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Pressing Into Jesus for What You Need
As women—and especially as mothers—we often pour so much of ourselves into others. We pray for our children, we intercede for our families, and we ask God to move in the lives of the people we love. And while that’s very important, it can sometimes lead us to unintentionally neglect bringing our own needs to Jesus.
We may not even realize we’re doing it. We tell ourselves we’re fine, or that we should be able to handle what we’re facing. We push through, keep going, and continue giving. But quietly, in the background, there are areas of our hearts that are weary, struggling, or in need of God’s touch.
When Praying for Others Reveals What’s in Our Own Hearts
As we ask God to shape our children’s hearts, to help them grow, and to work in their lives, He often begins to reveal areas in us that need that same work.
I remember praying for my children to have self-control, only to recognize my own struggles in that very area. I would ask God to help them love others well, and then find myself wrestling with irritation or frustration toward certain people. It was as if the Lord was asking, “What about you?”
Because God isn’t only interested in what He’s doing in our children—He is deeply committed to the work He is doing in us as well.
The Danger of Living Spiritually Depleted
As women, it is easy to fall into a pattern of constant giving. We serve, we help, we show up, and we carry responsibility after responsibility. Over time, this can create a kind of spiritual depletion if we are not also allowing God to pour back into us.
We’ve all heard the phrase, “You can’t pour from an empty cup,” and it holds true in our spiritual lives just as much as it does in any other area. When we continually give without receiving from the Lord, we begin to feel the weight of it. Our patience wears thin, our joy feels distant, and our strength begins to fade.
But we don’t have to live that way.
God is not finished with you. He has not moved on from working in your life. There are still places He wants to heal, strengthen, and restore. And sometimes, the first step is simply acknowledging that we need Him too.
The Woman Who Refused to Stay on the Outside
In the Gospels, we are introduced to a woman who had been suffering for twelve years with a condition that left her physically weak and socially isolated. She had done everything she knew to do. She had sought help, spent all she had, and endured years of disappointment. Instead of improving, her condition only grew worse.
But somewhere along the way, she heard about Jesus.
Something began to shift inside her. A quiet but determined hope took root in her heart, and she believed that if she could just get close enough to Him—if she could just reach out and touch Him—everything could change.
What makes her story even more powerful is the fact that she wasn’t supposed to be there. According to the law, her condition made her unclean. She was not supposed to be in a crowd, and she certainly wasn’t supposed to touch anyone.
And yet, she came anyway.
Pressing Past Fear, Doubt, and Uncertainty
It’s not hard to imagine what she might have been feeling in that moment. There was risk involved. There was uncertainty. There was the possibility of being exposed or turned away.
But her need outweighed her fear.
And perhaps that’s where many of us find ourselves. We carry things that feel too heavy, too complicated, or too big for us to carry. Sometimes, we hesitate to bring those things to God again because we aren’t sure if we should.
But this woman didn’t let those thoughts stop her.
She pressed through the crowd, reached out in faith, and touched the hem of Jesus’ garment.
When One Touch Changes Everything
In that moment, everything changed.
She was healed instantly.
And just as quickly, Jesus stopped. In the middle of the crowd, surrounded by people, He recognized that something significant had just taken place. He knew that someone had reached for Him in faith—not just brushed against Him, but drawn from Him what they needed.
When He found her, He didn’t respond with correction or disapproval. Instead, He met her with kindness and affirmation. He told her that her faith had made her well and sent her away in peace.
We are not invisible to Jesus. We are not interruptions to Him. And we are certainly not burdens.
The things that matter to us matter to Him.
Faith That Moves Toward Jesus
It’s easy to think of faith as something internal—a belief we hold quietly in our hearts. But this woman shows us that faith takes action. Faith moves. Faith reaches. Faith presses in, even when it feels uncomfortable or uncertain.
She didn’t wait for the perfect moment or for an invitation. She responded to what she believed about Jesus, and she acted on it.
And that same invitation is extended to us.
When Hard Seasons Lead Us Closer
Many of the moments that draw us closest to Jesus are the ones we wouldn’t have chosen. The struggles, the disappointments, and the uncertainties often become the very things that bring us to His feet.
We may initially come to Him seeking answers or relief, but along the way, we begin to realize that what we truly need is Him.
And in that place, something deeper begins to happen. Our relationship with Him grows, our faith strengthens, and our understanding of His care becomes more personal and real.
Bringing Your Needs Before Him
So what does this look like for us today?
It begins with a simple but meaningful step: bringing our needs to Jesus.
Not just the big, overwhelming things, but also the quiet struggles we’ve learned to live with. The areas where we feel stuck. The places where we’ve tried to change and haven’t been able to.
It may help to write them down and bring them before the Lord in prayer…asking Him to help, to guide, and to show us what we cannot see on our own.
And then, we must trust that He hears us.
His answers may not always come in the way or timing we expect, but we can be confident that He is attentive, compassionate, and faithful.
Closing Encouragement
Friend, you don’t have to stay on the outside.
You don’t have to carry everything on your own or quietly struggle through the things that weigh on your heart.
Jesus is not too busy for you. He is not distracted or distant. He sees you, He cares about you, and He invites you to come closer.
This week, let’s choose to press in.
Let’s bring our needs to Him with faith and trust, believing that He is both willing and able to meet us right where we are.
And let’s walk forward together, knowing that we are never alone.
A Short Prayer
Father,
Thank You for the way You see us and care for every detail of our lives. Thank You that we are never an interruption to You, and that You welcome us to come close.
Lord, help us to bring our needs to You with honesty and faith. Teach us to trust You in the areas where we feel stuck, and give us the courage to reach for You, just as this woman did.
We believe that You hear us, that You care, and that You are working—even when we cannot see it.In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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