‘Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ‘ Philippians 4:6 (NLT)
‘Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.’ Ephesians 6:13-18 (NLT)
‘And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. ‘ 1 John 5:14 (NLT)
‘In those days when you pray, I will listen. ‘ Jeremiah 29:12 (NLT)
‘The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.’ Psalms 145:18 (NLT)
When I was little, I was presented with a prayer box. It was a simple cardboard box. Inside was a message that read, “Hello. This is God. I will be handling all your problems today. Write your worries and prayers down on a piece of paper and leave it in this box. I won’t need your help so have a good day! I love you!”
The purpose of the box was to place my prayers inside and leave it, knowing God would take care of it for me. I could go on about my day knowing God had my back. It was such a simple thought.
As I got older, I had a tendency to go back to that box, reach in and grab that prayer out. I had a hard time leaving it in the box and trusting God with the outcome. The worry would creep back into my mind and again that prayer would disappear from the box – where it belonged.
Prayer is an important part of the restorative process. In fact, it’s essential. It’s even the most critical part of our armor that we discussed yesterday. Prayer is our connection to God. And you may be thinking to yourself, God obviously knows I’m going into surgery, He knows all!
But God wants us to talk to Him about it! He wants us to include Him in our journey, every portion of it. He’s not annoyed or burdened by what we may feel like are obvious requests. He delights in them!
Our constant verse throughout this reading plan has been Philippians 4:6.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
God wants it all. He wants your anxieties, your fear, your struggles. He wants us to not only tell Him about them but leave them with Him. Prayer is our opportunity to tangibly pass our troubles of this world off to God.
God has your back in this surgery, just talk to Him about it. Don’t be afraid to ask for things that may feel obvious. Ask for peace, for healing, for a quick recovery!
Put your prayer in God’s box and walk away. I promise He’s got your back.
from Restoring Life: Anxiety