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Pray Your Anxiety Away

Posted on by Sabra Ciancanelli

Is anxiety interfering with your work or sleep? You do not need to be a victim of worry. Reduced to its simplest form, what is worry? It is simply an unhealthy and destructive mental habit.

You were not born with the worry habit. You acquired it. And because you can change any habit and any acquired attitude, you can cast worry from your mind. Use these five faith-filled steps to help you find peace and comfort by truly giving your worries to God.

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1. Write the source of your worry on paper.
Give specific details. A fear that may seem enormous bottled up in your mind can assume quite normal proportions when put in words before you.

2. Relieve your stress. 
Sit in a chair and breathe deeply, slowly. Find comfort in John 14:27: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” Continue this exercise until you’re sure the tension has drained out of you.

3. Search the Bible for passages that express great faith.
Commit these to memory. Say them over and over, until they take hold of you, as they will, until finally they completely dominate your thinking. Example: “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4). Another is: I will fear no evil: for thou art with me” (Psalm 23:4).

4.  Trust and believe in God with all your heart.
Draw from Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Regardless of what goes wrong, you must believe that God loves you and cares what happens to you.

5.  Surrender your anxiety.
Take the sheet of paper with your fear written on it. Ask God to help you.  Begin: “Lord, I have brought this matter to Your attention. I am leaving it in Your hands.  I  know now that with your help I can release my worry and anxiety. I put my trust in You.”

Then tear up the paper and let the pieces fall into the waste-basket.

Pray to Overcome Evil

Posted on by Peola Hicks

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)

Last night, upset and angry over the senseless bombings at the Boston Marathon, I went to bed thinking about how we overcome evil with good. My youngest daughter had called us several times to say, “I love you.” My husband and I could hear in her voice how alarmed she was, but talking to us helped calm her fears and concerns for all the people who got hurt.

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The existence of evil in the world has a very chilling effect. When you feel that it is close to you, it can make you start watching over your shoulder all the time. Living in fear is not the answer. There is only one way to prevent evil in this world. Evil must be overcome with good.

We cannot allow ourselves to be overcome with evil. It has to begin in our head and hearts. We must think about doing good for others and not repaying evil for evil. When we live with the idea of always getting even, it leads to evil.

The Bible teaches us to bless rather than curse those who persecute us. The best way for us to bless others is through prayer. Every time we pray for those who commit evil, we are putting them in closer proximity to hear God say, “I have loved you with an everlasting love.”

Prayer also helps keep all of us in line with what is good and helps us see that God is the only one who can bring about a true change of heart. As hard as it is to think that evil people can change, I know that they can. Many of us are living proof.

God bless you!

Pray to Avoid Judging Others

Posted on by Peola Hicks

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:1-2)

From a very early age, we learn that you can’t judge a book by its cover. I know that I try to be careful of being judgmental, but sometimes it happens when I am least expecting it to.

Just today, I was reminded of someone I have been trying to contact for weeks. I’ve sent texts, made phone calls and more. I know that my messages have been received, but there has been no response.

At first, I was patient and shrugged it off. After a couple of weeks, I concluded that this person had no interest in talking to me. I racked my brain trying to figure if I had done something to warrant this, and every time I came up short.

After about five weeks I finally decided that this person was avoiding me. To my surprise, I then received a most pleasant message of apology. I had no idea that there was a personal issue weighing heavily on my friend. Between my pity party and judgmental attitude, I did not consider that it really had nothing to do with me.

Once again, I was reminded that what we see on the surface can be deceiving. I was also reminded that I am capable of jumping to wrong conclusions. Thank God that the timing was perfect. When I did connect with my friend, I was able to provide some encouraging words to lighten the burden. The golden rule is always good to follow: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I would not want anyone to pass judgment on me for what might appear bad behavior without first seeking to understand the reason.

When I remembered how judgmental I had been, I immediately prayed and asked God to forgive me for drawing the wrong conclusions. Are there people you have written off, thinking that their behavior could only be interpreted one way? Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself how you would want someone to think of you.

One of the reasons I love the scriptures is because it keeps us honest with ourselves. It also shows us how much we need to depend on God’s direction to keep our thoughts on treating others as we would want them to treat us.

