21st. July. 2022.Daily Devotions.
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7
Almost everybody knows that anxiety is self-defeating, unnecessary misery. As Charles Swindoll put it, “Worry pulls tomorrow’s clouds over today’s sunshine.” It gives little problems big shadows. Anxiety does nothing to help us; it just causes us pain and distracts us from doing productive or enjoyable things. It divides our minds.
Do you really trust God when life gets anxious? Because we, as Christians, have a cure for anxiety that will make our lives enormously more productive and happy. We just need to follow Peter’s advice and cast all our anxiety on God. Literally this means that we are to throw every care and every concern that we have to God.
If He cared enough about us to send Christ, to go through all the trouble and pain it cost Him to ensure our redemption and the life of our souls, why don’t we think He cares enough to be concerned with our problems on earth? We may face tribulation, but the pain we have in life does not need to be multiplied by worrying about it!
Trust God and pray to Him to alleviate your anxiety. We will have burdens, but this is one burden we do not need to carry. And I will testify, I have relieved worries that had caused me much loss of sleep, by praying them into submission. M. Barge
Dear God, remind me always to bring my anxieties to you in prayer, in faith that you will relieve them. Amen.
From the throne of your glory, O Lord, send forth your wisdom to live in our hearts, to be at work in our lives and to speak in our conscience; that our thoughts, words and actions may be according to your will and reveal your glory; through Christ our Lord. Amen. Aelred of Rievaulx (c.1109-1167)
God of the wild places and margins, give us the grace to honour those who are different. God of the dispossessed and empty, give us humility to value in others the things we lack. God of the spiritually poor and cynical, give us the self-awareness to avoid arrogance. God of the aggressive and defensive, God of ourselves, give us the tenderness to see ourselves as you see us. Amen.
Gracious Father, by the obedience of Jesus you brought salvation to our wayward world: draw us into harmony with your will, that we may find all things restored in him, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Lord, you are ever watchful and bless us with your gifts; as you provide for all our needs, so help us to build only what pleases you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for Peace
We are moulded, each one of us, in the image of God, and within our souls there is a fingerprint none can erase. We pray for those who have no regard for anyone but self,
who put no value on human life. For nations and individuals who abuse and kill. We are not called to be judge or jury, but we are called to be agents of change. Reach into the hearts and souls of those for whom we pray and reveal to them how precious are those for whom they have no love, and how precious are they who now bring tears to the eyes of God. Amen. John Birch
Meditation
“The Christian experience, from start to finish, is a journey of faith.” ~ Watchman Nee.
