"Do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God." -Phillipians 4:6
"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray.
Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He
should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil
in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick
person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you
may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
-James 5:13-16
"And this is the confidence which we have
before Him, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we
know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests
which we have asked from Him."- James 4:3
The Bible has so many references to the importance of prayer. According
to the Bible, when we are in need of something, wether it be assurance,
encouragement, financial relief, guidance, or peace, prayer should be our first
thought. Unfortunately, for many Christians (including myself) that's not the
case. I heard a quote once that said "Have you prayed about it as much as
you've talked about it?" That really struck a chord with me. I find that
more often than not, when things are not going the way I want them to, I talk
about it so much; but when I actually stop to think about it, I realize I
haven't even prayed about it. It's shocking how different things play out in my
life when I actually take the time to talk to God about it. For example, this
summer I needed a job so I could buy a car. I talked about how much I needed a
job to everyone I encountered. I couldn't stop thinking about it, and it was
causing me such anxiety. But, when I finally stopped talking and started
praying, amazing things happened! Not only did God bless me with one job, but
He blessed me with two! How awesome is that? So, my advice to you is to stop
WORRYING and TALKING about your concerns, wants, needs, etc. and start PRAYING
about it. I promise you that there is so much peace in taking your problems to
God. He is the creator of this world, so how could He NOT solve your problems.
Another quote to keep in mind is "Don't tell God how big your problem is.
Tell your problem how big your God is!" God can do anything if you'll jus
take the time to ask!
