Prayer Neutralizes Worry

“A man was in a hurry to catch an airplane. He ran, huffing and puffing, down toward his gate. He passed a guy who was dressed in a pilot’s uniform. The guy said to the breathless man, “Where are you in a hurry to?” “Oh,” the man said, “I am late for my plane. I don’t want to miss my plane.” He proceeded to tell the guy what flight he was hurrying to. The uniformed man said, “Don’t be in a hurry; I am piloting that plane.” If the pilot is chilling, you chill too. Don’t stress yourself out about things unnecessarily. Wait on God and trust that if He’s taking His time, you can too.

Today, people are worrying about a plethora of things--the economy, jobs, politics, war, etc. Many are dealing with the day-to-day struggles of trying to make ends meet. However, it feels like at the end of the day we have more ends than we have meet. Thus, the specter of anxiety (or worry) can lurk in the recesses of our minds. The apostle Paul dealt with this very issue with the Philippian Church. In fact, he gave them a solution for overcoming this spiritual menace that seeks to offset our tranquility in Christ (Philippians 4:6, 7). Subsequently, the essence of his message to the Philippians conveyed the idea that “Trusting God is the antidote for worry.” Similarly, as believers, how do we demonstrate that we have placed our trust in God when it comes to dealing with worry? Our text suggests four actions:

1. By not allowing ourselves to have anxiety about anything. The Philippian saints were habitually worrying about everything. Therefore, Paul exhorted them to stop it. The word “nothing” is literally “not even one thing.” The story is told of a man who constantly worried about developing terminal cancer. He worried about this issue for 35 years until it drove him to have a fatal heart attack—worrying can kill you! Jesus reinforced this truth when He exhorted us not to worry about life’s necessities (Matthew 6:25-34). Instead, He encouraged us to occupy our thoughts on seeking and executing His “Kingdom Agenda.” In essence, He is saying, “I am aware of your needs and I will supply them, so do not fret about the challenges of life—remember David said that he had never seen the righteous forsaken” (Psalm 37:25).

2. By setting our hearts to worship God. In Philippians 4:6b, Paul told them to worship God through prayer and to render thanksgiving to God. For instance, praise God for who He is in your life and thank Him for what He has already done for you. Celebrate all the past triumphs that God has wrought in your life. On my office wall hang plaques and certificates that record the history of achievements and accolades received during my life. All of them have a story behind them of God’s providential hand orchestrating my life’s journey and the miraculous blessings obtained through His Divine enablement. Therefore, when I find myself in tough situations that seem insurmountable, I look up at the walls and begin to reflect on the faithfulness of God and His goodness towards me, my faith is strengthened and I am encouraged to move forward―hallelujah! Excuse me, saints. I am having a praise moment with my Savior. The psalmist expressed a similar sentiment when he penned Psalm 103:1-5. When we express our thanksgiving to God through prayer, praise and worship, it breaks the bonds of worry and replaces it with a sense of hope and peace (Luke 18:27; John 14:27).

3. By presenting our request to God in confidence. Paul reminds us to make our request known to God through prayer. Our confidence in God is anchored in our relationship with Him as His children. And as His children, we can address Him confidently in prayer and know that our requests are heard, especially if asked according to His will (1 John 5:14). As a father myself, I frequently experience a sense of great joy when I look into the eyes of my six year-old daughter as she is making a request of me, for in her little eyes her daddy can satisfy her perceived need(s). Likewise, the Bible declares that our sufficiency is in God our Father, and there is no lack in Him (2 Corinthian 3:5b), and finally

4. By allowing the peace of God to minister to your soul. In the King James Version, the words “shall keep” in Philippians 4:7 are from a military word, “shall mount guard.” God’s peace, like a sentinel, mounts guard and patrols the hearts door, keeping worry out. The movie, “The Bodyguard,” is the 1992 American romantic thriller starring Kevin Costner and the late Whitney Houston. Costner stars as a former Secret Service Agent-turned-bodyguard who is hired to protect Houston's character, a music star, from an unknown stalker. Our stalker, “worry,” has to deal with our bodyguard so to speak, “The peace of God” and if we are engaged in the four actions aforementioned, worry will not trouble our souls (Psalm 42:11a).

Reflection

1. Do you allow the cares of life to trouble you?

2. What spiritual activity outside of prayer can aide you in overcoming worry?

3. According to Philippians 4:7, what guards our minds against worry?

4. Is worry a sign of lack of trust or faith in God?

Additional Reading:

1. Wiley Bumgarner, Knowing God Through Prayer

2. Judson Cornwall, Praying the Scriptures

3. Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Conversation With God: Experience Intimacy With God Through Prayer

4. Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Praying with Power

5. Terry Law, Praise Releases Faith