Pray first!

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Philippians 4:6

Prayer is often the most overlooked of spiritual fortifiers. I may offer prayer as a last resort or an afterthought in a time of struggle. I’ll usually try to do so much to “fix” what I perceive as a problem that I wind up making the situation worse. I’m quick to foul it up and then I am slow to humble myself in prayer. O God, forgive me! I need this reminder today: Pray first, figure it out later!

Anxiety is meant to be a prayer driver. It is a dashboard light telling us to pull over and pay attention to prayer. And prayer that offers all of life to God in request will keep that anxiety from driving us into all kinds of self-created trouble! Prayer that is pleading and thankful, surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus, will free us from our fears.

This bizarre and totally outrageous year of 2020 has led me to pray. And I have prayed not only for my own requests, but for others at a distance deficit like never before. But I still haven’t done it quite like this passage states it. And why now, over eight months into this pandemic disruption do I finally realize that this cultural anxiety is a fervent call to serious and heartfelt prayer? I mean I’ve prayed a lot. But I don’t think I’ve kept the wisdom of the prayer we are commanded to practice here in mind. So I pray...

Lord Jesus,

I thank You that You hear me and answer prayer. I want to know Your peace in these anxious times. And so I ask You to guide me, my home, all whom I love, and my church safely through this perilous pandemic. Guide us safely through this awful political turmoil. Deliver us from attempted tyranny and transition us peacefully. May the plans of evil people come to utter frustration! Guide those who care now for our sick and our elderly. Spare us from the worst this pandemic could bring! Oh that fast relief from this virus could graciously arrive by Your providence! And most of all, as only You can by Your mercies, open this entire world to the healing gospel of Jesus Christ, I pray! And embolden Your church to hold out this hope to an anxious world.

Amen