3 Reasons We’re Utterly Dependent Upon God



“Prayer is an acknowledgment that our need of God’s help is not partial but total.”

– Alistair Begg

The Author of Life

The Apostle Peter describes Jesus as the Author of Life and so He is. Peter said to the people, “But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses” (Acts 3:14-15) however “I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers” (Acts 3:17) but today, we’re no longer in ignorance about Jesus. We know that God created “everything that has the breath of life” (Gen 1:30) so we are dependent upon God for our very existence.

The Founder of our Salvation

The author of Hebrews writes that God the Father has placed “everything in subjection to him (Jesus), he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him” (Heb 2:8) and “for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” (Heb 2:9) and so for Christ, “it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering” (Heb 2:10) which means our salvation is fully dependent upon God as even the free gift of eternal life comes from Him (Eph 2:8-9).

The God of our Needs

The Apostle Paul doesn’t want us to worry about every need in our life as he writes that “my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19). This doesn’t mean He’ll provide for our every greed but for our every need. Jesus tells us, “do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matt 6:34). We only need to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt 6:33).

Conclusion

Alistair Begg reminds us that prayer is an acknowledgment that our need of God’s help is not partial but total and we depend totally on Him for our very life, for our salvation, and for every need that we will have, both today and in the future, so “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb 13:5).