Matthew 6:25-34
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25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
In one of Herman Wouk’s books, about Israel’s 6 Day War, the book’s hero is captivated by the size of the Mississippi River. He cannot get over the Jordan River is so known throughout the world for the holiness of being in Israel, but the Mississippi River has such force behind it. The sheer size of a cross continent flight in America is overwhelming to him. It created an awareness in me of God’s plan being so much larger than any of our plans. Another book, Lantern on the Levy, by William Percy sort of combines that thought. William Percy tells about the force of the Mississippi exceeding its boundaries & the lack of communication endless force creates. It created an analogy, for me, I think about & speak about a lot.
Life is a lot like being in the Mississippi River, we are pushed by tremendous forces we cannot see or control. We have eddies and resting places, we convince ourselves that now we in control. We have life in our own boundaries. But the people we love - move, they age, they change - we change. The things, the places, the people we love are not within our grasp, our vision… forever. It isn’t all sadness! There is more to come.
Prayer is the coin paid to Gratitude. ~Jessi Lane Adams
Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us. ~Socrates
Be thankful that God's answers are wiser than your answers. ~William Culbertson
Prayer is exhaling the spirit of man and inhaling the spirit of God. ~Edwin Keith
When a man is at his wits' end it is not a cowardly thing to pray, it is the only way he can get in touch with Reality. ~Oswald Chambers
As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in schools.
It is good for us to keep some account of our prayers, that we may not unsay them in our practice. ~Matthew Henry
Deep down in me I knowed it was a lie, and He knowed it. You can't pray a lie - I found that out. ~Mark Twain
And help us, this and every day, to live more nearly as we pray. ~John Keble
It is of course possible to dance a prayer. ~Terri Guillemets
God can pick sense out of a confused prayer. ~Richard Sibbes
What we usually pray to God is not that His will be done, but that He approves ours.
~Helga Bergold Gross
Philippians 4:6-8 ~ (English Standard Version)
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
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