OFFER PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
TODAY’S THOUGHT
“Don’t worry about ANYTHING.” Really? Does Paul think we can live in a world without worry?
I’ve got a lot of good things to worry about—the friend I just spent time with two days ago who is going through a business issue that is threatening to bankrupt years of hard work, the couple we counseled who are trying to decide how to move forward through a time of broken trust, a church that is being torn apart with division, a friend whose children are making some bad life choices. That doesn’t even take in to account the problems like war, poverty, injustice, and division on the political front.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines anxiety medically as: “an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physical signs (such as tension, sweating, and increased pulse rate), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one’s capacity to cope with it.”
Look at the key words—apprehension, fear, tension, doubt, and self-doubt. Anxiety seems to surface because of the unknown and the uncontrollable. The longer I have lived the more I realize I don’t know, and I can’t control. Trying to know everything or control everything is impossible. I will run myself crazy if I feel I must know all the options and control all the variables.
Paul gives me another option—trade in worry for prayer and thanksgiving. I have found the more I pray that less I worry. The less I pray the more I worry. And even more powerful is the secret of praise—when I choose to pause and praise God for Who He is and what He has done my worries begin to diminish and my faith begins to rise.
Praise and prayer are the secrets to overcoming worry and anxiety. When we offer praise and prayer, we discover God’s peace. God’s peace then begins to guard our hearts.
I get the mental picture of God’s peace standing guard over my mind and pushing back all the worry and anxiety that wants to sneak in. It is a daily battle. I haven’t been able to have one session of praise and prayer and conquer all worry and anxiety forever.
For me it takes daily disciplining myself to take time for praise and prayer. Only through daily time in praise and prayer will I be able to learn to release worry and anxiety.
Maybe this devotion is just for me because I must remind myself of this passage on a regular basis. If the shoe also fits you then try it on. If you never struggle with worry or anxiety, I’d love to know your secret.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Holy Spirit help me today to live in peace. Help me to daily take time for prayer and praise. I want Your peace guarding my heart.
“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”