Pray First About Everything

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Pray First About Everything

Philippians 4:6 (CEV) Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God.

This point cannot be emphasized enough: Pray first about everything! The New King James rendition of this verse reads, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

I do not believe Holy Spirit meant pray when you feel like it; or, pray when you are feeling calmer; or, pray after the crisis has passed; or, pray when you remember to pray. He actually meant what He said when He instructed us, through Paul’s writings, to pray first about everything.

But how do I pray first about everything? you may ask.

To pause for a moment in the moment and pray about a situation presented to you is a good start to developing the habit of praying for everything. We already know how to pray instantly if we, one of our children or a family member are taken ill. Use that same skill to pray about everything. You are in traffic and running late. Instead of giving in to impatience, stress or road rage, pray, asking God for peace in your heart and favour in the traffic. Maybe at work something went wrong with an account on your shift, pray as you are walking to the gallows! (Just joking on the gallows. You never know what God can do between your desk and the boss’s office.) Pray as you are eating your lunch. Pray when speaking to people. God will give you insights either on the persons needs, or on what is in their hearts.

New habits do not develop overnight. The good habit of praying first about everything will not happen overnight either. It requires time and repetition. It also takes faith because you have to do what the Word says to do. The verse actually begins with these words: Don’t worry about anything. And that is more difficult to do than praying about everything! We are really good at worrying about everything and praying about nothing. It is time for us to change our habits for our good, to God’s way of thinking. Today is as good a time as any to start a new habit to not worry about anything, but to pray first about everything. Let us determine in our hearts that, as of today, we will:

1. Cast all of our cares upon God,

2. And thus worry about nothing.

3. That we will pray about everything,

4. Giving thanks to God as though He has already answered our prayers (which He does when we pray.)

Prayer: Father God, worrying and prayerlessness come so naturally to me. But I am determined, though, not to live under the circumstances any longer. I believe I can overcome all things through Christ who strengthens me. For that to happen I know I need to cultivate the good habit of praying about everything according to Your command in Philippians 4 verse 6. Holy Spirit, give me creative ways of reminding myself to pray first about everything. I thank You for renewing my mind to the truth of your Word which is giving me light on how to bring everything first to You in prayer so that I can have the victory in everything I say and do. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Meaghan Spies © 2022