Paul in Philippians 4:6-7 says, 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
For many people, it is easy to scoff at those first six words. “Don’t be anxious,” why didn’t I think of that, as you put your palm to your forehead? There are many times that our anxiety is brought upon us by the feelings of being out of control. It is in those very times that we need to keep reading the rest of the verse. When we feel that way we should turn to God in prayer and supplication (supplication can be seen as making our requests known).
I’ve been going to church for a long time, and if there is one area I’ve seen that is a struggle for numerous people it’s prayer. We feel weird talking out loud alone. We feel like prayers only work if we use extravagant language or talk like Shakespeare. We feel uncomfortable naming our struggles. When naming our struggles might be exactly what we need to do.
If you don’t take the time to name or understand your struggles, how will you ever cast those cares on God? God wants to be with you, and you will feel his presence more if you let him sit with you. No one is impressed when you bear a burden alone. In fact, they are usually multiplied by our fear and isolation.
Prayer will rarely solve our problems immediately and on the spot. However, prayer can give your heart a peace that surpasses all understanding. Christ is with you, he goes before you and is behind you. He is on your right and on your left.
What do you need to pray about today?