypt for help (Isa. 30:1, 2). Jehovah warned them that this path would lead to disaster (Is. 30:7, 12, 13). Through Isaiah, Jehovah told his people how to find real protection. Isaiah said: “Your strength from him will depend on your remaining calm and showing confidence” in Jehovah (Is. 30:15b).
Name some situations in which we can show trust in Jehovah.
Let's look at some situations in which we can show that we trust Jehovah. Imagine that you are offered a highly paid job but that it will take up a lot of your time and affect your spiritual activities. Or perhaps a co-worker shows romantic interest but he is not a baptized Witness. It may even be that a family member you love very much gives you this ultimatum: "Choose: either your God or me." Facing these situations is not easy, but in each case Jehovah gives us the guidance we need (Matt. 6:33; 10:37; 1 Cor. 7:39). Now, will we show trust in him and follow his guidance?
What Biblical examples can we study to stay calm in the face of opposition?
Draw lessons from past examples. In the Bible we find many examples, both good and bad, that highlight the value of staying calm and putting our trust in Jehovah. As you study good examples, look for what helped God's servants to remain calm when faced with strong opposition. For example, the apostles were not intimidated when the Jewish high court forbade them to continue preaching. Instead, they boldly said, “We must obey God as ruler rather than men” (Acts 5:29). They were not afraid even after they were beaten. Why? Because they knew that Jehovah was on his side and that they had his approval. So they kept preaching the good news (Acts 5:40-42). In the same way, when the disciple Stephen faced death, he was so calm and collected that “his face resembled that of an angel” (Acts 6:12-15). Why? Because he was convinced that he had Jehovah's approval.
According to 1 Peter 3:14 and 4:14, why can we be happy when we are persecuted?
The apostles had clear evidence that Jehovah was with them, for he had given them power to perform miracles (Acts 5: 12-16; 6: 8). Although this is not the case today, Jehovah through his Word lovingly assures us that he will give us his approval and his spirit if we suffer for the sake of righteousness.—Read 1 Peter 3:14; 4:14. . So instead of dwelling on how we will react in the future if we are persecuted, it is better to focus on what we can do now to increase our confidence that Jehovah can help us and save us. Like those disciples, we must remember Jesus' promise: "I will give you some words and wisdom that all his adversaries together will not be able to refute or contradict." In addition, we have this guarantee: "By their endurance they will save their lives" (Luke 21:12-19). And let's not forget He knows that when a servant of his dies faithfully, Jehovah remembers every detail about him and will bring him back to life.
How can we benefit from studying the bad examples of those who did not keep calm and trust in Jehovah?
We can also draw lessons from the bad examples of those who did not keep calm and trust in Jehovah. Studying those examples will help us not to stumble over the same stone as them. For example, early in his reign, King Asa of Judah trusted in Jehovah when facing a huge army, and he blessed him with victory (2 Chron. 14:9-12). But what happened later, when he had to face King Baasha of Israel, who had a much smaller army? Instead of turning to Jehovah as he had done in the past, he paid the Syrians to help him (2 Chron. 16:1-3). And, when he became gravely ill and his death was close at hand, he did not turn to Jehovah for help (2 Chron. 16:12).
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