God's Prescription for Worry

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.

Philippians 4:6, NLT

When you begin to experience some symptoms of an illness, you go to the doctor, who may write a prescription to help you recover. But what if your illness is not just physical but spiritual?

One of the first symptoms of spiritual trouble is worry. Our hearts tend to react to adverse circumstances with anxiety. We mull over all the possible worst-case scenarios before anything has even happened. Have you noticed that most of your worries never actually materialize? Worry wastes precious time. No wonder God says, “Don’t worry about anything".

God’s prescription for worry is prayer. Prayer does not always come naturally in the midst of a difficult situation. We panic more easily than we pray. But thankfully, you can count on the Spirit of God to prompt you to pray. Somewhere in the midst of your trial, you will remember God and turn your heart toward Him. If you will resolve in advance of troubles to pray instead of worry, you will more likely run to God in the heat of the moment.

Lord, help me always choose prayer over worry. Amen.