Prayer Is the Antidote to Worry, Part 2

David W Palmer

(Philippians 4:6–7 APE) Do not be worried for anything, but always in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known before God, And the peace of The God, Who is greater than every mind, will keep your hearts and your minds by Yeshua The Messiah.

During his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught clearly—telling us not to worry, be fretful, or be anxious. But he began the explanation by speaking about two potential masters that we can serve:

(Matthew 6:24–34 NKJV) “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. {25} Therefore I say to you, do not worry …”

We note from the first word of verse 25 that Jesus began his long instruction about being worry-free with the word, “therefore.” Before we read on, we need to find out what the “therefore” connects back to and why. He says, “You cannot serve God and mammon, therefore …” So, the reason to not worry has to do with who you are serving—either God or mammon. I think we can safely assume that Jesus wants us to serve God, so his ensuing instruction about what not to do shows us how to avoid serving mammon. In other words, worrying is serving mammon:

(Matthew 6:24 NKJV) “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Seeing Jesus said that serving both masters simultaneously is impossible, then serving God and worrying at the same time is impossible too. So, if we are worrying, then some serving of mammon has crept into our lives. We must ensure that we resist this by getting the worry out. As we saw yesterday, the way to stop worrying about anything is to pray about everything:

(Philippians 4:6–7 NLT) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. …

Let’s now read the rest of Jesus’s teaching about the absurdity of thinking worry and serving God go together:

(Matthew 6:25–34 NKJV) “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? {26} Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? {27} Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? {28} So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; {29} and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. {30} Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? {31} Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ {32} For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. {33} But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. {34} Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

I encourage you to locate, isolate, and pray through every attempt by “mammon” to make you worry. Remember:

(Philippians 4:6–7 NLT) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. {7} Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Another great example of our choice between serving God by faith or serving mammon by worry is seen in the lives of Mary and Martha. Their responses to the same Jesus and exactly the same message in the identical scenario led to two totally different responses—one of worry leading to self-effort and manipulation, the other of wisdom, faith, and peace:

(Luke 10:38–42 NKJV) Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. {39} And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. {40} But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” {41} And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. {42} But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

In this passage, the Holy Spirit describes a scene of great importance to us. It appears that Jesus and his team arrived at Martha’s home. She offered hospitality and invited them in. This was good and kind—the appropriate loving gesture by an Eastern hostess.

Then Jesus began teaching. Having Jesus manifested in your home and breaking open God’s word for you is the most exciting event that is possible—ever in any situation. Initially, it appears that both sisters joined the crowd at Jesus’s feet to absorb his love and overflowing life as he expounded God’s word. This is the greatest privilege known to man.

However, at some point in this “moment” of divine visitation, the paths of the two sisters diverged. Mary stayed glued to the Master; what she was learning and absorbing was life-changing, could set her up for her tomorrows, and build a highway of holiness for her life’s journey. She chose wisely. But at the same time, Martha seems to have become distracted by the cares of this life; she was “worried and troubled about many things.” She was busy preparing and serving many dishes.

Martha seems to have been driven to do this by an uneasiness inside her, reflecting something not quite right deep in her heart. What was Jesus’s response to Martha? How did he give a course alteration to what looked like a loving and appropriate action by an Eastern Hostess?

(Luke 10:41–42 NKJV) And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. {42} But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Jesus seems to have taken the present scenario as the way to help Martha learn true values. He said that she was worried and troubled about many things—or portions of food, dishes of refreshment. In contrast, he pointed to Mary and said that she had chosen the only dish and source of nourishment that was truly “good.” This helped Martha understand the ultimate value of what he was serving; it eclipsed the natural food that she thought was so important.

What’s more, in the face of Martha’s attempt to use pity to manipulate Jesus into doing her will—taking another person out of Jesus’s meeting with her—Jesus said: “One thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

This is exciting and full of such important revelation. Only one thing is needed—or only one dish of nutrition—and it is his living word. Our Lord said that it is the priority and that he wouldn’t remove this from Mary or those who choose to focus on it—despite what other seemingly important natural responsibilities become relegated to a lower priority. He won’t remove it from you either.

I encourage you today. Don’t serve mammon, serve God. Don’t worry about anything, pray about everything. But do sit at Jesus’s feet and take in his living words. After all, he concluded his famous teaching against mammon and worry with the instruction:

(Matthew 6:33 NKJV) “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Sitting at the King’s feet and feeding on his life-giving word is seeking first his kingdom. Kings reign by speaking; so, listening to him speaking to you is allowing him to have his way in you. His way is the worry-free way of prayer, fellowship with God, and receiving his words of faith and love. This results in serving him, not serving mammon and worry.