Monday, September 6, 2021

Listen to the Word
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

This week’s Scripture tells us that the path from worry to peace is prayer. Prayer is the antidote to anxiety. That may sound like the most obvious thing in the world, but we don’t often put it into practice. We tend to collect our anxieties instead of casting them on God.

What If you allowed worry to become a cue to pray? Like your body automatically stands when you hear the national anthem, or like you instinctively press the accelerator when the light turns green, you can train yourself to pray as soon as the knot inside you starts to tighten. Instead of pushing that concern inward, lift it upward in prayer. Instead of marinating in the worry, release it to God. Give your angst an address. Lift it to your Creator. Tell him you need him to handle it.

Live the Word
What is troubling you most right now? Stop turning it over and over in your mind, and instead turn it over to God in prayer.