In Everything by Prayer

I was on a flight back coming back from Texas several years ago, and I picked up one of the airline magazines. There was an article in it about a Harvard professor who began teaching a Psychology class on Happiness. I was amazed at how much of his teaching lined up with ancient biblical wisdom.

In addition to covering the importance of cultivating gratitude, generosity, and friendship, the professor also dealt with the destructive nature of worry. In his consulting work, he encouraged executives who struggle with rumination, to schedule in their day planners time to worry. 30 minutes to an hour will do. His advice is this: If you find yourself worrying during the day, write down your concerns and come back to them at your scheduled worry time. Nine times out of ten when you get back to it, it won’t be nearly as daunting.

The Apostle Paul has something to add to this advice. To the church in Philippi he wrote, “Do not worry about anything – but instead in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. In other words, Let worry be a prompter for prayer. If you schedule a worrying time, perhaps you could also make it a prayer time. As Paul advises: Let your concerns be made known to God.

Paul continues in that same passage, “And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Let us pray: We remember that Jesus said, “Come to me all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” We thank you, O God, for the invitation. And we thank you for your presence with us – even in this moment. We offer you our burdens, our worry, our anxiety and ask that as you lift them from us, you would fill us with your peace. Then, may we share that peace with a world desperately in need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.