How To Pray Without Worry
by Anna Balsamo
Heart Song Worship Center
A situation occurred in my life that was causing me great sadness. While turning to the Lord in prayer over this, I found His peace eluding me. I would bring this distress to Him and pray and read His Word hoping to find a solution to this problem, and a place of trust in Him. But instead I found myself worrying over it. I could literally feel my forehead purse together forming crevices as wide as the Colorado River! I couldn't seem to release this to Him in prayer and leave it in His capable and all-knowing hands.
So, of course, I started to worry about the fact that I was worrying! Oh, the tangled webs we weave us mortals! Rather, sinners! So I asked for help with this dilemma and He was faithful to lead me into His truth. I knew it already; in fact I had practiced it early on in my walk with my Savior, but somewhere along the way had stopped practicing it.
Quite simply it's this - as I pray for situations and particular people's needs I listen for His Holy Spirit's prompting as far as praying with particular scripture verses and then I praise Him for His answer to the problem/person, and I keep doing this each time it/they come to my mind. Surely in the past I had mastered the art of supplicating, but lost sight of the thanksgiving and praise so necessary in my walk with my Savior.
As I learn to praise Him, I am exercising my faith in His ability and not my own. I am learning to settle it onto His shoulders and not my own. He knows the situation or person involved and only He knows the answer. I shouldn't and couldn't presume to know - I am not God; He is. I am also following what the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6, "Pray about everything. And in everything by prayer and supplication and with thanksgiving make your requests known unto God, and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Praise helps us to believe when we have no visible proof of His answer. It bridges the gap between our human frailties (unbelief), and God's Holiness. It gets our eyes off our problems and onto Him where our hearts should be focused. (Remember Peter and the storm? Matt. 14:22-33) Sometimes it's just not easy to keep our eyes on Him and trust. Let's face it - life can hit us pretty hard sometimes, don't you agree? When you're facing something that flies at you like a locomotive at full speed, sometimes you don't have much time to do anything! But praise is so simple even a child can do it. Isn't that just like our God? After all, He did say to become like little children, didn't He? (Matt. 18:3)
Psalm 8:2 says "You have ordained praise because of your enemies to silence the foe and the avenger." Wow! Read that again. Remember Paul and Silas in prison and how they started praising God and the prison doors opened wide???? (Acts 16:25-28) I think Psalm 8 is pretty accurate. Praise to God Almighty packs a whollop. The proof is in the pudding as they say! The particular situation in my life is not resolved - yet. But I am learning to pray as He instructs me and the problem is no longer weighing me down. His peace is in my heart as I learn to wait with a faithful and thankful heart for His answer.
I am learning to follow this method of praying in all matters whether great or small. Some He answers almost immediately as I had hoped and prayed. Others linger unanswered - but now I wait in hope clinging to His Word and praising Him for answer before it comes, and in whatever shape it comes.
In the book of James (1:5-6) he tells us to ask for wisdom and not doubt that you have received it. Praising Him for this is another way to learn how to do this and walk by faith and not by sight. All this stretches my faith in Him and teaches me that it's all about Him, not me. (The deep crevices in my forehead have left lasting reminders!)
Did you know that rejoicing in Him (even when you don't feel like it) is an act of obedience to God? Deuteronomy 12:18 says, "You are to rejoice before the Lord your God in everything you put your hand to."
To me the easiest and most comfortable way for me to praise Him is in song. So I belt it out all over the house! (When no one is around that is!) When I am prone to worry or afraid about something I sing to Him and combine that with speaking His Word out loud and it really helps keep my mind on Him and His truth. "God inhabits the praises of His people." (Ps. 22:3) If I am praising Him the enemy of my soul has to flee. How wonderful! In Psalm 9:1-2 David wrote, "I will praise you, O lord, with all my heart. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High."
So....sing to the Lord a new song! Sing it loud and over and over if you must. You'll get used to it and learn to get used to the sound of your own voice singing! In the process, your fears will flee and you will grow more in love with Him.
"For He is God and there is none like Him!" (Isaiah 46:9)
