Anxious

Philippians 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

I guess you could say that "anxious" was the word for the day yesterday. When I asked for prayer requests at the end of the Bible study at Rapha, everyone was dealing with feeling anxious. Of course out of this condition comes anxiety. And if you know anything about recovery, you know that anxiety leads to poor decisions. So I guess you could say that the prayer request we need to focus on and lift to the Father is that this "Anxiousness" and "Anxiety" would be healed.

According to the passage in Philippians, the answer to the problem is for the individual suffering to pray. We are told that when we are walking in relationship with God that nothing exists in this time and space that should cause us to be anxious. Now keep in mind that God knows our human condition better than anyone. He understands emotion and how it drives us. He knows that we have a tendency to measure our situations by how "we feel". As my wife says, "Feeling are not a good measurement. Feelings aren't right...feelings aren't wrong....they just are."  Since God knows these things, He reassures us that if we trust Him, there will be no need to be anxious. That our focus should be on communicating with Him about this problem we are facing. 

Matthew 6:25 opens with these words: "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life....."
Jesus goes on to tell us that if we put all our effort (mental and physical) into seeking His rule for our lives....and we are allowing the Holy Spirit to change us, then the needs to survive will be added to us (food, shelter, clothing). But bottom line in this charge from Jesus is not to worry...........not be anxious. Easy to say...hard to do. But are we going to use that as an excuse not to begin practicing this? I think not. Which leads me to prayer requests from Rapha yesterday.

1.) Legal issues have divided a marriage, and a child is caught in the middle. The divorce, and subsequent trips to court over custody, have affected the child greatly. Prayers for the mental health of this child, as well as for the two parties involved. Prayer that civility would be at the center of this strained relationship, as well as healing.  Lot of damage done, and both parties are at fault. Prayer that eyes would be opened and hearts softened so that what's best for the child would be at the forefront. 

2.) A father has cancer. A son in treatment wants to say some things that have remained unspoken in this relationship. Things that need to be said. A healing for the damage that has occurred over the years. A healing to this father as he is going through treatment this week.

3.) Forgiveness for having lead so many people into addiction. The one asking for this prayer (which he has prayed over and over but doesn't "Feel" forgiven) said that there have been many people who have died after he got them hooked on drugs. 

4.) Pray for peace at the camp. There are times and seasons when turmoil and bickering seem to raise their ugly heads, stirring up strife among the men. This seems to be a season for such. Pray that the peace of God would fall over the camp.

5.) Pray for the staff at Rapha: for their health....for wisdom on how to deal with the daily problems that are a part of treatment.....pray for unity among the staff.

There you go...
As always, thank you for joining me in this prayer list.
Until tomorrow...
God on you...
mbb