Psalms 62:5 I depend on God alone; I put my hope in him. GNB

Dependence on God and God alone. It's not something humans do naturally. Our first thought is to turn to a friend, relative, or our minister, when what we really should do is turn to God in prayer at the first sign of trouble. Only God knows what we need and only God can do for us what is best. People have limited knowledge and understanding. Humans also have their own struggles in life to deal with. When we continually turn to others with our problems, we only pile our problems onto the load they are already carrying.

It is right and good to help each other out. We are instructed in Galatians to do so.

“Help carry one another's burdens, and in this way you will obey the law of Christ.”

Galatians 6:2 GNB

But unfortunately the tendency is for us to become dependent on each other, running to each other about every little difficulty or irritation in our lives. We do not encourage or lighten the load for each other when we do this. Instead we drag the others down with our complaints and difficulties. God wants to be the one we come to with our problems. He promises to help us and give us rest.

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are troubled and weighted down with care, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and become like me, for I am gentle and without pride, and you will have rest for your souls; For my yoke is good, and the weight I take up is not hard.”BBE

It is a wonderful thing when believers will pray for one another. It helps the person who is being prayed for and it causes the others to set aside their own difficulties for the moment and draw closer to God. But this also becomes a source of misplaced dependence. We don't need to run to each other with every petty little problems. Many of those are best left between the person and God. But in times of difficulties such as a death of a loved one, and other major times of trials, those are the times it is best for believers to pray for one another and encourage each other. However, even in those times we should turn to God first before running to someone else. He is there for all problems, big and small.

Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Don't put all your trust and dependence on others, including leaders of the church. No human can fulfill that kind of responsibility. Only God can. He has always been and will continue to always be here for us. He knows all and will do for us what is best. No human can do such things.

“Don't put your trust in human leaders; no human being can save you. When they die, they return to the dust; on that day all their plans come to an end. Happy are those who have the God of Jacob to help them and who depend on the LORD their God, the Creator of heaven, earth, and sea, and all that is in them. He always keeps his promises;” Psalms 146:3-6 GNB