Prayer and Anxiety

“Cast all your cares on Him, because He cares about you.”
1 Peter 5:7

What a wonderful thought. The Almighty God of the universe who created everything and constantly keeps that creation moving along cares about you and the problems you face every day. God, who is limitless and who has all power is fully capable of spending time with each of His children 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He never sleeps and He never slumbers. He constantly is watching over you and the rest of His creation with love, grace, mercy and absolute power. Yet in His word He makes sure that you know that He cares for you and that He will meet all of your needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19).

Because sin is loose in the world every person is born with a nature that is bent toward sin. But when that person finds salvation in Jesus by submitting to Jesus as Lord that bent nature is pulled back towards the holiness of God. Every believer has desires, some selfish and some Christlike centered. Anxiety occurs when these two natures clash. In selfishness you have a perceived way you think things should turn out. However, Jesus has His way which is perfect and best for His Kingdom and all believers. When His way and your way differ you either yield to His way or you cry out in prayer trying to move God to see it your way causing Heaven and earth to move the current circumstances to alien with the way you desire. The problem is God is unchangeable and faithful; true and sure. In His infinite wisdom He knows how things must be. So the solution to your dilemma is not for God to do what you think but rather to mold your thinking around the perfect way God has planned to work this situation out. Through prayer God communicates to you, your responsibilities and how you need to change your way of thought and action so that you will see, with trustful clarity, that He is working this given situation out for His glory and your good.

As a child of God you are constantly reminded in God’s Word that you can trust Him because He cares for you and He knows what is best for you as well as every other person on earth. Isaiah said it well when he wrote of God, “You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you” (Isaiah 26:3). God is a rock when it comes to His faithfulness and His children. He will always work things out according to His nature and desire. Therefore learn to keep your eyes on the Lord’s desire and His nature and over time your anxiety will begin to diminish. Prayer is the tool that you use to let go of your anguish and replace it with trust. Through prayer and petitions with thanksgiving you are to let your request be made known to God. Then in exchange for your anxiety He supernaturally gives you a peace from Him that the lost world is incapable of knowing.

God has promised to supply all your needs and Jesus made it clear in the Sermon on the Mount that you can trust Him for your physical needs. Stop now and go read Matthew 6:25-33 then come back and read here.

In that passage Jesus promised you that you did not have to worry about material things like the lost world does. Then He gives you instructions for what to focus your mind on and that is His Kingdom. The truth is you exist for God’s glory! Your mind should be filled with thoughts of His Kingdom and what your part in that Kingdom shall be every day. God has gifted and empowered you for service in His Kingdom and through prayer and much Bible study you are enlightened as to what that part is. As you seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness every thing else falls into place. In a short time the very thing you were so worried about no longer plagues your mind. Peace now reigns in your thoughts.