Prayer Works

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:6-7 ESV)
 
For the anxious mother, God has provided a solution in His Word.
 
It is simple: Pray. Give Thanks. Repeat.
 
It covers all of life: Don’t be anxious about ANYTHING. Pray about EVERYTHING.
 
And it comes with a promise: God’s peace will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
 
Yet I sometimes treat prayer as if it doesn't work. I do this by not praying or thanking but by worrying instead.
 
“I’ve tried praying before,” I excuse myself, “and God’s answer was different than what I asked for. So what’s the use?” Or, “I tried praying and didn’t feel more peaceful. I must not be doing it right.”
 
But the peace of God is more than a flimsy feeling of peace. It is a knowing, a settled confidence in the sovereign goodness of God that will guard against all anxious feelings.
 
As we pray and give thanks IN EVERYTHING, our trust in God deepens and His peace pervades our lives. Anxious thoughts don’t have the same sticking power, and eventually, they go away.
 
So lately I’ve been trying to simply obey God’s Word in Philippians 4. I still have a lot to learn about prayer, but I can tell you this: my faith, peace and gratefulness to God have grown, and my temptation to anxiety has decreased.
 
Scripture is true, and as anxious mothers, we would do well to believe and obey.