Morning, friends!! Today’s Throwback Thursday is one that I needed to go back and read today. It’s all about Praying instead of worrying. I am a worrier for sure, but over the last year God has taught me to turn my worries into prayers. He’s in control of every situation in my life and I just trust that His ways are the best ways.
I hope this short devotional encourages and challenges you today!
Pray First
Mark Batterson says that the way to praying without ceasing is to turn everything into a prayer. From the big problems in our lives to our hopes and dreams. But also in the mundane and in the simple things. As we bring everything to Him in prayer it becomes a way of life and our life becomes a continuous prayer.
He says that there’s good news to being a worrier by nature because in the Bible, Paul tells us to not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. When a worry enters your mind, take it to God in prayer. When you start to feel anxious, take it to Him in prayer.
We can pray for our children as we fold their laundry and we can pray with them as we tuck them in at night. We can pray as we walk or run our neighborhood. As we go by each house, pray for the people who live in that house. We can pray in the car on our way to work or to run errands. We can pray anywhere!
This is what God wants. He wants to have a constant connection with us. He wants us to turn to prayer and choose to take everything to Him first. What would happen if as soon as we wake up, the first thing we did was pray instead of pick up our phones? This really convicted me. I am so quick to turn my alarm off and then my fingers naturally go to social media. What would happen if we prayed instead?
Mark Batterson shares in Draw the circle that,
“The reason most people don’t feel intimacy with God, is that they don’t have a daily prayer rhythm. They may have a weekly rhythm of going to church, which is wonderful, but doing so in and of itself won’t produce intimacy with God. Can you imagine talking with your spouse or child once a week? God wants a day-by-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute relationship with you.”
Today let’s focus on praying first. In everything, let’s pray and take it to Him first.
Have a great Thursday!
XO