In prayer: Don’t worry, pray

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7

Everyone has times in life that are challenging. Perhaps the company we work for is hit hard by an economic downturn, and we’re suddenly unemployed. Perhaps we wake up one day with a pain and find out we have a health condition that will change how we live our life.

When we don’t know what will happen next, we begin to worry. Some trials may not be as major as these, but we still become apprehensive and nervous. As God’s children, we should choose to pray at these times, not worry.

With life out of our control, we begin to pray. We lift up our prayers and supplications to God. When we bring our requests to Him, His peace fills our lives.

Where does this “peace of God” come from? Is it through prayer or is it a confidence that the Lord is with us? It is both. Verse five tells us the Lord is at hand. He is near. He is within reach. He will help. He is able; therefore, we do not need to be anxious. We can be confident that God is with us.

May our time in prayer help us to realize that the Lord is ever-present and is in control. When we let our requests be made known to Him, He will guard our hearts and minds in time of need.