How much worry is too much? Which of your concerns does God want to hear about? According to Philippians 4:6 (NIV), “any” and “all” are the respective answers.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

A young mother approached me after I’d spoken on worry. “It’s hard to see how worry is so bad. It’s not like murder or adultery.”

I reminded her that small choices over time add up to big changes and used Hurricane Fran to explain.

When Hurricane Fran approached the East Coast, we thought Raleigh was safe. After all, the weather reports said the brunt of the storm would hit South Carolina. However, in the middle of the night, high winds and crashing trees woke sleeping Raleigh.

Walking outside the next morning, the scent of what smelled like Christmas trees greeted us, but the destruction looked like a war zone. How could the weather reports have been so wrong?

We learned that out in the Atlantic Ocean, the storm had shifted only a few degrees north. That small change, taken out over hundreds of miles, had moved the storm from South Carolina to the middle of North Carolina.

A shift of only a few degrees in our thinking and attitudes, taken out over five, ten, or fifteen years, makes us into different people than we’d have otherwise been, too. God has good reason for forbidding worry—it changes our character.

Redirect Worries Through Prayer

Philippians says to wrap every worry in prayer and send it to God. A parking place at the concert is not too small a request for Him. An unhappy relationship or broken past is not too big for Him. He numbers the hairs on your head and yet names each star. Nothing is too big or too small for our heavenly Father. If it concerns you, it matters to Him.

We are to present our requests believing that God hears and answers in the best possible way. When we pray, we must thank Him for listening and acting. We don’t just dump our worries on Him as if He’s a mere sounding board.

Thank You that You hear me and are involved in my life. Since You allowed this, I know it is for my good and the good of all who love You. Thank You for accomplishing something wonderful in me through this. Please … heal, provide, change … However, recognizing You know best, I offer up this situation and ask for Your very best. Thank You for listening and handling this concern.

Thanksgiving demonstrates faith and brings hope. I’m speaking to the One who can handle this. Faith pleases God and unleashes His power. Faith trusts God to use my circumstances to accomplish something that could not otherwise be accomplished.

Jesus invites us to bring our worries to Him—and to leave them. He cares. Let’s offer them with thanksgiving.

Cynthia Simmons and I discuss this topic in more detail on her radio podcast. Click here to listen.

Don’t Panic: Stress Cure with Amazing Tool Kit

How Much Worry Is Too Much? What Philippians 4:6 Says About Anxiety #worry, #prayer
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Blessings,

This post has been updated and was originally published October 24, 2011

Sometimes I link to these great sites:

#MondayLinkUp #InstaEncouragements, #Let’sHaveCoffee, #Grace&Truth

 

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