Pray and ask God to help you overcome the tendency to jump to speedy conclusions that could cause you to stumble and possibly hurt someone else. Remain open so that God can use you to help build others up and be ready to have your heart changed. Lesson learned.

God bless you!

Praying Through Your Problems

Posted on by Bob Hostetler

Christian preachers, writers and teachers of years past frequently used a phrase that is seldom spoken anymore, it seems: “praying through.” 

One of those was Samuel Logan Brengle, a personal faith hero of mine. Brengle was an influential 19th and early 20th century preacher and author. He ministered for more than 40 years as a Salvation Army officer and eventually wrote nine books on the topic of personal holiness.

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In one of his books, Brengle wrote about “praying through”:

If people who are not satisfied in their experience would take time to “pray through,” they would find their dark tunnels leading out into a large place and into broad day. Jesus still lives and keeps “watch above His own” who hunger to be right. And He pours out the Holy Spirit upon everyone who obeys Him and seeks Him wholeheartedly. But before we can be filled we must be emptied. Before we can have the “more abundant life” we must die to sin. The old sinful nature must be crucified and put off before Jesus can abide in our hearts and satisfy the hunger of our souls. 

Are you satisfied? If not, begin right now and stir up yourself to seek until you have found. Rouse yourself. Find a secret place and pray, and pray again, and yet again, and you shall “pray through” and be satisfied. I know, for I have prayed through. I know, for Jesus has said, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7, NLT). And what Jesus has said is true.

(Excerpt from Ancient Prophets and Modern Problems by Samuel Logan Brengle; Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2016, pp. 60-61)

“Praying through” is not overcoming God’s reluctance, for He is a prayer-answering God (see Isaiah 65:24). It is often a necessary exercise, however, in conquering our own laziness, unbelief or indifference. It is not so much storming the gates of heaven as it is a way of subduing our weaknesses and shaping our desires until we want what God wills and can pray accordingly, and therefore powerfully. 

“Praying through” means wrestling with God, as Jacob did, until daybreak, if necessary—even if it leaves you with a limp (see Genesis 32). It means pressing through whatever obstacles impede your petition, as did the woman with the hemorrhage (Matthew 9:20–22, Mark 5:25–34, Luke 8:43–48). It means praying, and praying again, and yet again, as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46) and as Paul did in seeking deliverance from his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). It may sometimes mean saying to God, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Genesis 32:26, NIV).

So do as Brengle says, and rouse yourself. Find a secret place and pray, and pray again, and yet again, and you shall “pray through.”

Praying Through Your Personal Battles

Posted on by Pablo Diaz

Recently I faced some obstacles weighing me down–multiple projects at work, writing assignments and personal goals. It seemed that no matter what I was working on, stress continued to press on me. I have always been a firm believer that there is a solution to every problem, but as time passed, the stress built.

I took my battle to prayer, “God give me wisdom to address the issues at hand. Lord, help me manage my situation with insight and patience.” Praying to God, no matter the situation or the time of day, helps to calm my thoughts and reassure me that things will be alright. The battles and struggles of life change from season to season, but God’s promises are constant as is His presence.

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One morning on my drive to work, I thought to myself that it would be great to have someone to pray with me. I wasn’t sure who to call. I arrived at work and thought about it less and less as I became busy.

Then, out of the blue, I got a call from a former staff member, Lemuel. He said, “I have been up since early this morning in prayer; God placed you in my heart. I felt that I had to call you and pray for you.”

His words lifted me up. I knew at that moment God looked upon me with favor and love. I said, “Lemuel, you have no idea how much I was in need of prayer. It has been a challenging week, and I hoped for someone to pray for me.”

He prayed with me over the telephone; my soul felt lighter. Peace filled my mind. I knew that no matter what came next, God was with me.

Psalm 23:4 states, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me.” I was able to get through the week with prayer and the strength of God.

The best way to get through our battles is with prayer. What troubles keep you up at night? What battles has prayer brought you through? Please share with us.

Lord, we thank You, for when our concerns and life’s issues weigh us down, You are a constant presence and always hear our prayers.

Prayers for the Grieving

Posted on by Rick Hamlin

How to help someone in the midst of grief? How to pray for them?

I think of myself as a young Boomer, but somehow I’ve hit that age where friends, my contemporaries, are dying. Last summer I went to the funeral for the husband of my wife’s college roommate. On Sunday at church, I hugged a friend, another Boomer, whose husband died very suddenly. At a dinner last week, I sat next to a woman whose spouse has a terminal illness.

