How much worry is too much? Which of your concerns does God want to hear about? According to Philippians 4:6 (NIV), “any” and “all” are the respective answers.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
A young mother approached me after I’d spoken on worry. “It’s hard to see how worry is so bad. It’s not like murder or adultery.”
I reminded her that small choices over time add up to big changes and used Hurricane Fran to explain.
When Hurricane Fran approached the East Coast, we thought Raleigh was safe. After all, the weather reports said the brunt of the storm would hit South Carolina. However, in the middle of the night, high winds and crashing trees woke sleeping Raleigh.
Walking outside the next morning, the scent of what smelled like Christmas trees greeted us, but the destruction looked like a war zone. How could the weather reports have been so wrong?
We learned that out in the Atlantic Ocean, the storm had shifted only a few degrees north. That small change, taken out over hundreds of miles, had moved the storm from South Carolina to the middle of North Carolina.
A shift of only a few degrees in our thinking and attitudes, taken out over five, ten, or fifteen years, makes us into different people than we’d have otherwise been, too. God has good reason for forbidding worry—it changes our character.
Redirect Worries Through Prayer
Philippians says to wrap every worry in prayer and send it to God. A parking place at the concert is not too small a request for Him. An unhappy relationship or broken past is not too big for Him. He numbers the hairs on your head and yet names each star. Nothing is too big or too small for our heavenly Father. If it concerns you, it matters to Him.
We are to present our requests believing that God hears and answers in the best possible way. When we pray, we must thank Him for listening and acting. We don’t just dump our worries on Him as if He’s a mere sounding board.
Thank You that You hear me and are involved in my life. Since You allowed this, I know it is for my good and the good of all who love You. Thank You for accomplishing something wonderful in me through this. Please … heal, provide, change … However, recognizing You know best, I offer up this situation and ask for Your very best. Thank You for listening and handling this concern.
Thanksgiving demonstrates faith and brings hope. I’m speaking to the One who can handle this. Faith pleases God and unleashes His power. Faith trusts God to use my circumstances to accomplish something that could not otherwise be accomplished.
Jesus invites us to bring our worries to Him—and to leave them. He cares. Let’s offer them with thanksgiving.
Cynthia Simmons and I discuss this topic in more detail on her radio podcast. Click here to listen.
Don’t Panic: Stress Cure with Amazing Tool Kit
Blessings,
Resources
Want to go deeper in finding rest from worry and anxiety? Get your copy of Give Yourself a Break.
This post has been updated and was originally published October 24, 2011
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I needed this reminder today Debbie – thank you!!!
One of my favorite Scriptures.
Worry maximizes the problem and forgets God is bigger. I’ve often had to remind myself God to give it to God instead of letting it rule my thoughts. I love this: “He numbers the hairs on your head and yet names each star. Nothing is too big or too small for our heavenly Father. “
Barbara, me too. I have to remember to commit it to Him and leave it there!
I agree, Debbie, interspersing prayer concerns with applicable praise and promisees does help to keep discouragement at bay! I’m so thankful for the Bible, especially the psalms, for providing an abundance of prompts we can personalize for this purpose.
Nancy, the Psalms show God accepts our human emotions. I’m so glad He recorded those for us.
“God has good reason for forbidding worry—it changes our character.” I had never thought of worry in that regard. I am so grateful we can take anything, and everything, to God in prayer. And then we can trust Him to do what He knows is best.
Me too, Joanne. What a difference that makes in life!
Debbie, thanks for bringing Philippians to the table. I love these letters to the churches from Paul and am always delighted how they meet our own needs all these centuries later.
Thank You, Lord.
I agree. And he wrote them in prison!
It’s hard not to worry, but we know He is with us. I like when you remind us that “no request is too small” for our Lord to be concerned about. Thank you for this encouraging message.
Aren’t we thankful nothing is too small or too big to bring to our Father?
I catch myself slipping into worry sometimes. I needed to hear this wonderful reminder Debbie and praying is the best way to fight it.
So easy to do. It’s a magnetic force we must resist to experience God’s peace.