DW3 – Don’t Worry, Instead Do This (Give It To God)

DW3 – Don’t Worry, Instead Do This (Give it to God)

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-11 Click Link for Scripture 5 In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (1 Peter 5:5-7 NLT) First Position Yourself: This is placing yourself in mutually submitted relationships with other believers. The version of Christianity we practice here in the USA can be a kind of “Just Jesus and me against the world” approach. Peter, impulsive Peter, in his early days never hesitated to go out on a limb, and leave himself dangling by his fingertips on the brink of disaster. Now Peter, in the wisdom he has gained from years of walking with Jesus, following the Holy Spirit, and facing troubles and persecution, says, “Don’t try to do this alone. Place yourself in the family, the church, the body of Christ. Place yourself under the watchful eye of those with more experience. Place yourself alongside the others who are facing the same challenges you’re facing. Humble yourselves in your relationships to others and to God, who loves you so much!” Now Practice releasing your worries and cares to God: Giving your worries and cares to God is more than just praying about a list of things we’re worried about. Just as we can tell a friend about something that’s worrying and concerning us and then walk away from the conversation still carrying the worry and concern, we can do prayer in the same way. Possibly what we think of as being Prayer Warriors is more a matter of being Prayer Worriers! And I’m only half joking about this friends! In the context of mutually submitted and mutually supportive relationships with our Christian brothers and sisters, prayer can take on a new tone. We bring our concerns to God, forming them into petitions as we saw yesterday DW2 Don’t Worry, Pray. Then we take those petitions to God (picture yourself writing all your concerns and worries on a paper then handing it to God and releasing that page into his hands.) We intentionally release our burdens and concerns to God as we pray. We release worry to God and receive help and comfort from God. Prayer: Father, Please help us take practical steps to freedom from worry and anxiety. I know it’s not “one size fits all” so please help each of us find the way to form worries into prayers and then release them to you. Thanks for caring for us so much! Amen!