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How can I help these friends? What comfort? Recently a college classmate of mine, Jill Smolowe, sent me a copy of her new book, Four Funerals and a Wedding, in which she describes in heartbreaking detail the long illness and death of her husband, Joe Treen. And then other family deaths at the same time.

“That sounds like a depressing book,” a colleague said, seeing the copy on my desk.

“No, it isn’t. It isn’t at all,” I responded, because Jill is not only a fabulous writer–a longtime editor at People magazine–but she discovers in the midst of her sorrow, her insuperable losses, that she has enormous reserves of strength. She’d suffered terrible bouts of depression in the past, but grief was not like this. As she writes:

Yes, I experienced moments when I felt choked by sorrow, hollowed by loneliness, overwhelmed by Joe’s absence. But they were–and three years on, still are–just that: moments. To my surprise, my feelings of devastation were intermittent, not all-consuming; disorienting, not unhinging. Grief, for me, was neither the unremitting quagmire of despair I’d experienced twice with depression, nor the total shattering I’d encountered in memoirs, novels and films.

She would have bouts of tears that she gave into, sobbing, pounding the floor with her fists, emptying boxes of Kleenex, but they rarely lasted more than 20 minutes. “I disappear through a hole at the center of the earth,” she wrote in her journal. “Then I resurface and go on.”

It’s the resurfacing that is so stunning, remarkable, the strength of the human spirit and our own God-given capabilities. Jill was glad of work, glad of the notes to write, the details to take care of. But photos of Joe in the house were so painful that she would avert her gaze. As she says, bereavement would convert a cherished memory into a source of pain. And yet, and yet.

What I didn’t expect was that the feeling of extreme pain would be attended by feelings of extreme gratitude. Even stronger than the appreciation I’d experienced during Joe’s illness, this torrent of thankfulness registered people’s kindness with a hyperalertness. Deeply, intensely, I felt appreciation for what remained good in my life.

Hearing about grief from the inside gives me a better notion of how to respond to it. Jill recognizes that sometimes people were embarrassed, didn’t know what to say, avoided mentioning Joe altogether, as though he had never lived. She was so grateful to people who could be direct with her. Not sentimental, not vague, specific, aware, directly supportive. Especially helpful were words from those who had experienced loss.

Of course, I always pray for the grieving. Now I feel like I know where to direct my prayers.

P.S. I don’t want to spoil everything by explaining the wedding in the title. Suffice it to say, Jill has also had cause to rejoice in the years since Joe’s death.

Photo: Jill Smolowe and Joe Treen

Prayers for Comfort After a Death by Suicide

Posted on by Pablo Diaz

Tragically, in the past two decades, suicide has increased by about 30% in the United States. The majority of suicide-related deaths are among males, although a study published on June 14 by the National Center for Health Statistics states that the number of females taking their own lives is growing.

People of all races, ethnicities, social classes and gender take their lives. At times there are warning signs while other times there are not. But no matter what, nothing can prepare us for the loss of a beloved family member or friend from suicide. It leaves us with so many questions as well as feelings of guilt and loss.

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Recently, two celebrities—former chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain and designer Kate Spade—shocked their families and fans with the sudden death by their own means. On a closer front, I was deeply saddened to learn that my close friend’s nephew took his life at the tender age of 20. The mother is inconsolable as any mother would be, and the entire family is asking “why”?

While we will never fully know why a person ends his or her life, we can turn to prayer for comfort. Through prayer we can voice our pain, loss, anger and confusion. In prayer, we must also remember to lift up those who battle depression, isolation and hopelessness. Everyone is fighting a battle of their own, some are visible and others are not, let us remember to be kind and pray for others. Here are a few prayers from the mental health ministry, A Nouwen Network:

–God of hope, we come to you in shock and grief and confusion of heart. Help us to find peace in the knowledge of your loving mercy to all your children, and give us light to guide us out of our darkness into the assurance of your love, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

–God our strength and our redeemer: you do not leave us in this life nor abandon us in death. Hear our prayer for those in despair, when days are full of darkness and the future empty of hope. Renew in them your sustaining strength for we believe that there is nothing in all creation that can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

–Merciful God, hear the cries of our grief, for you know the anguish of our hearts. It is beyond our understanding and more than we can bear.

