13 Mar Shape Your Worries into Prayers

I sit in the Asian Collection at the National Arboretum in Washington D.C, my “go to” place for quiet and reflection. I sit quietly among the birds chirping and the flowers budding and blooming. The calming sounds of nature all around remind me of Jesus’s well known admonition in Matthew 6: “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?“

Anxious thoughts cannot add a single hour to our lives and yet they come at us from every direction these days, washing away our peace like a tsunami. Everywhere I walk these days, it seems the atmosphere is permeated with a heightened tension due to the spread of COVID-19.

And yet all over God’s Word, another voice rings out loud – calling out to us, “Fear not!” Everywhere I look in Scripture the last few weeks, this word is there – ringing in my ears and bringing me stability and peace in the storm:

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you;  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” – Psalm 34:4

In the midst of a growing pandemic, how can we not fear? And what exactly does “not fearing” look like? It doesn’t mean living recklessly or  ignoring government officials. It does mean that while walking prudently and wisely, we operate and live our lives from a place of peace and trust in God.

The church of God throughout history has walked through every kind of disaster and tragedy known to mankind: persecution, war, famine, natural disaster, and yes, plagues and pandemics. And to each one of us in these trials God speaks:

“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”)  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:35-39

We can walk with peace in our hearts because nothing – not COVID-19 or death or anything in all creation – will EVER be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. We are not alone in this. God will never leave or forsake us.

And yet, because we are human beings, we will all experience moments of anxiety. So when we are anxious, what should we do? Again, thank God for giving us His Word with such encouragement and abundant promises!

I love the Message translation of Philippians 4:6-7 which says, “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.“

Isn’t that beautiful?! Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers. If you are feeling afraid or anxious in this time, try this. Write down your fears and anxieties – and then shape each one of them into a prayer. Release your cares to God and entrust Him with each concern. He is on the throne. He is still ruling the universe.

I’ve created a template of 11-Ways-to-Pray-During-COVID-19  with some ideas on how we can pray.

Lord Jesus, thank you that you are with us. You never leave us or forsake us. You hold our hands through this crisis and you walk with us each step of the way. Thank you for the opportunity to turn our worries into prayers and cast our cares on you. We cling to you as our solid Rock now and forever. in Jesus name, Amen.