Prayer, not anxiety


Prayer, not anxiety

Despite being the son of a professional worrier, I haven’t in fact been worried about this coronavirus – more disturbed by the effect it is having in so many ways. But it might be worth starting with a reflection on anxiety. Let’s start with Paul’s advice:

‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.’                     Philippians 4:5-7

This advice is not a simplistic ‘don’t worry’. Paul gives reasons, and grounds his appeal in the reality of God, and his revealed purpose for his creation. Experience shows us that anxiety is counter-productive; it doesn’t help us, and can all too easily undermine our health in itself. But that doesn’t make it easy for those of us with a pre-disposition to worry to stop! We need a theological basis.

What Paul is saying, is that we can let go of worry, for we have a God who blesses us, forgives our weaknesses, and has actively involved himself in our world and in our lives. Because God is, and is as he makes himself know in Jesus, we can give thanks; we can cultivate a habit of rejoicing at our blessings.
Paul calls us to show ‘gentleness’ towards other people- that is, to be patient, to practice kindness – the very opposite of the grasping hoarding we have seen manifested in our supermarkets recently. And as we learn to be more aware of the needs of others, and to make way for them, we begin to let go of that anxiety, which is basically focussed on ourselves.

I like the paraphrase in Eugene Peterson’s The Message of verse 6: ‘Don’t fret or worry; instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers… ‘
As has often been said – Why pray when you can worry? As we reflect on that, perhaps we can begin to see not only the pointlessness of anxiety, but its dangerous ability to make us forget that our hope lies, not in our own hands, but in the Lord’s.

Jesus pf course also speaks against anxiety in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Do not worry about your life…Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness…’ (Matthew 6:25-34.)
Peter also encourages us to trust God more – ‘Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.’
(1 Peter 5:7). It is clear that we will have to face problems and difficulties on the journey of life, as Jesus warned, but also encouraged his disciples: ‘In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

So let us indeed be careful, and avoid the danger of infection, so far as we can. But, much more, we must be bold in affirming our confidence in God’s love, and his power to protect us and deliver us.
In a real sense, we are engaged in spiritual warfare – for many of the effects of this pandemic – fear, anxiety, greed and selfishness, not to mention its preventing the faithful from meeting for worship and fellowship – are manifestly not part of God’ will.

So let us follow Paul’s advice to the Ephesians, to ‘be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God…. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests.’ (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Comments

  1. Sheila in Bristol19 March 2020 at 10:42

    Thank you for that helpful reflection Michael. I have so much to be thankful for: the examples, teaching and help from so many people (and Christian writers, e.g. C S Lewis, J B Phillips etc), who, from my childhood on, led me further into faith. In fact I cannot remember a time when I didn't believe in God, even though my parents did not go to church. I was sent at five to a lovely kindergarten where we sang hymns, then to High School, where I loved morning prayers and sang less childish hymns: these laid a theological foundation for faith which I've never forgotten and which still helps me each day not to worry unduly, but to rely on the Lord whose ways are not our ways and who will, I believe, cause some good to result from this pandemic, as only He can.

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