Worry and fear are not quite the same. With fear, you are conscious that there is an object to your fear, something precise. With worry, it is more vague; it is accompanied with doubt and insecurities. What is our self-talk; what are we continuously telling ourselves? Are we focused on what God says about us or on our emotions and our circumstances?

Worry is the Devil using much space in our brain with figuring things out with ‘what if’s’. It is like filling a computer with garbage and letting it chunter away so that it cannot do its job quickly and efficiently. Instead of worry, let’s pray and trust in God for His faithfulness. We can choose not to worry for a little while, but then it naturally comes back again. The only way we can stop worrying is if we renew our minds, and faith rises in us by hearing the Word of God over and over again and believing what it says.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

It is easy to pray, but first it tells us that we must choose not to worry, keeping the enemy out of our hearts and minds, then we can trust God for His faithfulness that He has heard our prayers, not because we are good, or deserve anything, but because all our prayers are said in ‘Jesus’ Name, presenting all that Jesus is.

We can become thankful even before we see the answer coming, because God does not respond to our need, He responds to our faith. All God wants is for us to believe and to receive as soon as we have asked, even before we see it and He promises that He will fill us with His peace that surpasses all our understanding, and this peace will guard our hearts and our minds because of Jesus.

In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus tells us Himself not to worry about what we shall eat or drink, or what we shall wear, God knows that we need these things. If God is capable of looking after the birds and the flowers so well, how much more does He care about us? He paid the price for our freedom, we cost God dearly, then surely we can believe that God will meet our needs even before we ask. If we first seek His kingdom and His righteousness, then He promises that these things will be given to us and more! He has never forsaken the righteous (those in Christ).

Also He tells us not to worry about tomorrow because we have enough with today on our plate. That doesn’t mean that God doesn’t want us to plan, but it does mean that He will not give us the grace for tomorrow, today.

Yes, life is difficult but God promises to work all things out for good for those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

So let us just come to Jesus with our heavy loads and divinely exchange our worries with prayers for His peace, and surely He will hear us and answer us.

I pray that you would choose not to be anxious about anything but, having prayed about it, trust God to work it out and thank Him that the answer is on its way.

  1. What is the very first thing we need to do, even before praying?
  2. What does God respond to?
  3. What is the antidote to worry?