Front Parking Spot – Do Not Worry

There are three little words that carry a powerful punch for a life of peace. These words are: Do Not Worry. Yes, I agree that this is easier said than done but it takes a daily commitment to try to switch your brain from worry to prayer. Here’s how to do it.

Sometimes it begins at night. Your brain won’t turn off because of the concerns of life that burden you. It could be health, relationships, job, money, guilt, politics, the list goes on and on. Usually this causes you insomnia, leading to a morning of tiredness, fatigue and a continuation of this worry that anchors your day with a weight of anxiety.

Sound familiar?

Treat these times of concern and worry as a light switch that is in the off position, resulting in darkness. Make a mental decision to flip the switch to the ON position of light, illuminating God’s power in your thoughts and “taking every thought into the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5) How does this happen? Switch your worry to the ON switch of prayer. Quickly attack that worried thought with a prayer to God asking him to take care of whatever is causing you concern. Let Him unleash His army for your benefit, relieving you of the worry or fear of your situation. He is able to do this with one flick of the switch. However, this takes practice. It’s is easy to go down the rabbit hole of worry. What if this or that happens? How can I ever accomplish this task? But when you give your situation to God through prayer, it is amazing how He will take your concerns and give you a sense of calm, because the truth is that He has it all under control.

However, like anything you do, this needs to become a habit. It has been said that it takes 30 days to make a new habit. Prayer is no different. Instead of saying, “I’m so worried,” say “I am praying for…” Take the worried word out of your vocabulary. This command, “Do Not Worry,” is mentioned hundreds of times in the Bible, accompanied by “Do Not be Afraid” and “Do Not Fear.” Yet so many people fall into the worried trap not allowing themselves to be free of this unnecessary bondage.

So, take the next 30 days to retrain your thoughts of worry into a prayer for God’s help. This way it will switch to the “On” position of God’s light into your circumstance and His power will begin to transform your anxiety into peace through prayer.

Philippians 4 : 6 (NIV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Matthew 6 :25 (NIV) “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?”

For a powerful book on prayer, check out this book by Tony Evans.