By William Walker Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The other day the Lord brought to my mind an old hymn. And when I pulled out a hymnal from the piano bench and read the words, He began to take me on another journey. Heres the hymn: What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness, take it to the Lord in prayer. Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms hell take and shield thee; thou wilt find a solace there. (Words by Joseph M Scriven, ca. 1855, Music by Charles C. Converse, 1868) Why do I struggle, Lord? Why do I worry over a million and one things, try to take care of them myself, fail so miserably, and only then cry out to You for help? Paul instructed the Christians in Philippi (and us), "Dont worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience Gods peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT) Jesus himself tells us: "Come to me, all you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT) And why does the Lord do this for us? Jesus gives us the answer when He says: "Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So dont be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31 (NLT) He says also: "So I tell you, dont worry about everyday lifewhether you have enough food to eat or clothes to wear. For life consists of far more than food and clothing. Look at the ravens. They dont need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not! And if worry cant do little things like that, whats the use of worrying over bigger things! Look at the lilies and how they grow. They dont work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, wont he more surely care for you? You have so little faith! And dont worry about foodwhat to eat and drink. Dont worry whether God will provide it for you. These things dominate the thoughts of most people, but your Father already knows your needs. He will give you all you need from day to day if you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So dont be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom." Luke 12:22-32 (NLT) So let me get this straight. God does this for me because He loves and cares for me? And it gives Him "great happiness" to do so? If this is true, then why do I worry? Could it be that I dont really acceptdeep insidethat God loves me that much? Then how do I come to a place where I knowreally experience--that love? By becoming a child again. In Matthew we read: "And He called a little child to Himself and put him in the midst of them, And said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all]. Whoever will humble himself therefore and become like this little child [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving] is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:2-4 (Amplified Bible) With childlike faith, I approach my heavenly Father through my acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord of my life and--as a child--I ask Him. "Abba, Father, do You really love me that much? Would you just love on me right now?" And then wait on Him. If speaking to Almighty God in this way seems sacrilegious or silly, remember these words from the book of Romans: "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. O you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received Gods Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, Abba, Father. For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are Gods children." Romans 8:14-16 (NLT) No matter our chronological age, we are His children. And then, as He demonstrates His love for me I do as instructed in the Book of 1st Peter: "Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully." 1 Peter 5:6-8 (Amplified Bible) I humble myself before Him, offer Him my love and praise, and tell Him all about all my anxieties, all my worries, all my concerns and--once and for all--hand them over to Him. I admit my total inability to handle any part of my life on my own. I give Him the weight, the anxiety, and the worry about all the "jobs" I have to do in this life. I neither ignore nor deny my responsibilities as an adult, a husband, a wife, a father, or a mother but I put my trust in God to be my provider and to handle the "weight" for me. And I must give the weight to HimHe will not take it involuntarily. Nor can I give Him only part of my concerns. I must decide to subject myself to His leadership of all aspects of my life. What a wonderful promise we are given in return! He says that, if I will give up these worries and anxieties, He will take responsibility for working in my life to supply all that I need. "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." Matthew 6:33 (NLT) As the song says, "What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!" To not do so is to forfeit peace; to bear needless pain. All because I do not carry everything to God in prayer. Heavenly Father, forgive me for my pride and arrogance, for not humbling myself before You, and for not realizing the full extent of Your love for me. I cast my cares on Your mighty shoulders. I give up trying to do it all myself. I seek You alone and give the weight of my cares and burdens to You. And I accept Your will for my life." I pray this in the name of my Savior, Lord, Mediator, Intercessor, and Brother, Jesus Christ. Amen. Bill Walker is the creator and webmaster of Sarcalogos, which provides ministry and resources for Christian families. This article may be reprinted in your e-zine, e-book and/or on your web site so long as it includes this resource box and a link back to the website at http://www.Sarcalogos.com and to his blog at http://everydaychristianity.wordpress.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Walker http://EzineArticles.com/?Worry---DO-Leave-Home-Without-It&id=468189 payday loans defaults measures
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