As a ministry director, I often report upcoming ideas with my supervisor. Whenever I say ‘I don’t know what to do’, he always responds with “Did you pray about it?” I’ll take a moment and survey my daily prayers to find that I cried out in desperation for how to fix the treadmill that has broken three times, but I never once asked God what he thought about membership specials for the month. We refer to this as “the tyranny of the urgent”—in other words, neglecting the seemingly unimportant things and opting for what is yelling in our ear the loudest.
You know what I mean, don’t you? Your daily prayer list will include things like thankfulness for provision or healing for a neighbor’s illness, but in our daily dos, we forget that God wants to hear about that too.
My husband Lee dropped some serious wisdom on me during our last date night. He reminded me that in engineering when someone makes a small change in the design, the trajectory for that design becomes dramatically different. Literally, the smallest component of a manmade machine can change the entire functionality of that machine. Everything matters, so special attention has to be given to each area of that design.
God is pretty straightforward about it too.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
Paul wrote this while in a dark prison in Rome. An innocent man charged with loving Jesus and sharing His good news was literally pleading for the church of Phillipi to seek Jesus out in every moment. To think of Paul, dirty and worn, suffering through some of his darkest days, yet still preaching the importance of trusting in God for EVERYTHING is wild, isn’t it? Yet, throughout it all, he hung on to the fact that God is the Provider of all – all you have to do is let Him in.
As someone who suffers from anxiety, I can honestly say that anxieties don’t just come up in the tough moments…they creep in during the mundane moments. The moments where not a worry is on your mind. The moments where everything is going one step at a time. Satan sees these little things as giant canvases for him to toss on the worry. Let’s cover our daily canvases in prayer. Let’s make sure there isn’t an inch of mundane for him to make a mess out of. Let’s pray that we see each day as an opportunity to look up to a God who bends down to listen.
Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! — Psalm 116:2 (NLT)
Prayer:
Father, you are so so good to me. Not just in mountains and valleys, but riding down the simple roads of life too. Remind me that your affection covers a multitude of moments in my life. Thank you for hearing me out when life is hard and when life is simple. Protect my heart from anxiousness and remind it of the peace that comes from your love. When days feel a little bit like endless routine, remind me that every breath in my lungs matters. If you are God who listens, may I be the believer who speaks.
Amen.
Cherie Hurt
Sports and Fitness Ministry Director