Once again, I am indebted to Charles Spurgeon. Chapter eleven of “The Power of Prayer in a Believer’s Life” was particularly challenging to me this week. I didn’t realize how often I am “careful” about life, thinking, mulling, worrying about things that are to come until Spurgeon challenged this thinking.
Perhaps you say, “But I am thinking about the future.” Are you? Let me ask you what you have to do with the future? Do you know what a day will bring? You worry about what will become of you when you are old, but are you sure that you ever will old? You can always find a stick with which to beat a do, and if you want a care, you can always find a care with which to beat your soul; but that is a poor occupation for anyone. Instead of doing that, turn everything that might be a subject of care into a subject for prayer. It will not be long until it becomes a holy habit. Cross out the word care and write in its place the word prayer. Then, though your cares are manifold, your prayers will also be manifold.”
If only I could learn to turn every care into prayer! I want this holy habit, but 0ften it seems that we need a constant sin to constantly remind us to turn to God.
“If we could but stand on this earth as upon a mere shadow and live as those who will soon be done with this poor transient life! If we held every earthly thing with a very loose hand, we would not be caring and worrying and fretting, but we would be praying, for thus we grasp the real, the substantial, and plant our feet upon the invisible–which is after all the eternal! Let the text drop into your heart as a pebble falls into a mountain lake, and as it enters, let it make rings of comfort upon the very surface of your soul.”
The reward of being prayerful and not careful is that an unusual peace will steal over your heart and mind! We will be able to live a humble joyful life in Jesus. He will be able to sour in “divine trustfulness and sing all the day.”
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Autumn Grace 