PRAY ABOUT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING

We really can pray about anything and everything. I love what it says in Philippians 4:6 NLT,

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

I’m a bullet point pray-er. I like to keep an ongoing list of prayers and needs so that I can check them off as God answers. He doesn’t necessarily always answer in the way I want Him to, but He always answers. It’s only a matter of when. As I look back over my bullet point prayers over the years, some, particularly from the years of mothering little ones, are quite humorous:

• Help my boys sleep all night
• Help this kiddo with potty training
• Help me cook dinner!

From my dancing years, my prayers often looked like this:

• Help me dance with confidence
• Help me love the skin I’m in
• Help me have energy for this rehearsal day

And sprinkled throughout are prayers for my tribe that I so dearly love:

• Give them a heart for you
• Guide them
• Let them feel Your love
• Encourage them
• Help me love them well

There is nothing you can bring to God in prayer that is off limits.  I believe He wants to hear about all the details of your life, and He wants to help you with all the details of your life:

“where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalm 121:1-2

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. ” 1 Peter 5:7

Here’s the thing, our burdens, cares, hopes, and dreams can cause anxiety in our hearts. God doesn’t want us to live in anxiety. God wants us to cast all of that on Him because He so deeply cares for us. Over and over again, the Scriptures echo, peace be with you. (John 20:21) Through praying about anything and everything, God opens the pathway to living life with a deeply-rooted peace of knowing God’s got all our cares and prayers.

So bring Him anything and everything. Nothing is too small. Nothing is too big. Nothing is too heavy. Nothing is too insignificant. Pray about anything and everything and know the deep peace of God. And lastly, know that as you pray, you are also cultivating your relationship with God. Just as you would grow closer to a friend or family member as you talk and converse, in the same way, as you converse with God, you build intimacy with Him.

Questions for your heart:

What anythings and everythings are you bringing to God lately?

What are things feel hard to bring to God in prayer?

How might your heart feel after you cast all these things on Him?