Let us remember to lift up in prayer those who are battling depression and those who are grieving for loved ones who died by suicide. 

Prayer in Troubled Times

Posted on by Peola Hicks

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Where can we turn in troubled times? That is a question many people ask, especially when they are praying for children or loved ones who have turned to drugs and alcohol to relieve their pain.

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We have been praying for a colleague’s child who has been in and out of rehabilitation. She was doing well for a short season, but somehow was tempted once again. It is hard to tell what triggers the dependency, but it is always heartbreaking. I can imagine that it is a struggle, especially when the mind says no but the body craves the drug.

Many people experience some victory in treatment but fail to change their environment. This contributes to the struggle to attain and sustain the desired end.

From what I understand, drug use and abuse is a complex disease and after a while the brain adapts to it. It can seem like a normal part of a person’s life, even though it is so very destructive. It can seem like there is no place to turn, but there is. Hope is never beyond reach.

Prayer is needed in troubled times. It is a comfort to loved ones and families who have tried everything possible to help those trapped in the drug-use cycle. The scriptures speak continual hope in the midst of difficult situations. Life does not always make sense; neither does it offer easy answers. Yet there is power in calling upon the Lord to help us in our time of need.

There is no problem that is out of God’s reach, which means that we should never give up on praying for others to recover from drug use and walk in ultimate freedom. We believe it so much that we are calling upon thousands of volunteers to join us in praying for your friends and family on July 1 for the Addiction and Recovery Day of Prayer.

Prayer Point: Your friends and family are not alone. God is faithful and has called many intercessors to stand with you in prayer. You will never know the power of prayer unless you pray. Submit your prayer requests and join us to pray for recovery from drug addiction for those you love. God can make a way of escape.

God bless you!

Live a Stress-free Life Through Prayer

Posted on by Peola Hicks

No matter how hard we try, it is impossible to avoid change. Change is all around us. Times of uncertainty can make us feel like we are losing control and our emotions can run the gamut. How well we adapt to change determines our level of stress both psychologically and physically. Prayer is always an appropriate response to stressful situations because we know that God does not change. He is available to us every time we call upon him for direction and comfort.

While we know that God doesn’t change, it is obvious through reading the scripture that he wants to help us overcome our negative responses to change. He wants us to know that because he is the power within us and the force behind us, he can turn our mourning into dancing. Knowing this I have to smile when I read God’s word and sense the calmness and assurance with which he speaks. Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG) is one such verse that rings with the confidence that we need to adapt to change:

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Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Prayer and worry should not coexist. Worry is a natural reaction to changes in your job, relationship, health or family status, as when a child leaves for college or the first day of school. These can be unsettling times. Do you think that God knew about these things when he said, “Don’t fret or worry?” As I am writing this, I can hear God saying, “Yes, I knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb. I was with you then and I am with you now.”

I am comforted and grateful for God’s word, and I need to hear it on a daily basis. We don’t know what we will face from day to day, so it is important to have a little nudge of hope. My prayer point is a simple reminder that we can rest assured that God is with us each day to lead and guide us through every storm or test. God’s word is a lamp unto our feet and a light to direct our path. Every time you have a thought that causes fear or worry, replace it with a prayer to God, giving him your every concern. That is what he is asking us to do.

Let’s join together for 30 days to learn how to live a stress-free life through prayer and confidence in God. Beginning September 1, OurPrayer is starting a new “30 Days of Prayer: Live a Stress-free Life” program designed to inspire you to trust God more and replace worry with prayer. It is our hope that after 30 days you will develop the habit of enjoying a stress-free life with God’s help.

Lessons from the Past on Courage, Faith and Justice

Posted on by Pablo Diaz

As Black History Month is upon us, I started thinking about Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals. It’s a searing memoir written in 2007 about being one of nine teenagers who integrated Little Rock’s Central High in 1957.

The Civil Rights Movement was underway, and the brave group of students became known as the Little Rock Nine. Melba was only 15 when she volunteered to be one of the first African-American students to attend the previously all-white school. Her courage and faith to face racism—embodied and expressed by those clinging to segregation—continues to be inspiring and spiritually powerful. 

