Worry & Prayer

"If you prayed as much as you worried you'd have a whole lot less to worry about."

That's Pastor Rick Warren's take on the beginning of a 34 day journey with his congregation at Saddleback Church, towards Christmas Day.

Warren went on to outline a very do-able way to keep focused on God during the holiday season.

It's a four-part strategy, consisting of:

1. Don't worry
That's straight from the 4th chapter of Philippians 4. "Don't worry about anything..."

The world can be a scary and unpredictable place. Life doesn't always go as we had planned or anticipated. The unforeseen can quickly overcome.

Nonetheless, it's good to remember that worry actually doesn't change anything. It only adds pressure and can actually get in the way of creative solutions.


2. Pray about everything
Again from Philippians 4. "...instead [of worrying], pray about everything."

Despite what our natural mind might tell us, praying is a very practical thing to do. It calms our spirit. (It releases hormones that result in calming us down.) And it's a great way to release the pent up, negative energy that surrounds worry. Clearing the way for level-headed, God-centered, spiritually-minded solutions.

In case you need convincing, Psychology Today has listed five major benefits of prayer.


3. Thank God in all things.
Still from Philippians "Thank God for all God has done."

The act of giving thanks puts us in a thankful mood.

This past Sunday at church, during a worship song, members of our congregation were encouraged to come up and say a few words about something they were thankful for. One ten year old came up and thanked God for healing her Mom. She had been suffering from the effects of a concussion for three months. It had been a long and frequently intense struggle, but overnight, she was healed. (The mom had posted the story on social media a few days before.)

We're a small church, so everyone there knew what the family had been going through. To say that this was powerfully uplifting is an understatement.


4. Stay focused on true things.
By 'true things' Warren explained he meant God's word, and the character of God and the promises of God contained in it. The idea comes from Philippians 4.8 "Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and and right and pure, and lovely, and admirable."

There's a spiritual dimension to life. Although the natural world reflects this, the spiritual side of things are much, much bigger and ultimately more important.

Going a bit deeper, Warren offered a simple way to remember who and what to pray for, using your hands as a guide.

WHO to pray for (using your left hand):
1. thumb = family and friends
2. index finger = leaders and teachers
3. middle or tallest finger = those who influence us
4. pinkie or weakest finger = kids, the elderly, the poor, those who are sick
5. myself

WHAT to pray for (using your right hand):
1. thumb = my heart and the hearts of others
2. index finger = my priorities and schedule
3. middle or tallest finger = my example and influence
4. ring finger = relationships
5. pinkie = material blessings

In a previous teaching, Warren encouraged people to make a commitment to pray three times a day. He suggested taking 4-5 minutes in the morning, at mid-day and in the evening. But, he emphasized it didn't matter what time of day you prayed as long as you did it.

Towards the end of his teaching Warren mentioned "The more grateful you are in life the more breakthroughs you'll have."

By breakthrough he meant significant progress in answers to prayer.

Although I'm not a member of Saddleback Church, I've decided to take Warren up on this focus and way of praying. Especially being thankful, before the rush of the holidays, to have a template to make this season more meaningful.

Photo Credit: 9Health Fair