Chaos. I don’t know anyone who really likes chaos. I know people who like to cause chaos. I know people who like to fix chaos. And from time to time, most of us like a little planned chaos. Isn’t that what those rides are at the carnival? You get in and it starts spinning. Then the cup you’re sitting in spins even more. Finally if you’re blessed to be riding with a maniac turning the wheel in the middle, you’re spinning even more. It’s fun. However, it’s fun because you got in knowing it was going to happen and knowing it would end fairly quickly.
No one likes it when your emotional world suddenly gets turned upside down. You walk into your boss’s office with a smile on your face and walk out without a job. Your doctor calls after a routine exam with the worst imaginable news, cancer. Sometimes it isn’t even something that happens to you. The sudden death of a loved one can just as easily put us into an emotional and spiritual tailspin.
One of the problems of being in the chaos of a crisis is we are looking inside. Our emotions are out of control and overwhelming us. It is almost impossible not to be preoccupied with our pain when our hearts are breaking with grief or the future seems hopeless. We’re doing what everyone does in that situation, what comes natural. But we know that isn’t a good place. We need help to escape from our prison of anxiety.
The apostle Paul knew what it was like to be anxious and how to escape it. He faced violent opposition to his ministry. Once he was beaten and left for dead. Another time he was shipwrecked! He told the Philippians not to be anxious about anything and gave them practical advice. He said they were to pray, but not just any kind of prayer. He told them when they were anxious to pray four different ways. Philippians 4:6-7
4 Ways to Pray Our Way Out of Anxiety
- Prayer. A word used in Bible for worship. Start by thinking about the greatness of God and tell Him how wonderful He is!
- Supplication. A strong emotional prayer that has an unknown element. Cry out to God for help when you don’t know what to say.
- Thanksgiving. Yes, give thanks for everything you can possibly think of that God has done for you, ever!
- Request. Ask God for what you need and what you want and what you hope for and for what is impossible.
Then pray it all again. And again. And again. And again.
When you worship and cry out in dependence and thank Him and ask Him He does something amazing. He slows things down, He calms things down, and He gets the chaos of your heart under control. He does this by flooding your heart with His peace. It is beyond our understanding. It is a precious gift from our loving Father.
How has the peace of God filled your heart in a chaotic situation? Please leave a response or question below.
