Worry To Praise
- Cathrine Schmelzer
- Aug 3
- 5 min read
“Worry can be paralyzing if we let it consume us. We have to turn our worry over to God and allow Him to transform worry to trust in Him.”
“Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ.” Philippians 4:6-7 TPT
Worry.
Worry can sometimes feel like second nature. We worry about our kids. We worry about our health. We worry about whether we work outside the home or not. We worry about our husband’s work. We worry if we should home school, private school or public school for our children. Worry swirls around us, overwhelming so easily… if we let it.
I looked up the definition of “worry in the Bible” and according to biblehub.com “Worry, in a biblical context, refers to a state of anxiety or unease about potential future events or outcomes. It is often characterized by a lack of trust in God's provision and care. The Bible addresses worry as a common human experience but encourages believers to place their trust in God rather than succumbing to anxiety.”
Worry can be paralyzing if we let it consume us. We have to turn our worry over to God and allow Him to transform worry to trust in Him. But how do we do that?
Our verse this week highlights a way to do that. It says in Philippians 4 that we should “be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering our faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. We must tell Him every detail of our lives, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard our hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.”
We must pray to Him, full of faith, that He will come through.
We must praise Him, that no matter the outcome, He will do what is best for us.
We must trust, as we pray His Word, that He will listen and He will bring us peace, a supernatural peace that only comes from Him, our Heavenly Father.
And in that He will guard our hearts and minds!
The Bible also talks about worry and anxiety in…
These are just a few verses that the Lord shares with us, and one of my favorites (along with Philippians 4:6-7) that I replay in my heart is that of Luke 12:25-32. Jesus poses the question, “Does worry add anything to your life?” (TPT) Can it add to your day? No! In fact it takes away precious time and emotion from us! It robs us of our praise and trust in God. It depletes us. It turns our focus away from the One who holds us all together, the One who created us!
So then what are we called to do?
Praise!
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 TPT “Let joy be your continual feast. Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus.”
We are going to face trials. We are going to have hard days, weeks, months, years… but God! God is always there for us. When we turn our worry to praise, a shift in our hearts begins to happen. Then, in our perspective. Next, rather than life seeming to cause us to drown, we feel like the weights are lifted and we can breathe again. We take what we think we need to be in control of and give it to God, the One who IS in control over it all! He WILL guard our hearts AND minds!
When we learn to trust God in the big and small things, He always comes through and our faith grows stronger. When we see Him faithful time and time again we know that there is nothing too great that our God can’t handle. Paul says in Philippians 4:8 “Keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always.” We need to change our focus from what’s going wrong to the One who truly cares for us!
When we continually put into practice God's Word, He continues to show up and brings us peace (Philippians 4:9)! At first it may seem mundane and unmoving, but the more we practice this the more He will work us into His most excellent harmonies (MSG). Let’s get started!
Go to God: God, I thank You that You will continue to complete the good work that You have started in our lives and that we will not lose focus on all the great things You have brought us through. Fill us with Your love and peace. Give us the strength to come to You daily for a renewal of You. Amen.
Faith Follow-Through:
This week, take some time to grow in motherhood and faith:
Wednesday:
If worship is our weapon to turn our hearts and minds away from worry then let’s PRAISE!!! Put on some worship music and spend time with the Prince of Peace.
Here’s one I feel like God reminded me of “Your Name is God” by Elevation Worship
Thursday:
If you haven’t already (or want to do so again) read all the verses mentioned in the devotional yesterday.
What are some scriptures God is showing you to encourage you to turn your worry and anxiety to worship and praise?
Friday:
What are some things going on in your life that are causing you to worry or be anxious about? Let’s bring them before the Lord today and pray for God to shift our hearts from worry to praise.
Go to God: Heavenly Father, we are ever so grateful for You and all You’ve done for us. You care for the birds of the air and the lilies in the fields so we know that You care for us even greater. Your love for us is more than we deserve sometimes. Thank You for always coming through for us and meeting us in our trials. We ask that You lessen these burdens. Take our worries and cares. Fill us with Your supernatural peace that surpasses all understanding. We love You and Thank You. In Jesus name amen.
Written by Susie, mom of 3
