The Christian's Secret Stress-Buster

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Php 4:6)

Forget massages, hot baths, scented oils and the ‘Best Chill-Out Classical Music Ever CD’ – prayer is the Christian’s secret stress-buster.

I had a friend who had information about a very serious pastoral situation. Initially he wasn’t able to tell anybody else and consequently it was an enormous burden to carry. It was a case of sleepless nights and constant worry because of what might happen. When he was eventually able to share what he knew with someone else the sense of a weight being lifted from him was almost tangible.

Why? Because the problem was now shared – it was now longer just in his hands and was no longer just his responsibility. Even if the worst happened it was no longer all down to him to have done something about it. Indeed having shared the situation the resources for a solution were all the greater.

So it is with prayer. Our worries and stresses (family, money, work, ministry, health etc) need not be carried alone with the sense of sole responsibility and inadequacy that comes with that. Rather we are to pass on these things to God. He invites us to give over to Him the ultimate responsibility. We can hand these things over to God with the assurance that He now knows and it’s no longer all down to us. Prayer becomes a liberating experience – we can lift up our heads in the knowledge that we and God are now in this together. Yes we still have to make decisions and play our part but we do so connected to all the resources of God Himself. Having asked God we have the confidence that as our loving Father He will not give us a stone when we ask for bread (Lk 11:9-13).

It’s like a problem at work that is churning you up – so eventually you share it with your boss and he says, ‘thanks for letting me know, we’ll work on a solution together’. Oh the relief - the boss knows and has a share of the responsibility - it’s no longer all on your head.

Feeling uptight and anxious? Pray and relax a little.