Last week we looked the question, How Do I Pray? Over the next five weeks of Lent we will be looking at five scriptures and praying for peace through these scriptures.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that [God] may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on [God], because [God] cares for you. ~ 1 Peter 5:6-7
Humility is the first thing that is called for in these verses. We live in an arrogant world. A word where self-reliance is revered and rewarded. Even as children, we are praised when we show ‘bravery’ and stoicism. Is it any wonder that we struggle to bring ourselves humbly before God?
Asking for help is too often perceived as weakness, yet, we were never meant to navigate this world alone. We are social, communal creatures and our very existence is dependent, not only on one another, but on the whole of God’s creation.
We are asked to humble ourselves and cast our anxieties upon God.
As much as we would like to think that we are the authors of our own destiny, it is the Almighty who is writing the script. When we acknowledge our weaknesses and inabilities, we are able to relinquish our ineffective hold of our anxieties and burdens and we can rest in the arms of the One that is in control.
This can take some practice, but a good starting point is to practice giving over the little problems we encounter, those things that seem insignificant. Often when we finally come to God for help, we are completely overwhelmed by the messiness and seemingly insurmountable burdens of life. We need to learn to trust with every small step we take, not just the catastrophic.
We need to cultivate humility, every day, and this means bringing God into our decision making every day, not just when we’re faced with a life-altering decision. Invite God to walk beside you each day and be your companion on all the paths you travel. Casting our anxieties on our God, is not a selective process. It means all the areas of our lives.
Prayer
My God, I humbly surrender to your loving hands. The hands that hold the world. Help me to lean on you place my trust in you to comfort my troubled heart. May you lift me up and help me to see that I control nothing in my own power. Through the power of prayer and through your love for me, I place my trust in you. Help me to learn to let your perfect peace reign in my life, no matter the difficulties and challenges I face, by giving my life over to you in every way.
I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.