Prayer: Resource or Resort

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Philippians 4:6

As I write this, like most of you, I am "hunkering down" in my home because the governor of Indiana has mandated that I should. Without question, we are in a crisis, unlike anything we have ever experienced. Fear of the virus, the economy, and job loss are gripping our nation.

But the Apostle Paul admonished the Philippian Christians, "Be careful for nothing." Paul is not saying we are to be careless. The word  "careful"  comes from the Greek word  merimnao , which means "to be anxious; to be troubled with cares or to worry."

I heard Reverend Tony Evans say, "We cannot allow this crisis to cause us to go from 'legitimate concern' to 'illegitimate worry." God is okay with His people being concerned. We are failing to use the wisdom He has given us if we are not concerned. Jesus Christ commanded us in

Matthew chapter 6 to not worry about the future nor how we will be clothed and fed.

Not only will worry destroy our faith and trust in God but according to the medical profession, it dramatically affects mental and physical health.

Worry creates stress, which, in turn, causes heart rates to go up and increases blood pressure.

During the Gulf War of 1991, Iraq launched a series of Scud missile attacks against Israel. They also threatened to use chemical and biological weapons. Those of us who remember this war will never forget the live video of Israeli families huddled in safe rooms wearing their government-issued gas masks.

Many Israeli citizens died as a result of these attacks. After the war ended, Israeli scientists analyzed the official mortality statistics. What they found was shocking. The death rate was the highest on the first day of the Iraqi attacks, but the vast majority did not die from any direct physical effects of the missiles. They died from heart failure brought on by fear, worry, and stress. After the first attack turned out to be less catastrophic than feared, levels of stress declined markedly which in turn

caused the death rate to go down significantly.

So as Christians, if we are commanded not to worry about anything, what is God's solution to worry?

"But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." The solution is simple: worry about nothing; pray about everything.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we have to get back to the place where we realize that prayer is our primary  resource  and not our last  resort.

If prayer is a vital part of your everyday life, when a crisis arises, you will not be consumed with worry.

The Bible gives us an excellent example of a godly man's response to a crisis - Daniel. As a young Jewish captive in Babylon, Daniel's integrity and godly wisdom had given him favor with the king and allowed him to rise to a place of prominence and authority in the kingdom. His success caused jealousy among the other princes, and they conspired against Daniel. They found no fault in him, so they decided to entrap him in the worship of his God. They convinced the king to sign a decree that stated prayers could only be made to him. Anyone defying the order would be cast into the den of lions.

How will Daniel handle this crisis? For me, this is one of the most inspiring passages in the Bible.

"Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chambers toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he did  aforetime ." Daniel 6:10

This response tells me two things. First, even knowing he faced death, Daniel did not pray in secret. He kept his windows open so the enemy could hear him. But that is not the greatest lesson from Daniel.  "As he did aforetime!"   This tells me that for Daniel, prayer was a significant resource in his life, not a last resort! This response was not a fearful, panic-stricken prayer. Daniel had a daily habit of praying and worshiping God three times a day. That reminds me of my parents. They prayed twice a day, and if my dad was working close enough to come home for lunch, they prayed three times.

Facing the possibility of being fed to lions, Daniel openly did what he did every day - he prayed.

This crisis we find ourselves in is unprecedented. Only God knows if our nation, the economy, and life, in general, will ever be the same again.

We can fret and worry, or we can look at this as a great opportunity.

Here's a thought: we are all staying in our homes to keep from contracting a contagious virus, but what if we all started finding ways to share an infectious  faith.   Share with someone today what the Lord has done for you. Even while I have been typing this, I have had my prayer answered. My daughter's workplace is obeying the governor and shutting down until the 6th of April, but, praise the Lord, she gets to continue to work at home and will be paid! Prayer, for me, is a major resource.

God has allowed His church to be in a place we have never been to before. He has our full attention!

I firmly believe we can see revival if we start using the weapon of prayer as a major resource and not a last resort. We don't have to be in a church building; we are the church. We can see revivals in our homes and families that will spread to our neighborhoods and our nation.

 I missed meeting with my church family this past Sunday, but I found a silver lining to worshiping at home. On Sunday mornings, I am always on the piano, and my husband is in the sound booth. We never get to worship together. But on Sunday morning, we sat on the couch & worshiped together as we watched a streaming church service. I thank God for that experience, but I am looking forward to the day we can be back in our houses of worship.

To any of my extended family, friends, and church family that may be reading this, I want you to know that I love you and I am praying for you.

I encourage you with Paul's words to the Philippians. "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

The word "passeth" comes from the Greek word  huperecho,  which means to be more excellent, to be in authority or control.

Used in a military sense, it means to "outflank."

When everything around us seems to be spinning out of control, the unsurpassable peace of God is more than able to keep the US from "losing it."

If you are reading this and you are not saved, this peace can be yours today by repenting of your sin, believing in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, and accepting Him as your Lord and Savior.

In the 1988 Winter Olympics, blind skiers were paired with sighted skiers. They taught the blind skiers how to make right and left turns. On the slalom slope, their sighted partner skied beside them, shouting, "Left!" and "Right!" As the blind skiers obeyed the commands, they were able to negotiate the course and cross the finish line, depending solely on their sighted partner.

There were only two options for the blind skiers: complete trust or catastrophe.

The whole world is being held captive by an enemy, a tiny virus we cannot see. At this is time, we should make prayer a major resource, and get our direction from the Word of God.

Paul said God's peace "keeps" our hearts and minds. This phrase comes from a military word,  phroureo , which means "to guard, protect by a military guard to prevent hostile invasion."

When King Jehoshaphat found his nation surrounded by invading armies, he cried out, "O our God...we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon THEE." II Chronicles 20:12

That's the best advice I can give you today: keep your eyes upon God.

May God give His angels charge over His children that no plague come nigh our dwellings. May the peace of God stand as a sentinel at the door of our hearts and minds. May it guard against all worry, fear, doubt, and any invading thought or imagination that would  dare  exalt itself against the knowledge of Jesus Christ. To Him be all Glory and Honor and Praise!