Pray, Dont Worry

I think I have written on this topic or something similar to it before but this is something I have been working on a lot lately, instead of worrying about an area of my life or someone in my life, I pray about it.

I combat negative thoughts by quickly sharing my fears with God and then handing the details of the situation over to Him. Then I repeat internally or sometimes out loud, "you have got this God, help me to know what I need to do to move your plan forward". Worry is a lack of faith in God.

Luke 12: 22-25 is a great example of this truth.

Then Jesus said to the decibels: "Therefore I tell you do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: they do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Worry and stress has been proven to be bad for us in many different ways, can you think of a time when worry actually got you something good? I can't! It distracts me from the moment I am in, makes me tired and irritable and nothing good results from my time spent worrying. This still has not completely stopped me from worrying but I am getting better at trusting that God has everything under control and instead of spending time worrying, I spend time with God, finding out where he needs me to be and what He needs me to do.

This does not mean I throw all caution to the wind hoping God will also clean up my messes in the wake of careless living. It just means that I use the worrisome thoughts as a trigger to remember to trust God. One day I would like to get to a place where I can sing Gods praises when I have everything I need and even when I am in need. I know I am on my way there though.

I also sometimes worry about the people in my life. If I have had a conversation with someone who is struggling with something, I sometimes find them popping into my mind and then I begin to worry or wonder if they are ok. I have taken this as a sign from God that this individual needs praying over, my worry is not going to do anything good for my friends but my prayer, now that stuff is powerful. I know this for two reasons: 1) God hears all prayers. and 2) I have seen the things I pray for come to fruition in Gods perfect timing.

1 John 5:14 is a great example of this truth.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 

So I am going to be stepping up my prayer game and putting down my worry game because I am ready to move forward effectively with the plans God has for me.