Stop Worrying, Start Praying!

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything” Philippians 4:6 (a).

We all face roadblocks. We face situations that we would not be able to change even with our best efforts. It could be an attitude of a person toward us or someone else. It could be a decision of a spouse to leave. It could be a decision of a child to go astray and make foolish decisions. It could be a health issue. It could be the death of a dear one. It could very well be something else.

These and many other issues give us worry and fear in our hearts. Listen, God has a different mechanism. He says do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Did you notice it says “anything?” I heard people say how I can’t be worried because of the severity of the suffering? Trust me, been there and experienced it in a couple of different ways. Humanly it creates worries and fears for sure. However, God sees your situation in a totally different way and says to you, “do not worry about ‘anything.’ It means exactly what that means. You should not worry about anything, period!

In such situations, the only course you have is to pray about it. When you pray and give the matter to the hands of God, you are free not to worry anymore because the peace of God will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. You gave your worries and fears to the one who can handle them for you. Leave it with the Lord. Let it stays in His hand. Do not take it back to get worried again. Leave it there in prayer and move on.

The Bible says a man called Elkanah was in Israel in about 1056 BC.  He had two wives. One was called Hannah, and the other Peninnah. The heart-aching trouble started because Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. Peninnah kept provoking her to irritate her to anger. This went on year after year—no light at the end of the tunnel for Hannah. Peninnah provoked and irritated her until Hannah wept and stopped eating her food. One day, Hannah decided to give the matter to the hand of the almighty God in prayer. It said Hannah arose in deep anguish when they had finished eating and drinking, prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly. She made a vow to the LORD God in heaven. She said to the LORD, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget our servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head. When Hannah prayed, her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. She told Eli, the priest who misunderstood her, “I am a deeply troubled woman. I was pouring out my heart to the LORD. She said I was praying out of my anguish and grief.

The Bible says in 1 Samuel 1:18, “Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.”

Beloved, give your anguish and burden to the LORD in heaven as Hannah did. Hannah could not eat in peace all these years, but now she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. She knew and knew in her heart that she already gave to the one who could deliver her from trouble. This is why our insight says, “don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.”

Hannah’s human capacity ended due to the repeated provocation of her adversary. Now she stood up and went to God in prayer. The LORD God heard her prayer in anguish, and over time, Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “because I asked the LORD for him.” Samuel became a great prophet, judge, and priest of God. You can read about Samuel in the two books of Samuel (1st and 2nd Samuel) in the Bible.

Hannah could have worried and lived in fear for the rest of her life. However, she prayed to the one who could help her. That made all the big difference for her personal life and the history of the nation Israel. A highly honored prophet, judge, and priest was the outcome of her deep agony and prayer. History testifies, through the life history of Hannah and Samuel, the power of prayer from an anguished heart.

Prayer in the name of Jesus Christ is the most powerful weapon available. Apostle Paul wrote this in 2nd Corinthians 10:3-, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” Yes, prayer in the name of Jesus Christ has the divine power to demolish strongholds. Prayer in the name of Jesus never comes back unanswered. No returned mail if you pray in Christ Jesus’s name. It will accomplish the purpose for which it is sent.

Stop worrying and fearing. Start praying in the name of Jesus Christ. You can pray about the small, medium, in-between, and all matters. Praying even about small matters shows your total reliance on God. And it is an excellent example of spiritual maturity and discipline.

“Father in heaven, I face a situation that I can not change. I seek your face and pray for your divine help. I believe there is power when I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Please come and help me. Please forgive my sins and save me. I trust in Jesus, who died and rose again for me. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.”