I believe in praying, but I’ve been learning that without trust, prayer is really another word for worry. The people I love are always on my mind. My kids, my husband, my extended family, my close friends. I want the people I care about to be safe and happy. I want my world to be happy too. I love my community and I love planet Earth. My heart is moved by stories of suffering people around the world. I try to pray for all these people that I love, but it can be hard to trust that God is taking care of things.
Living Faith *Fully, means bringing my worries to God and trusting him to act in love. I’ve always found this difficult to do. Sometimes my prayer time turns into a “to do” list for God. “Lord, remember that my daughter has a difficult week ahead, please help things go smoothly. And Lord, my friend is ill, please bring healing, Lord, there are refugees in danger, keep them safe…”
Of course, it’s right to bring these needs to God, but I easily fall into the idea that my reminding him is the only thing that moves God to act on another’s behalf. I start to believe that I need to “say it right” or God will overlook the situation. When I do that, I find that prayer without trust is really another word for worry.
Last year, I read through the Book of John very slowly. Reading only 5-10 verses a day, I pondered each section, looking for the essence of each passage. I was inspired by Dallas Willards’ conclusion that “It is better in one year to have ten good verses transferred into the substance of our lives than to have every word of the Bible flash before our eyes.”
By the end of the year, I had gathered a handful of fresh insights that have stayed with me. Among these is a passage in chapter 5 where Jesus declares that “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too, am working,” (v. 17). These words are teaching me to worry less and trust more when I pray. Here’s what I’m learning.
Trust adds time to my calendar
When I focus on informing God what he needs to be doing, I can never be sure I’ve done it right. If his action depends on me, I need to spell things out over and over until the situation is resolved. But if I trust that God is already working. my prayer becomes a refreshing time to affirm his love, trust his actions, and leave things in his hands. Prayer naturally moves from my words to walking freely with God as I go about my day.
Trust clears my vision and keeps me curious
If everything depends on me, I tend to form a solution in my mind and petition God to bring it about. But if I trust that God is already working, I can confidently stand back to see what he is doing. This trust prepares me to notice how he’s acting and to thank him for his grace in every situation.
Trust enriches my relationships
As I’ve learned to trust more, I find myself listening better. Instead of giving advice or forming solutions in my mind, my confidence that God is at work allows me to hear things from the other’s perspective, seeking to understand rather than to convince. When these new insights bring anxiety, I bring that anxiety back to a loving God, who is already working.
Trust affirms my place in God’s heart
Finally, trusting prayer affirms God’s love for me. When I act as though God’s work is dependent on me finding the right prayer formula, I worry that I am falling short of my duty and my prayer becomes just another word for worry. But when I entrust my needs to God, who is always working, I can live my Faith*Fully, resting in his love for me, and leaving my worries to his healing grace.