SCRIPTURE FOCUS
Philippians 4:6-7 - 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 (NLT).
PRAYER FOCUS
Do. Not. Worry. As we launch this first day of the 21 Day Prayer Focus, let’s begin by recognizing how much our Heavenly Father loves us and by receiving His peace. Sometimes, it seems irresponsible not to worry. The pressures of life clamor for us to respond with anxiety and concern. However, the peace of God far surpasses “anything we can understand” and actually will stand as a guard over our hearts and minds … in Christ Jesus. Paul personifies peace as Jesus when he wrote, “…he himself is our peace…” (Ephesians 2:14, ESV). Jesus – who is our Peace - has brought us peace with God when He reconciled us to the Father, and it is this peace of Christ that will be as a sentry over our hearts and minds.
Do Not. Worry. These simple, familiar words echo the words of Jesus in Matthew 6, where He taught His disciples on the mountain. Three times Jesus declared (verses 25, 31, and 34) “Don’t worry!” Our Heavenly Father knows what we need. That is why Paul encourages us not to worry about anything, but instead, pray about everything telling God what we need. When those concerns cause you to fret, bring those cares to God. Not only does our Father already know these things, He also wants to take your cares and provide for your needs. You are not alone in your circumstance; you have a good, good Father who deeply loves you!
RESPONSE
Today, let’s meditate on this Scripture, pondering the great expanse of our Heavenly Father’s love for us. Let’s give Him all our cares today, tell Him what we need and thank Him for all He has done!