Parachute Prayer #32

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” –Colossians 4:2

A persistent worry can be as annoying as the song that gets stuck in my mind. No matter how badly I want to quit listening, it just keeps playing, ever more loudly as it circles inside my head. I know that worry is wrong; it shows a lack of trust in God's ability to handle the troubles of my life. I want to trust God. I want to turn all my worries over to him. Yet some worries seem to have a life of their own, a will to come back whether I want them or not. What's girl to do but cover her ears and shout,

"Lord, make it stop!"?

That's exactly what a girl's to do. Colossians 4:2 tells us to devote ourselves to prayer. When worry won't be silent, rewrite it as a prayer:

"Father, this problem is persistent. I can't get it out of my mind, so I'll use it as a cue to pray, again and again, as long as it takes. You are more powerful than this worry. Please work out all the details according to Your perfect will."

As I rewrite the worry, I become thankful for its cue. The worry becomes a reminder to pray, an affirmation of God's sovereignty, and an opportunity to develop trust in the One who loves me like no one else can. And so I pray with gratitude, and then I watch. God's gonna work, and His solution is gonna be great!

Father, I'm watching. Take my worry and turn it into something that honors You! Amen.