Worry. We all do it at some point. Sometimes it’s hard not to. Sometimes life throws things at us that we can’t help but worry about. Illness, finances, family matters. These are all easy things to worry about.
I know my fellow mothers out there will identify with worrying about your children. My daughter is only one and a half and I already find myself worrying about her teen years, you know, when she can go off and do things on her own. My mind has already started imagining all the bad things that could happen to her.
But is that any way to live? No matter what you’re worrying about, letting it take over and cripple you is never the best option. Worry and anxiety can easily take over your life but the bible gives us instructions on how to handle this.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
So how do we turn our worries in to worship?
Pray with Supplication
We are instructed to pray prayers of supplication and thanksgiving. Now, if I’m honest, I had to look up the definition of supplication. I’ve read this passage many times but never really stopped to think about what it meant. According to Merriam-Webster to supplicate is to make a humble entreaty; to ask humbly and earnestly of; to ask for earnestly and humbly. The first thing we are instructed to do is come to God with a humble heart. Come to Him. Sincerely ask God for the things you are in need of. It says “in everything.” That means nothing is off limits. There is nothing that God doesn’t want to hear from you.
Count Your Blessings
Our prayers should also come from a thankful heart. Sometimes when we’re stuck in a cycle of worry and anxiety we become blinded to the things we have to be thankful for. Turning our attention to those things can do wonders! When we start to look more at the blessings in our lives we start to focus less and less on the things we have no control over. In your prayers, don’t forget to share with God what you’re thankful for.
Worship Flows
When we stop and pray our worries turn from debilitating situations to the worship of the One who has control of it all. Philippians tells us that praying with supplication and thanksgiving will lead to a peace that we cannot even comprehend. How can our response to such peace be anything but worship?Our God is incredible and is capable of things beyond our understanding. When I pause long enough to let this sink in, I can’t help but send up a “Thank you Lord!”
Don’t forget that worship is more than singing in church on Sunday. Worship is any expression of reverence and adoration for God. And that can take many forms. I personally love to sing and that is one of my favorite forms of worship, but I also love to create. Creating art in the pages of my bible is another way that I express my love for God.
So long story short, start with prayer and let the worship flow out of you in whatever form feels natural to you.
How do you deal with worry? Let us know in the comments!
Want more on anxiety and worry? Check out Leah’s post about anxiety.
