Are you a Prayer Warrior or a Prayer Worrier?
This is a question I've had to recently ask myself after having a conversation at church with a sister in Christ. We both are coping with the disappointments and struggles some of our loved ones are dealing with due to their destructive behaviors and addictions and the trouble(s) it's causing not only them but within our families. So it's encouraging to gain wisdom and encourage one another with prayer and simply sharing our heart-breaking stories with one another. When a brother or sister in Christ is with you, urging you to stand strong and continue praying...well, it's just awesome, despite troubling circumstances. Amen.
During this conversation, my friend was offering a bit of encouragement and used the phrase: "Make sure you're a Prayer Warrior and don't be a Prayer Worrier". My friend had lots of great advice that morning, but that phrase stuck with me.
The phrase, Be a Prayer Warrior, not a Prayer Worrier, immediately struck me in two ways: First, as a quasi-blog writer I thought, 'what a great subject to write about on my blog' (little did I realize then, how much soul-searching I'd go through before getting to the point of writing about this); and secondly, 'UGH. The realization hit me... 'I often lose the battle of being a Prayer Warrior because of my tendency to worry - especially after praying' ... Ouch! It's true. I pray with the sincerest requests and intentions, but then I tend to continue dwelling and worrying about my circumstances rather than trust God to answer my prayer(s). I'm guilty of being a Prayer worrier. Sigh.
Can you identify with some of these rationalizations to worry? like ... I want everyone to like everything about me at all times. Since I know this isn't reality - I worry about how to fix it. (see the problem?) I'd have better luck jumping up a waterfall.
Or, what about this one? ... I trust God, but it's not easy for me to trust people. So I pray for God to help me with that, but I'm not seeing His results fast enough to meet my expectations. (see the problem?) So, I end up trying to do the work myself that I asked God to do for me. Well that isn't working either, so what do I do? Worry. I'm a praying worrier.
I'm reminded of some wise words my uncle shared with me, " God isn't always in a hurry, but He is always on time." Amen! God is ALWAYS, on time.
And what about this rationalization? ... The other day (more likely, just a few moments ago) - I did something I know I shouldn't have done. Now I bet God is mad at me because I sinned. Now He's going to punish me and not hear my prayer(s) ... I guess I should let God 'cool off' before I pray and apologize because right now, I'm not worthy to pray. Yikes! So, what do I do? I worry. (um, see the problem?) As if we are ever worthy enough to pray... but that's a subject to blog about on another day.
There's no end to the supply of rationalizations and lies the enemy exploits in our own minds to convince us not to pray so we'll worry about God's unhappiness with us and wonder why pray at all? These and other matters of worry are all lies that so many of us submit to, making us prayer worriers. See how a prayer worrier's mind works? See the enemy's lies and the problems being a prayer worrier creates? It's hard to see God's blessings and hand at work when we're blinded by the sin of worry.
Yes, it's sinful to worry. Think about it... Here we are, Christians, supposedly setting Christ-like examples, shining our lights in this dark, sin-filled world; yet... when we worry, aren't we really suggesting to others (much less ourselves) that "yeh, we pray, but our God probably won't answer our prayer anyway" ? What a dishonor worry is to our precious and gracious Lord. We're displaying disbelief in Christ when we worry. This isn't a small sin.
The Holy Bible is loaded with encouragement and instruction not to worry. For instance; in the book of Matthew, chapter six (6) and in Luke 12, we're told not to worry about what we will eat, what we will wear, where we will sleep - we're even told not to worry about tomorrow because today has enough to deal with. The world worries about these things.
Luke 12:25, "And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life's span?"
We're children of God, we are in the world, but not of this world. Life is tough and things will make us uneasy, but, we are not to worry! We are to be Prayer Warriors, not prayer worriers.
Jesus tells us the Father loves us so much that He feeds the birds and waters the flowers (without our help, by the way) - so how much more valuable are we? God knows everything we need, and want. Jesus told us not to worry, but seek His Father's Kingdom and these things will be added to you. - Luke 12:31.
So how do we stop worrying? How do we remain or become true Prayer Warriors without falling into the trap of being prayer worriers?
Short answer: We totally submit to God.
But, we are fragile. We're weak. Impatient. We love Jesus, but... It's the 'but' that makes us prayer worriers and keeps us from being Prayer Warriors. I trust God, but... I know God says to do this, but... I know the right thing to do, but... BUT is the beginning of the lie of worry. One of the enemy's favorite words is 'but'. Flee worry and embrace our Lord with praise, worship and confident prayer.
If you can relate to any of this, I invite you to join me in the fight to become a true Prayer Warrior. Proverbs 3:5 tells us to "trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding". What an awesome piece of instruction! It frees us from depending on ourselves and reminds us of the wonderful love and peace of mind that God offers all His children. We can't avoid trials in this life, however, we can grow in Christ through them. We can become more Christ-like through hard times. And we can live abundant lives in Christ regardless of our circumstances. We can and should be Prayer Warriors!
So as I begin to focus on becoming a Prayer Warrior, I will continue praying in good times and bad. I will continue praising God through each storm. I will heed Paul's instruction and encouragement found in Philippians 4:6-7; "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Worrying is in the mind. When we worry, our minds open to allow Satan to exploit our weaknesses and fill us with his lies. This isn't good. We must trust God and submit to Him fully and be Prayer Warriors. If we don't, we remain prayer worriers. Think about it, it's impossible to be a prayer worrier when one is filled with the peace of God that surpasses all comprehension along with a heart and mind guarded by that peace in Christ Jesus. That's GREAT NEWS!
Would you join me in the pursuit of becoming a real Prayer Warrior? If so, I invite you to leave your thoughts, your comments, concerns and praise reports. I invite you and I to be fellow Prayer Warriors!
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