The Daily Grace - A Worry List

I was worrying about a few things as I sat in my car under a shade tree at lunchtime. Then a robin, with a fat worm dangling from its mouth, landed near my door and looked up at me. The robin was a vivid reminder to me of Jesus' words in Matthew 6:25-26, "Do not worry about your life. . . Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

Years ago, in an article in the Denver Seminary magazine Focal Point, Paul Borden gave some helpful suggestions for worries:

1) Start a worry list = Write down what you're worried about. The bills. Your job. Your children or grandchildren. Your health. The future.

2) Turn your worry list into a prayer list = Ask the Lord to work in those situations you're concerned about. Pray specifically for your needs and depend on Him.

3) Turn your prayer list into an action list. If you have any insight that there's something you can do about your cares, do it.

As we turn our worries into prayer and action, Borden says, "Paralyzing anxiety can be replaced by concern for the responsibilities of life. Why not start your list right now? What you have made a matter of prayer should cease to be a matter of care. Don't fret about the future or be consumed by cares. Instead, take all your worries and turn them into prayers.