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Melba had to face a hateful and violent crowd that day. What kept her going? Her faith, she said, passed down by her grandmother and mother. Her grandmother had always assured her that God was with her, as close as her skin. So Melba believed that He would take care of her because she was doing the right thing. She prayed, asking for courage, strength and endurance. 

Even though I read the book years ago, I still find myself thinking about how she and the other students were willing to endure hardship to stand up for what was true and just. With a resilient spirit, Melba was willing to use her voice and place herself in danger to help bring about needed change. Though a girl, but she was a giant of faith and an agent for justice.

A few years after reading her account, I was in Little Rock on a business trip for Guideposts and decided to visit The Central High Museum and Visitor’s Center across the street from the school. As I walked through the museum, Melba’s story came alive through the photos on display. The images showed the intensity and deep emotions of a crowd resisting integration and the bravery of the African-American students.

One photo especially stood out. Elizabeth Eckford, another of the Little Rock Nine, is walking to school, her eyes shielded by sunglasses. She is surrounded by a hateful mob—mouths open wide in fury, faces filled with anger. What courage and faith it took for the 15-year-old to endure that.

Many of us have been inspired over the years by the bravery of those students and others. But we also have to remember the long-lasting emotional and psychological impact that hate, injustice and bigotry have on people. Many of the Little Rock Nine continue to work through the trauma they experienced in such a hostile environment that wished them ill. Injustice, racism and oppression take a spiritual and emotional toll.

As people of faith, we must pray for justice. We must ask God to be with those suffering from discrimination. But our prayers must be accompanied by action. We need to find the courage and faith in ourselves to act spiritually and in concrete ways to help and welcome the outcast, the poor and the marginalized. We must contribute to changing systems of oppression that, in the end, hurt us all.

We must proclaim in word and deed as did Amos the prophet, “But let justice roll down as waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.” The time is now to pray and be agents of justice for God.

Gripped by Fear? Seek the Lord

Posted on by Peola Hicks

I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. (Psalms 34:4)

For most of us, being gripped with fear is one of the worst feelings in the world. I hear it in the voices of people who find themselves in life transitions or when things are out of their comfort zone. 

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Fear leads to worry. For me, it often begins with the “what ifs” and all the different scenarios that play in my head. My mind wanders and tries to find a solution. When I have run out of options, I begin to think there is no answer. That is a fearful place to be, and it can lead to exhaustion. My brain gets tired of thinking about the same thing over and over.

I wonder if having no solution led King David to finally seek the Lord. Was it after he had exhausted all options and nothing seemed to work? Psalm 34 is attributed to the period when David was struggling to stay out of the clutches of King Saul. He was on the run to avoid being killed because of King Saul’s jealous rage. He was constantly looking over his shoulder, probably worried to go to sleep at night for fear that he may not wake up. I don’t know exactly how long he lived like this… but one day he decided to seek the Lord.

We can learn a lot from King David. Now I know exactly what to do when fear comes over me. I need to seek the Lord. The Lord heard David and delivered him from all fears. I can expect him to do the same for me.

My prayer point is that I don’t have to wait until I am at my wit's end to seek the Lord. Neither do you. We have the option to seek the Lord the moment we are weighted down with fear. This also gives us the opportunity to say “no” to worry. 

It is good to learn from others. Their successes give us a proven method that works. It can save us from having to reinvent the wheel. We are blessed to have examples of people who have a track record with God.

God bless you!

Find Hope in Any Situation

Posted on by sciancanellis

Here are some of the truest, most beautiful words ever written: “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:5).

Hope is a small word, but it is one of the most powerful. Why? Because in hope lies the power of the human soul to turn to God and live as if His promises are going to come true. “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD” (Psalm 31:24).

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Some people think hope is an emotion. “I’m feeling hopeful,” they say, but true hope is a discipline, a determination to believe in God’s reality and power, even when the world seems to be crashing down around you. That is the genius and the power of hope. It flies in the face of calamity, saying, “The world can do its worst to me. But still I will hope. Still I will know that this is the day the Lord has made, and He will take care of me.”

The key to surviving any challenge or crisis is hope. Hope that Jesus loves you. Hope that He is, right now, working out a solution for you. Hope that the future you place in His hands will be better than the present you hold in your own. “’For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Practice this hope, even if you have to will yourself to do it. With its power, you will overcome all things. “Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

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