What are your top worries today? Your kids? Your job? Your marriage? Money? Health? All of the above?<\/p>\n
You\u2019re not alone. Everyone worries\u2014right? What else are we supposed to do? There are so many things to be anxious about. Some of us are even anxious about our high anxiety levels. We worry about our blood pressure, which only increases our blood pressure.<\/p>\n
But the cure for worry is not worrying less. It’s praying more.<\/p>\n
I have believed for years\u2014and have told as many people as I can get to listen\u2014that I think worry and prayer are two sides of the same coin. Worry is simply \u201cnegative prayer.\u201d Or, if you prefer, \u201canti-prayer.\u201d It is the opposite of praying. You can worry, or you can pray, but you can\u2019t do both. Worry negates prayer. Prayer cancels worry.<\/p>\n
I think that\u2019s why, in Philippians 4:6, Paul, the great first-century church planter, told the people in the Philippian church, \u201cDo not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God\u201d (Philippians 4:6, NIV). The antidote to anxiety or worry, in every situation, is to present your requests to God. To put it even more briefly, \u201cDon\u2019t worry, pray.\u201d<\/p>\n
It may sound simplistic but it is not easy. Consider two scenarios:<\/p>\n
Scenario 1: You\u2019re worried about your health. You\u2019ve noticed things but haven\u2019t told anyone. You should probably see a doctor, but that takes time\u2014and money. And that brings up another worry: finances. You never seem to have enough, and you\u2019re sure your health insurance premiums will skyrocket next month. Which ignites your worry for your health again, and you\u2019re right back where you started.<\/p>\n
In that scenario, you\u2019ve expended a lot of energy and gotten nowhere. Worse, your anxiety may actually make things worse, exacerbating your health issues and exhausting your energy to review your budget.<\/p>\n
Scenario 2: You\u2019ve noticed a few things that could prompt you to worry about your health, so you turn to prayer. \u201cGod, thank you for Your invitation to cast all my cares on You, knowing that You care for me (1 Peter 5:7). I don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on with me health-wise, but You do. I don\u2019t even know where the money would come from to see the doctor but if that\u2019s what I need, help me to trust You to supply all my needs according to my riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Heal me. Help me. Handle all this for me and give me wisdom, in Jesus\u2019 name, amen.\u201d<\/p>\n
That may not be how you pray but it does present a contrast. The first scenario fills your mind, heart and body with fear, anxiety and stress. The second empties your mind, heart and body of those harmful substances while also drawing you and God closer together. And, since God loves to answer prayer, it produces positive effects\u2014some you may hope for and others you may not expect\u2014in you and for you.<\/p>\n
So what are your top worries today? Start there. In those situations, \u201cby prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus\u201d (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
What are your top worries today? Your kids? Your job? Your marriage? Money? Health? All of the above? You\u2019re not alone. Everyone worries\u2014right? What else are we supposed to do? There are so many things to be anxious about. Some of us are even anxious about our high anxiety levels. We worry about our blood […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":31318,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[324,187],"tags":[30,78,59],"ppma_author":[465],"class_list":["post-25370","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspirational-prayers","category-true-stories-of-answered-prayer","tag-prayer","tag-stress","tag-worry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n