The Right Focus Will Make Our Worry Plummet
Dealing with anxiety through prayer, thanksgiving, and faith
Our Savior knows we worry and fret constantly about many things. That’s why He tells us not to worry about what we will eat, or wear—for our heavenly Father knows we need all these things.
See how He supplies the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. (see Matthew 6:25f)
Still, even though Jesus tells us take no thought for your life, meaning - avoid worry, care and anxiety in the wants and difficulties of living, we are anxious. We do worry.
But that’s the wrong focus.
Look at what we are to do
Instead, be careful (or anxious) for nothing. as we are told from in Philippians.
In every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. (Phil 4:6)
What is nothing? No Thing.
How do we do this? By praying.
When? In Every Thing!
Whenever there is a burden, we ease our worried thoughts by prayer, looking for help and direction. This includes gratitude, being thankful for what He supplies. We make our needs and desires known to Him, which is an expression of dependence on Him. And the result is the peace of God (v. 7) in our hearts, which is the opposite of anxiety. h/t Matthew Henry Commentary.
This is not just for big things
Just yesterday, I wanted to update my browser. It’s a simple, quick task, usually. This time, it replaced my old version with a brand new install of the newest version! All my settings, bookmarks, preferences…gone.
Not happy!
After a half-hour of try this, try that frustration, I took my own advise: prayer should be our first option, not our last. I sought the Lord, who did not fix the problem, but gave me the right frame of mind to study the issue and today try a few steps and it’s working now.
(Here I do the thanksgiving part of the verse)
Pray. Cast your care. An old hymn expresses this beautifully "Oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer."
Paul’s words are from Jesus to not be anxious or troubled with the stuff of life.
Where is your focus?
We can, says Peter—in faith and confidence, cast all our cares on Him for He cares for you (I Peter 5:7).
Look to Jesus. When we know Him as our Source and Supplier, our Provider and Protector who care for us, we can seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, knowing all these things shall be ours as needed. In Luke 10, Jesus tells Martha she is worried and troubled about many things, while her sister Mary sat at Jesus’ feet - the one thing that was needed. (Luke 10:41-42)
One had worry, one had worship.
Another old hymn sings “turn your eyes upon Jesus and the things of the earth grow strangely dim.”
This is the right way round! A focus on our worries makes the matter in our hands, we then are attempting to engineer our own outcome. A focus on Jesus puts the matter to rest in His hands for His will and glory. The right focus will make our worry plummet.
In sum, to combat worry, we: (1) cast our burdens on God, (2) find peace in prayer, and (3) seek God's kingdom first.
Turn your cares into prayers — Pastor Chuck Smith
Do you have an anxious friend?
Maybe you have a story like this to share?
Thank you for reading Epaphras Prays, a ministry of intercessors for the people of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Our intent is to pray—and to teach others to pray, Biblical prayers. We all desperately need to be praying more, and yet we do not sense an urgency among believers to do so. Help us reach out with our newsletter to invite and encourage others to their prayer closet.
Until next time, grace and peace
Article Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
Cover Photo by Alexei Maridashvili on Unsplash