Turning Fears to Prayers

One of my children is naturally a worrier, fearful of all sorts of possibilities and whatever the imagination can conceive.

He has been especially fearful lately.

I don't know what else to do but open Scripture, especially to Psalm 34 & 91, then help him turn his fears into prayers.

That's what I do for me. Though I don't naturally gravitate toward worry and fear, those emotions are still there at times.

I remember as a teenager being scared out of my wits when a bad thunderstorm came through, and it looked like it might spawn tornadoes.

I was alone in the pizza shop where I worked; all the delivery drivers were out, and there wasn't another worker in the shop with me right then.

Suddenly, the storm blew out the electricity (in a building with only one window in front) and forced open the back door at the same time. Scared? You bet I was!

I started praying and singing one of the songs I know from church that says not to fear because the Lord is with us.

Those fears turned to prayers, and I honestly felt a peace that I wouldn't have had otherwise.

Now as an adult, those fears are around how my children will turn out, what is happening to our country, am I going to mess up my kids, what if we get stuck somewhere, what if something awful happens to one of my loved ones, what if we can't afford... The "what-ifs" can go on forever in endless variations.

STOP!

Fear isn't a way to live. A small, normal amount of it keeps us alive by alerting us to real and present danger, but it shouldn't be a constant state of mind.

Turn those fears into prayers!

Pray for our country when you read the news. Pray for your children when you think about them. Pray for your loved ones when they come to mind.

Whatever the worry or fear, don't wallow in the despair that comes with it.

Final thought: Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.