“Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, ‘The Lord be with you!’ And they answered him, ‘The Lord bless you!’” (Ruth 2:4).
What beautiful greetings for God’s people to share! It is still true that, in the month of April, you approach Bethlehem through fields of ripened grain. And it is still true that these are, at the same time, both the simplest and the most profound petitions in Scripture. In essence, Boaz reminded his reapers to be conscious of the presence of the Lord. In response, they encouraged their master to be conscious of the provision of the Lord.
These two could be the headings under which every biblical prayer request could be listed. In seeking His presence, we should never turn away still in need, for He is the Father from whom comes “every good gift and every perfect [act of giving]” (Jas 1:17). Likewise, in seeking His promises, we should not miss the Person! It is “in Christ” that the Father “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies” (Eph 1:3).