We all occasionally worry about something, but Paul tells us that there is an alternative to worry, prayer.

Paul writes in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

In my words, what he is saying is, when we have a concern, rather than worrying, we should ask God to solve it, then thank him for doing so. We should then carry on in the best way we know how, with trust that God will handle the situation. We may not know how He will handle it, but we can know that God has a reason for the way He is answering our prayer, and His ways are better than ours.

Dear Lord, help us remember to pray rather than worry. Help us also remember to include our thanks that you will handle our concern in your way. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I think we have all seen those wild animal documentaries showing the predators, lions, tigers, and hyenas following a herd of prey. They wait for a young, old, or weak member of the herd to get out of the safety of the herd, and they attack that one.

In the same way, 1 Peter 5:8 tells his followers, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” The Devil also looks for someone that does not have support of other Christians. The lack of support makes them easier to influence, manipulate and pull away from their faith. Having a “herd” or our group of Christian friends and family for support helps us avoid being vulnerable to attack from our enemy the Devil. A great way to have a group of Christian friends is to have a church you regularly attend. The “herd” is there to help protect you, but you are also there to protect and support other members.

Dear Lord, help us all find our Christian “herd” and a church where we can feel safe and comfortable in our faith. Help us provide mutual support for each other to defend against the attacks of the devil. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Many people spend a tremendous amount of time and money to maintain their health, but miss one of the keys God’s provides for health.

Proverbs 14:30 says, “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body jealousy is like cancer in the bones.”

Having a peaceful, low stress demeanor is physically good for us.

Though it is easy to say, being at peace is not always easy to turn on. I recently heard a practice that helps. Each morning take a few minutes to relax with several long deep breaths, then think intently about three things for which you are grateful. Try to physically feel the gratitude for these things. It is very difficult to be envious, bitter or angry when you are focusing intently on being grateful.

Dear Lord, you have provided the instruction manual for our lives, that you created, in the Bible. Help us find your wisdom there. Be with us and help us work on a peaceful heart, to help us have a healthy body, to your glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I like the expression, “Life happens for us, not to us.” This is a mindset that helps us see the positive in life’s events.

Some people have an easier time believing this idea than others, but it is consistent with the well known Bible passage Romans 8:28 which says, “And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

And Romans 5:3-5 tells us that even our difficulties are for our good, saying, “we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us”

So life does happen for us. In all life’s events, we should look for what God is doing for us, to make us better.

Dear Lord, you are always working on us if we let you. Help us find the lesson you have for us in all of our circumstances. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I read about an academic study that was performed to measure in the role of positive versus negative comments on a business team’s performance. The results showed that the highest performing teams had almost 6 times as many positive comments as negative.

God works in a similar way in our lives. Psalm 30:5 says, “His anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime.”

We know God disciplines those that he loves, Paul writes in Hebrews 12:6, “For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”

But as the Psalm says, God shows favor on his faithful people for a lifetime.

We all can learn from this in how we approach our families, our colleagues, and congregations. Use a small amount of criticism and a healthy amount of praise. Try 6 positive comments for every one negative comment and see how things go.

Dear Lord, everything we discover about ourselves is no surprise to you, because you made us this way. Help us learn from the discipline you give us and praise you for the favor you show us. Help us also be the positive influence on our “teams.” In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.