Prayer over Worry
Troy FitzPatrick, MBA
Customer Experience | Leadership Development | Continuous Improvement
Hello again and happy Sunday!!!
As I was preparing for today's Better Word, I was thinking again about the state of our nation and how we are still all putting more into how we "worry" about the future vs putting our energy towards what can really change our future. Ultimately, we the people, hold the future in our hands. It's up to us to choose wisely how we decide to go forward. I'm not going to pick sides or get into any political debates here, but as the litigation continues before a final say is done on who our next President will be. We have to ask ourselves the question, why am I letting that worry me? I'm no spring chicken, but I do have a lot of good years left in me and I can tell you one thing. I've lived through some good presidents and some not so good ones. Guess what?!? I'm still here kicking and living my life. We have to remember, as I stated in my last Better Word and again thanks to Ed Mylett for sharing and reminding me the President is only an employee of the people. What a great way to keep things in perspective. We have the choice of how we will treat everyday and it doesn't matter who sits in the White House they do NOT control our ability to choose. You are the only one that controls that!
So I found myself in "Prayer", as I do often when I'm struggling with something and quite frankly as much as I find myself in "Prayer" I know I could still find more "Prayer" even more helpful. If you're not a Christian, I still ask that you read on, as I try to give nuggets to ALL readers regardless of your personal belief system. However, I'm always in "Prayer" that my words may help someone find answers that can only come from God, as that's where I get ALL my answers as well. Now back on track, "Prayer" is very similar to meditation, and for my non-believers is the closest I can describe it. "Prayer" allows us to take our mind off the world and take our "Worry", stress, anxiety or what ever is weighing heavily on us to our Lord and Savior. God directly commands us not to "Worry", did you know that? Phillippians 4:6 states "don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done". In Matthew 6:34 God tells us similarly to "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Here, I present two scriptures from two different authors that both help us see and hopefully understand that we are NOT to "Worry". Paul the author of Phillippians goes on to explain the way not to "Worry" is to be in "Prayer" about everything. Matthew, the author of Matthew, simply illustrates that we're not to "Worry" for the future because each day holds enough for us to deal with. I personally like both verses, but love the fact that Paul helps show us how to move past it with "Prayer".
I'm going to illustrate "Worry" first, even though I know I shared "Prayer" over "Worry" as the topic, but I think we might all relate to the "Worry" and then hopefully see how "Prayer" can help us as we all move forward one day at a time.
World's
Oppression
Running and
Reigning over
Your life
Before I get to "Prayer", let's talk a little about the above Better Word. Can you relate and is it applicable to where we are today as Americans? The World's Oppression (selection of a new president and Covid-19) is Running and Reigning over Your life. Think about this, both the election and the impact from Covid-19 over the last 8 months is literally driving most of our lives right now. I can honestly tell you, that is NOT how God wants us to live our lives. Even if you're not a believer in God, do you WANT to live you life worrying about things you have zero control over? The Bible clearly states, as noted above in Phillipians, to be in "Prayer" about everything. God wants us to live a happy and meaningful life without worry or stress. Now, don't get me wrong, God will put challenges in our lives just like this election is a challenge, just like Covid-19 is a challenge; but, what he wants is for us to just trust him and let him do the heavy lifting for us. I don't know about you but that is pretty uplifting and freeing to me!! So, what's the Better Word for "Prayer":
Purposefully
Releasing my worries
And fear to
Yahwe my God
Encouraged by
Resting in His presence
When you go into "Prayer" you have to be purposeful, as God doesn't want a half-hearted "Prayer" God wants us fully recognizing His greatness and laying it ALL at His feet! All our worries and fears, we do NOT have to hold on to God is capable and willing to take them ALL on for us and then He encourages us to build that relationship with Him that when we're there we'll have that peace from resting in His presence!
So, as I close, I hope this message helps at least one (selfishly, I hope it helps many more than one) person realize that "Worry" isn't what we're made for and the way to conquer and rise above that is easily done through "Prayer".
As always, Be Blessed, Be a Blessing and Always Be Last!!!!!
Who is on the Lord’s Side, who?
Greetings Troy! I have finally met someone that creates an extremely long narrative besides me. That’s you! Before the Linked in police start saying, you not only just posted a political thought but a religious one at that too. A double whammy! Good for you. As I have always connected the dots in our everyday lives, my everyday life, there is not one day that goes by, that a person’s employment, plolitics, and spiritually does not make a play. While in Japan as a missionary back in the early 70’s, I remember distinctly singing a church song in Japanese that excited me just more than others because it was “a call to serve”! We all need to take a stand on where we stand and that song that excited me so was, “Who is on the Lord side, who? To spend our time on worrying is a waste, yet prayer in difficult times or anytime draws us closer as He is in charge.