Lessons on Worry from the Lord’s Prayer

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been worried about the future.  I worry about where I will live, what I will do and how God will provide.

Growing up, despite a relatively comfortable life, my father always projected scarcity to me, and my mother’s physical stability was slipping away in the grip of multiple sclerosis. These circumstances trained me to worry at a young age.

As a two-year-old child, I remember my mother’s wobbly walking and leg pains, but she wasn’t diagnosed until I was five. Ten years after her diagnosis, she and I proclaimed our faith in Jesus and we both began to grow. My dad still remains uncertain of faith in Christ even after a near-death experience three years ago. This is a precarious place to be.

Despite my father’s unbelief, my mother and I have grown in our faith.  She is a living illustration of the words “the joy of God is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10).

Regardless of how much my mother has suffered over the years: every ounce of her physical strength being stripped away, every bit of self-sufficiency and any hope outside of Christ for her to ever walk again, feed herself again, dress herself and hold her grandchildren without help – she emits joy in Christ.  A complaint rarely leaves her lips and laughter still comes from her heart. In fact, when anyone goes to visit her, they leave with a word in their heart and sense they are being prayed for from head to toe.

Being an only child of aging parents is a heavy burden, particularly when one parent has special needs. I’m part of a sandwich generation: one who cares for both parents and children.

Needless to say, the worry that I learned as a child still keeps me awake at night, with questions such as these:

How will God provide?

Where will my mom and dad live?

Will I have enough?

How will this effect my children?

How will this effect my marriage?

Through all of this, the Lord has been teaching me the importance of today, staying in the moment of each day.

In Matthew 6, when Jesus instructs his disciples on prayer, he says:

“Pray then like this:

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our debts,

As we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.”

There is something important and sanctifying in praying for God’s provision for this day and not for one day after.

In my journey of worry, the temptation to worry about tomorrow is something I fight against. Jesus underscored the importance of this when he said: “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34, ESV)

Being anxious about tomorrow tempts us to take matters into our own hands and not trust in the promise of God. I know that God is good, and that he will provide for me and my family, but practicing a calm, worry-less faith is a difficult path.

Here are a few practical tips that I use, as I struggle with worry and living in “this day” as Jesus taught:

1. I wake up each morning, giving thanks.  Thanking the Lord for waking me up, and recognizing everything that is good and well for the day. I can praise God my children are healthy, my husband loves me and we have a roof over our head.  Among many other things, we have breakfast, clean water and cars that get us where we need to go.  These are riches not to be taken for granted.

2. I consider my parents and I am thankful. Today they are with me. Their needs for this day are taken care of. They have a place to live, food to eat and people who are caring for their needs.

3. I give thanks for my children and the learning opportunities that this season grants our family.  I have been given an opportunity not just to tell them how to trust the Lord but to show them. They are paying attention not just to what we say but how we live, so I have the privilege of preaching the gospel to them daily.

4. I worship Jesus.  Gratitude begets worship. Without him, there is nothing and his patience, mercy and tender love are extended to me day after day, regardless of how little I have valued him in my journey of worry.

Practicing these things in the presence of God each morning and evening is my way of taking each thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) and giving my anxiousness to Jesus.

When I’m tempted to worry, I remember Jesus’prayer and I lean on him for my daily strength.

“Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our debts,

As we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.”

Read an earlier post by Suzie here.