Article: Change your worries into prayers | Rev Lalachan Abraham

“Don’t worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything…” – Philippians 4:6
Many if not most of our nations are being violently shaken by the corona virus outbreak. In a world experiencing dangers of every kind, it’s comforting to know that God tells us in His Word, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything” Whatever is troubling you, be it a minor frustration to a major fear, talk to God about it. He cares, He’s interested in hearing from you and He wants to help you. If we pray about it, we won’t worry about it. So, we have a choice; pray or worry. There are so many things today that can cause us to worry and fear. It begins as a thought and then creates emotions that can rule us.
Worries and anxieties all fall under the category of fear. There is no super man who has no worries. The issue is not having fears and anxieties. Fears are like temptations. It is not a sin to be tempted, but the sin is when we give into the temptation. The same is true with fears. It is not a sin to have fears. The issue is what we do about it when they come. Modern medical research has proven that worry breaks down our resistance to disease. It actually diseases the nervous system, and more specifically, breaks down the digestive organs and the heart. In fact, 80 percent of all visits to primary care physicians are stress related. When we learn to live by faith and not let fear rule our life, we can live a fulfilling, satisfying, peaceful and joyful life in Christ.
Fear has been a part of the human existence since the fall of man in Genesis 3:8-10. Everyone, regardless of how brave they seem, is afraid of something. Fear is a common human emotion that is deeply wired in our subconscious and conscious mind. It is natural for us to fear, but it doesn’t mean that it should control our lives. Uncontrolled fear can lead to irrational thinking, behaviors, and worst, spiritual paralysis and death. Let us examine the Bible and see what it says about fear and how to overcome it.
The bible tells us in 2Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” So this crippling spirit of fear didn’t come from God. God wants us to know Him and completely rely on His direction in our lives. One of the Bible’s most consistent commands is simply “Don’t be afraid!” God knew we would struggle with fear, so He’s constantly reminding us that we can live with courage because He’s with us every step of the way. “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
Simply put, fear is the opposite of faith. God wants us to walk by faith and Satan wants us to walk by fear. Remember that faith is a choice, not a feeling. Jesus said “Have faith in God,” (Mark 11:22).God gives perfect gifts that are good in every way (James 1:17). Choose today to reject fear and accept the beautiful things God has in store for you.
In the Psalms we see a picture of David, who, like us, experienced times of fear. Psalm 56:3 reveals his faith with these words: “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.” Often the fear of what lies ahead is harder to bear than the reality when it comes. In fact, it’s a failure to trust God. And when we make God our refuge, we have security in Him. Just like a newborn baby wrapped in a warm, secure blanket, God wraps us in His love, power and protection.

The God who created heaven and earth is always with us and watching over us. The Bible tells us again and again to not give in to fear. God tells His children: “Do not fear, for I am with you. (Isaiah 43:5) We can always call on him in our time of need. Psalms 121:1-2⁣ says “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” The Bible is not an option; it’s a necessity. This is especially true in times of despair that can lead to anxiety and fear.
The first step to an anxiety-free mind is to give your life to Jesus Christ. When we become born again through a relationship with Jesus Christ, we actually become …recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do good works which God predestined…for us…[living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live] (Ephesians 2:10). Once you’ve taken that step, the next step is vital that to fix your thoughts on Jesus. So whatever Jesus is, we are too. He is strong, and in Him, we are strong. He is courageous; in Him, we are courageous. He is a conqueror, so we can be too. He has peace and joy, so we have peace and joy. He’s capable and bold. In Christ, we can do whatever we need to do with His love and boldness.
Jesus tells us “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34) The Christian’s faith is a confident assurance in a God who loves us, who knows our thoughts, and who cares about our deepest needs. That faith continues to grow as we study the Bible and learn the attributes of His amazing character. The more we learn about God, the more we can see Him working in our lives and the stronger our faith grows. Spending time in prayer and quiet worship develops a relationship with our heavenly Father that sees us through even the darkest of nights. It’s through the hearing, reading, and meditation in the Scriptures that we begin to experience a strong, confident faith that eliminate worry and fear.
Paul tells us, “Don’t worry 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.” (Philippians 4:6-7) We need to turn our worries into prayer. Philippians chapter 4 goes on to tell believers exactly what we should focus on. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9).

The more you love God and others – the more fear disappears. 1 John 4:18- ‘There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…’ ‘God loves you unconditionally, wholeheartedly and continually.’
Isaiah 41:10 God says “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with my right hand of righteousness.”
There are two commands in the verse. “Do not fear” is the first command at the beginning of the verse. And then the second is “do not be afraid” As always in the Bible, If God commands us to do something, there are good reasons to do it. And power comes from understanding and believing those reasons.
Here are the five reasons: God says “For I am with you”, “I am your God”, “I will strengthen you.”, “I will surely help you.”, “I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness…”

When God says “Do not fear” —God calls you to be free from fear he does not leave the command hanging in the air. He puts pillars under it. That’s the nature of all biblical commands. They come with divine support. Hebrews 13:8 says God is the same yesterday, today and forever! He can heal and free us so that we no longer live in the present in response to something that happened in the past. The key to overcoming fear is resting on the pillars of the promises of God.
Fear not, God is with you;
Fear not, God is your God;
Fear not, God will strengthen you;
Fear not, God will help you;
Fear not, God will uphold you.
The Lord considers you to be very special, as it states in Zechariah 2:8: “Whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye.” Therefore, you can be assured of His promises. God promises to provide for all our needs ‘according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 4:19). God has really made His promises very clear. “I will never leave you or forsake you.” When God promises to be with us, His presence includes: His Peace, His power, His provision and His protection. Our job is simply to cling to the promise of His presence. When we are praying about our apprehensions, we leave them at the feet of Jesus. We can trust He will work everything out. He did not just come to save our eternal souls. He came to give us “life and that more abundantly.”

Rev Lalachan Abraham

Executive Director, Transformation India movement

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