Philippians 4:6, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” (NLT)

Worry and anxiety are words that we hear a lot. Studies have shown that worry and anxiety are the root cause of many illnesses. And just that thought creates more worry, which could produce more illness! Although we know worry is unproductive and damaging, we still can’t seem to prevent it from consuming us. We often give our list of worries to God, but then pick it up when we don’t see results. It’s a vicious cycle, so how do we stop it?

In today’s scripture, we read the prescription that the Bible has offered for centuries: pray with gratitude. Prayer is one of God’s greatest gifts and it’s our opportunity to dialogue with Him. It’s a way of bringing our worries to Him and thanking Him for all He has done, is doing, and will do.

Gratitude enables us to be still and remember that He is God. (Psalm 46:10) It’s then that we can truly leave those worries to Him. That’s when our worry list becomes a prayer list. Take comfort and give thanks that He’s got this. Breathe in, exhale gratitude and stop worrying.

Pick the number one thing on your worry list & move it to your prayer list. Be still and ask God to remind you that He is in control as you thank Him for all He has done, is doing, and will do.

Dear God, Thank You for everything You have done in my life. I know that I have brought my worries to You too many times with expectations of how You should take care of them. Help me to leave my worries for You to handle. I know that You are God, and I am not. Thank You for the peace only You can bring as I give my worries to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!