I heard the Lord say so clearly to me, Anita, try exchanging all the time and energy you waste on worrying with PRAYING. Just try it.
So I challenge you (and myself) in 2020 to REFUSE to give time to worry, and.., instead… as soon as your mind goes there… start praying (praying in the spirit is best as you are praying the will of God and unlocking heavens mysteries and answers for what your worrying about anyway). Many times I wake through the night and it seems to be the time I get attacked with anxiety and worry. Sometimes I think I’m praying but the reality is 2 hours later I find myself still awake and my mind still sailing along on worry tangents. No resolve or answers found, just wasted time, sleep and emotional energy. I think to myself after sitting wide awake for 2 or so hours, yeah I’ve prayed about that, and then I hear Holy Spirit say, “all I heard was a bunch of worry! No faith in there love”. Haha! Love Holy Spirit, He’s my best friend, and super witty I might add. I find myself laughing as He “enlightens” me with one liners that are in line with my sense of humour.
Why do we think worry is going to solve, fix or give answers to our problems? I mean what type of illogical thinking is that anyway? Jesus said it so plainly in Matt 6:27
“And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life?”
Then in verse 33-35 says;
“But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.”
So in other words, worrying won’t solve a thing (verse 27) instead spend your time seeking heavens solution (His Kingdom) regarding your concerns.
Philippians 4:6 says;
“Do not fret or have any anxiety about ANYTHING, but in EVERY circumstance and in everything, by PRAYER and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.”
We are actually instructed not to worry or have anxiety about ANYTHING! Little or large! In everything, ( little or large) pray and petition the Lord.
Sometimes we might think what we are worrying about isn’t really a big enough deal to pray about, but the Lord says those things that concern us concern him.
1 Peter 5:7 says;
“Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.”
The whole of your cares and anxieties and worries, means just that, ALL! Large or small.
You might wrestle and say yeah but there are some things I can’t change. No maybe you can’t, but the Lord is able to give you a supernatural peace that surpasses all understanding that guards your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6 says this. This is the very next promise the Lord gives us if we give our time to praying rather than to worrying.
We need our emotions and thoughts protected. Supernatural peace does that. Not the peace that is a result from circumstances in our favour, no it’s a peace you can have in the midst of a storm, that protects your mind and keeps your thoughts sane and aligned with the spirit of truth, and your emotions level still enabling you to walk in the fruit of the spirit no matter what’s going on around you.
So…. May we be challenged into repentance from worry, care, concern and anxiety. We know the scripture says that faith can not operate in this environment.
Mark 4:19 says that the cares of this world choke off the word of God in our life, hindering it from bearing fruit.
Do a garden inspection. What areas are you not bearing fruit? Maybe you are worrying and full of anxiety and it’s killing off any opportunity for the word to take root in your heart and produce fruit.
We don’t realise how much of our time we sow into fear, anxiety and worry. And we probably only spend a minute percentage of that in prayer. We pray for 10 minutes and think well nothing is shifting. Well I would say JUST KEEP PRAYING!!!! If you can spend hours worrying, you can surely spend hours praying!
Ive heard many Christians say, “the word isn’t
working!” You might you need to weed your garden and uproot some foreign thorns and thistles . Many times in the Old Testament, thorns and thistles in scripture represented a curse. Well fear, anxiety, worry, is under the curse.
2 Timothy 1:7 says that God isn’t the source of fear, but He has instead given us love, power and a sound mind!
See here how fear and worry effect our love walk and the ability to think straight? It also effects the power moving in our life. This power is activated by faith, in order to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
So again we see here that faith won’t operate when fear is present.
So no matter how impossible, how menial, how insignificant or overwhelmingly large, your issues, problems, concerns and cares are, cast them to the Lord, throw them upon him, because He is a loving father who is always available and present to meet us in our time of need.
Invest the time you would in worrying, to praying, and I garuntee you will see a shift in your life that will amaze you! This doesn’t mean all your problems will be solved tomorrow. Well in some cases they may! But even greater than answered prayer is an ability to walk in peace in the midst of waiting for circumstantial change. You will begin to learn how to walk above problems and trials of this life not under or being consumed by them. You will begin to truly overcome, because the problems and concerns of this life can’t overcome you.
If you just pray instead of worry, you will begin to see wisdom released, as you enter the atmosphere of the Prince of Peace. You will begin to see with a heart of understanding and situations from heavens perspective, which in some cases will be the key to unlock the shift you so desperately desired. Your shift of perspective could result in your behaviour changing, you might forgive, you might love your enemies, you might show mercy instead of judgment, you might stand up for yourself and implement healthy boundaries instead of being used abused and manipulated. You never know what can happen if you just choose to pray
instead of worry.
Choose today, to be a person of prayer, not a person given to fear, anxiety and worry. It just might change your life.