DW2 – Don’t Worry, Instead Do This (Pray)

DW2 – Don’t Worry, Instead Do This (Pray)

Reading: Philippians 4:4-9 Click Link for Scripture 6 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. 7 Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (Philippians 4:6-7 MSG) “Don’t fret or worry!” It can be very frustrating when someone tells you to do something you already know you should do and would do if you knew how, but they don’t give you a clue on how to actually make it work. I’m determined in my teaching and preaching and counsel to others not to tell people what not to do without suggesting some helpful things they can do! Paul says, “Don’t fret or worry.” Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (Philippians 4:6 NLT) Then he explains very simply and clearly how to follow his wise counsel – “Instead, pray about everything.” The instruction is clear and the steps simple – not easy but simple:
• Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers: Address the same concerns, don’t evade, avoid, or deny that they are there and that they are legitimate concerns.
• Use Petitions: Capture the worried thoughts and form them into a specific request for God’s help or intervention.
• Use Thanks and Praises: Mentally, verbally, and audibly, focus on what God has done and on his greatness instead of on the size of the worrisome problem.
• Result: Even before the problem is solved, a sense of God’s wholeness and his care, and his ability and willingness to help, will come and help settle you down. Christ himself will displace worry at the center of your life. If worry is at the center, Christ is marginalized. If Christ is at the center, worry is replaced by peace and anxious thoughts replaced by a sense of God’s wholeness. Prayer: Father, This is easier said than done, but I know the doing flows out of a choice to believe your Word and to commit to actions of faith and a posture of trust. I ask you to bring this back to our minds all through the day. Please help us to make a shift from worry and anxiety to prayer and praise. Amen.