Monday, March 2, 2015

Do not worry....that's worrisome! Day 11 Lent 2015

Day 11 Lent 2015

"Do not worry about anything, bu in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."  Philippians 4.6

I imagine that like you I have lots of worries.  I worry about small things and big things. I worry about my family and my abilities.  I worry about the climate and the human race.  Now granted, most of my worries are "first world problems."  I don't tend to worry about where my next meal will come from or whether I'll be able to find enough clean water to sustain myself and my family; but I do worry.

Paul, following in the footsteps of Jesus declares that worry is less than helpful and not a part of the Christian life (Matthew 6.25-34); but sometimes I find this worriesome!  Woe is me!

Luckily Paul seems to add some ammunition to the fight against worry. He encourages us to pray with supplication, that is an earnest plea for God's intervention.  But he follows this with the fact that we should do this with thanksgiving.  That is we can be confident that our prayers, our supplications, all those things that concern us have been presented to God and that God will be at work not only in those things that we have lifted up, but in our lives as well helping to live beyond the anxiety of worry.   

A prayer for today:  "Dear God, so many questions and concerns bombard us this day that we tend to focus on them and not your word.  Give us the strength to recall your promises of love and presence and to be confident and thankful that you always hear our prayers. Amen"

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