Stop worrying, start living

CEBU, Philippines —  I was pondering on a message from Listen And Prosper: Daily Prayers, Bible Verses & Devotional website and I am reminded of a friend. The message was, “Whatever you are anxious about today, God says that you can cast all your worries on Him, because He cares for you.  Are you worried about work? Finances? Maybe you’re facing difficulties at home, or with your health. Whatever it is, God is asking you to trust that He’ll take care of it.”

My friend spent a lot of sleepless nights worrying about her son who lives alone in the city while she lives in the province with her husband. She is afraid that her son might have asthma attack and there would be no one to bring him to the hospital, especially he is living in an exclusive subdivision and far away from the city. I told her that she should trust her son’s health and safety to God.  Philippians 4:6 says, “ In nothing be anxious, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

Though at times we can’t help but be anxious, our source says, “It can be difficult to remain at peace when we’re walking into the unknown and it can sometimes seem as if we’re spiraling out of control. But God wants you to know today that all is well and that all things work together for good for those who love God” (Roman’s 8:28)

Our source advises, “So rest in God’s care today. The battle is not yours but God’s. And He’s already won all your battles for you when He cried, “It is finished” on the Cross.

We cannot help but be anxious and worry when problems overwhelmed us. But  I am a great believer that being prayerful helps. Praying to God and giving to Him our cares and burdens can give as a comforting and soothing feeling that everything will be okay. When our prayers are not answered as we expected to be, we just have to be patient and be persistent in our prayer. We just have to wait God’s timing in answering our prayer. Because our time is not God’s time.

Our source suggests the following steps so we can stop worrying and start living:

Whenever you feel anxious today, take a deep  breath, close your eyes, and remember that God holds you with His loving hands.  It may not seem like at times, but God truly does care about your daily concerns and He wants to help carry all your burdens. All you need, is to let Him.

How do you know whether you’re allowing God to carry your burdens? Well, you’ll know when your worry turns into praise. When you feel the weight lifting from your shoulders, and the urge to praise our wonderful Lord rising from your heart, you’ll know that you’ve passed your cares on to Him.

Say this prayer: “Father, I know you have prepared great things for me today. Guard my heart from worry that my thoughts may stay on you. Your Word says that you have made plans to prosper me and not to harm me. Plans to give me a hope and a future. I may not yet be able to clearly see the way ahead of me, but I know that I can trust you. All I need is to follow your presence – constantly showing me the way.