Shaping Worries Into Prayers

I've had several things on my mind recently. Actually -- several people on my mind and praying daily for each one.

A nephew facing the possibility of losing a foot. A godson recovering from kidney surgery. A friend enduring dialysis four times a week. Then my precious bonus daughter, recovering from shoulder surgery. Another friend has daily cancer treatments. Yet another dear friend is preparing for knee surgery.

Goodness -- before long, my heart starts carrying their burdens -- and my burdens feel heavier than I was meant to carry.
Maybe you've been there too.

Then I remember something important -- while these concerns may feel enormous to me, they are not overwhelming to God.

The Lord who created the mountains, hung the stars in place, and knows the number of hairs on our heads is fully aware of every detail.

"For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways." (Psalm 91:11)

What a comfort!

Then, I put on the TV and I start to worry about world events, wars, rising prices, and all the uncertainties that seem to fill the news. Sometimes I think if worrying burned calories, I'd be in excellent shape by now!

But God never asked us to carry the weight of the world.
He asked us to bring it to Him.

The Apostle Paul wrote, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything." (Philippians 4:6)

I especially love how The Message Bible paraphrases that scripture:
"Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers."

What a beautiful picture!

Like a potter shaping clay, God can take our anxious thoughts and mold them into something better -- trust, peace, and deeper faith.

The circumstances may not change overnight.
The surgery may still happen.
The treatment may continue.
The answers may take time.

But something changes within us when we place our worries into God's hands.

Our hearts become lighter because we're no longer carrying the burden alone. We don't carry the weight by ourselves.

We can leave them with THE ONE Who can do and will do something about it! We can shape it into a prayer and leave it with our Father God Who is still on the throne, still in control, and still working all things together for good.

To put a stamp of approval on this blog, in the words of an old song, "Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there!" Now, that's what I call -- burdens that are worth surrendering!

#burdenstoblessings #prayerchangesthings #LetGoLetGod