Medical studies show that worry is one of the leading causes of doctors prescribing medicine. People are looking for a cure for anxiety and stress. These issues lead to other health problems like hypertension. In the end, worry can debilitate a person and render them useless. As a believer in Jesus, there is no need to worry. We can take our stress and anxiety to Him and ask for Him to take care of it.
Philippians 4:6
“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
The Great Equalizer
Worry is something that has been around since the beginning of time. Everyone does it, and when left unchecked, it can get out of control. Paul gives some good advice to the Philippians. He tells them there is no need to worry about anything because we have a heavenly Father we can take our requests too. Prayer is the great equalizer to worry. We can take every worry and concern God and give it to Him.
Make Your Requests Known
What are you worrying about today? Is it a health issue? Maybe it is a financial need. If these issues are keeping you up at night, then you need to start going to battle through prayer. If you reply that you have prayed about them, then let me ask if you have done more than ask God? Paul tells us to pray, petition, and give thanks. There are some essential aspects of prayer in these three acts. Our request is our need, and through prayer, we are dialoguing with God. That gives us the picture that our time is more than just asking God for what we want. Prayer is expressing all of our fears and feelings about our request. Petition is the idea of repeating our request over and over and having others join in with us. Finally, thanksgiving is the acknowledgment that God is sovereign and that He knows what is best for us and our need, so we thank Him for listening.
No Need to Worry
There is no need to worry about our needs. Worry can’t add a day to our life (but it can take some away). Spend some time in prayer. Let God know what is weighing heavily upon your heart but make sure you also show Him you trust His provision for your need.