Pause: A Month of Prayer in Five Minutes a DayPrimjer

Proclaim “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Phil. 4:6) Prompt I know we in the Christian world love to quote Luke 1:37: “For with God, nothing will be impossible.” But while that may be true about Mary getting pregnant with Jesus while still a virgin, I can tell you one thing that actually is impossible: Changing other people. I speak from experience on this one because I’ve tried this in every way. Control, manipulation, deception, shame, ignoring… you name it, I’ve done it! (How about you?) People only change when they make the decision to change, and there’s nothing you or I can do about that. It’s how God set it up when He created the world and gave us all free will. But you know what we can do? We can pray. It’s so hard, but when our hearts are anxious because of this person or that person, we can pray for them and for ourselves. Prayer can change everything. And as our verse reminds us - after prayer comes peace. Prod Who in your life is driving you crazy?! Who are you mad at? Who are you scared for? Make a list and commit to praying for them every waking hour. Praise Listen to “One Thing Remains” by Bethel Music Pray Jesus, thank you for [NAME OF PERSON YOU’RE PRAYING FOR]. You created them, you love them, and you delight in them, just like you do in me. Bless them today. Amen. (Repeat this prayer as many times as you need to.)