Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Phil 4:6 (NLT)
Worry is a form of focus. It’s a fixation on the unknown in a negative and fearful way. Worry takes up our time, energy, and keeps some of us up at night! And although it sounds nonsensical to focus on the things that could/might/maybe go wrong and assume the worst, we all get caught in the worry trap from time to time…
Racing car drivers are taught that when they lose control of the car, they need to focus on where they want to go. The empirical evidence suggests that if they focus on the wall they’re heading toward, they are most likely to hit it. Yet if they focus on where they want the car to go (not where it’s going) they are more likely to gain control and get back into the race.
Prayer over worry is exactly the same concept. When you feel out of control, it’s tempting to focus on the wall you’re about to hit! But prayer redirects our focus to where we should be going. It’s the awareness that God is here, in the middle of it all, good or bad… It’s the communication of mind, body and spirit, and the mutual acceptance and participation of His closeness… Communicating on deeper levels than just verbal as we follow his way.
His way is peace. Transcendent peace. So even when that metaphorical car is going out of control, his peace can refocus your vision, and guide you on. What a miracle – to be able to see clearly in the midst of chaos. That’s what prayer (re-focusing your attention) can do.
This verse goes on to say,
“Tell God what you need and thank him for what he has done.”
It’s easy to ask for what we need BUT when we add thanks for what we already have, it adds perspective to our prayer! Asking for stuff from a place of need pre-supposes we have very little. But by giving thanks for what we already have creates an anchor of perspective, grounding us in the truth that we indeed have a lot.
Choose prayer over worry. When worry comes, let it turn your heart towards your awareness of the Divine… His peace. And pray, communicate, listen, participate in this journey God is leading you on.
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