Dear Precious Friends,
On this Thank God I'm Forgiven Friday, I pray you are embracing the gift of a new day with worship, praise and prayer for our awesome God for giving us a new day. There is so much happening around us and it is easy for fear and anxiety to step in.
WE all want lives free of burdens, worry and fear... So what is the important is to remember to trust God and not self. Fear and worry brings on all kinds of negative emotions. But I love how the Apostle Paul informs us that we have a choice in how we handle fearful and anxious circumstances and situations that are guaranteed to come our way. In other words, we have a way of escape when it comes to worry and fear.
We can choose to be anxious or we can choose to trust God and take it to Him in prayer. God wants us to have "peace" in all things. The Peace that God gives exceeds anything we can understand. His peace gives us rest in the midst of life's storms.
Paul's answer to this is a blunt, Do not be anxious about anything. The entire Word of God is a constant exhortation to believers to stop worrying.
How do we stop worry? Every time we try to stop worrying it seems we worry all the more. We can't stop it just by the exercise of will power. Again, that's the secret of running the race — here it is:
In EVERY situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
I love those words in every situation. That means there is nothing too small to bring to him. Someone asked, Is it alright to bring small things before the Lord? Is He concerned about the small things in our lives? The answer is: is there anything that looks big to God? Everything is small to him, so take everything to him in prayer. Prayer is the expression of our dependence upon his promises. We can constantly pray in our day, throughout our day, in small things, in big things... it is simply that quiet, arrow prayer of the heart, in continual recognition that we need to lean back upon his grace and strength in everything, constantly relating to that indwelling life of Christ in us
Petition means, keep it up, over and over again. Whenever problems develop lean back again in prayer to the one who is able and competent within you through his indwelling life.
Thanksgiving is that forward look of faith that thanks God for the answer before you see it. Knowing his character, you know something — the right thing, the perfect thing — will be done.
God is not saying we should ask for everything we want. Instead, we're to ask for everything we need. That kind of prayer must always have appended to it what our Lord prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.
But there are things for which we can immediately ask, and know that we will receive.
His grace, his strength, insight, wisdom, patience, love and compassion.
And as we lean back upon him in that inner dependence of faith which is prayer, we can also begin to give thanks that the answer has come, and in our thanksgiving we discover the experience of it as well. So, as in everything where we let our requests be made known to God, the result is peace. The peace of God that passes all understanding will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Praying for that peace that passes all understanding today and every day as we let the Lord take over, casting our burdens on Him and NOT reeling them back in!
Have peace precious friends.
AMEN!!!
Source: Holy Spirit, God's word, Daily Devo.
