Cast
all your anxiety on Him
because
He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
Martin Luther said, “Prayer is a strong
wall and fortress of the church; it is a goodly Christian weapon.” I agree. So why,
with the availability of something so powerful, do we often wring our hands in
anxiety rather than take full advantage of our most powerful weapon? Why panic?
Why worry? Why brood, agonize, stew, mope and lose sleep when trouble comes our
way?
If prayer is a fortress, a fortified
place, a stronghold—large and permanent—why do we avoid talking to God about
every need? Why do we avoid open communication with our Heavenly Father? Why do
we avoid prayer?
I suppose the answer to those questions is
complicated. Illness takes a physical toll and we can become too tired to pray.
Stress takes a mental toll and we can become too emotionally distraught to
pray. Life consumes our time and we can become too busy to pray. For every why not there is a because!
But God’s Word teaches us to make prayer a
high priority. Colossians 4:2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer.” 1 Timothy
2:1 says, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers,
intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.”
When we pray, we draw close to God as we
enter into a relationship with Him. The more we pray the more we become like
Him. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are
being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For
this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18
Prayer is powerful. As God hears and
responds to our prayers, lives are changed. Circumstances are changed. But
perhaps most importantly, we are changed. Philippians 4:6-7 explains, “…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.”
When we are enduring our most anxious
moments, we often forget to do the one thing that will calm our troubled
spirits and bring peace to our hand-wringing, teeth-grinding, palm-sweating
circumstances.
When there is something I want to carve
into my spirit, my emotions, my soul, I plaster it on the fridge, the bathroom
mirror, the kitchen window and anywhere else that I spend time. Today is the
day to remind myself—When You Don’t Feel Like Praying, Pray! How about you?
©JP
2013
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