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The next time you fear the future, rejoice in the Lord’s sovereignty. Rejoice in what he has accomplished. Rejoice that he is able to do what you cannot do. Fill your mind with thoughts of God.

“He is the Creator, who is blessed forever” (Romans 1:25).

“He is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

“His years will never end” (Psalm 102:27).

He is king, supreme ruler, absolute monarch, and overlord of all history. An arch of his eyebrow and a million angels will pivot and salute! Every throne is a footstool to his. Every crown is papier-mache next to his. He consults no advisers. He needs no congress. He reports to no one. He is in charge.

Sovereignty gives the saint the inside track to peace. Others see the problems of the world and wring their hands. We see the problems of the world and bend our knees.

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What will happen if your job disappears? Or your health diminishes? Or the economy takes a nosedive? Does God have a message for his people when calamity strikes?

He certainly had a word for Isaiah. The prophet wrote, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up…above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts. The whole earth is full of His glory’” (Isaiah 6:1-3).

God calmed the fears of Isaiah, not by removing the problem, but by revealing his divine power and presence. Rejoice that God is able to do what you cannot do! Your anxiety decreases as your understanding of your heavenly father increases.

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Control freaks are easily frustrated. We can’t take control, because control is not ours to take. The Bible has a better idea. Rather than seeking control, relinquish it. Peace is within reach, not for lack of problems, but because of the presence of a sovereign Lord.

Rather than rehearse the chaos of the world, rejoice in the Lord’s sovereignty, as the Apostle Paul did. From prison he wrote, “The things which have happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to the rest, that my chains are in Christ” (Philippians 1:12-13).

In the innermost of his being, Paul was a man who believed in the steady hand of a good God, protected and preserved by God’s love. He lived beneath the shadow of God’s wings. Do you?

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If anyone had a reason to be anxious it was the apostle Paul. Envision an old man as he gazes out the window of a Roman prison. Half-blind, squinting just to read. Awaiting trial before the Roman emperor. His future is as gloomy as his jail cell.

Yet to read his words, you’d think he’d just arrived at a Jamaican beach hotel. His letter to the Philippians bears not a word of fear or complaint. Not one! Instead, he lifts his thanks to God and calls on his readers to do the same. “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4)

Paul’s challenge is a decision deeply rooted in the confidence that God exists, that he is in control, and that he is good. Rejoice in the Lord always. You can’t run the world, but you can entrust it to God.

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It is not God’s will that you face every day with dread and trepidation.

I have a childhood memory that I cherish. My father loved corn bread and buttermilk. About ten o’clock each night he would meander into the kitchen and crumble a piece of corn bread into a glass of buttermilk, stand at the counter and drink it. Then he’d make the rounds to the front and back doors, checking the locks. Once everything was secure, he would step into the bedroom I shared with my brother and say something like, “Everything is secure, boys. You can go to sleep now.”

I have no inclination to believe that God loves corn bread and buttermilk, but I do believe he loves his children. He keeps everything secure. He oversees your world. And by his power you will “be anxious for nothing” and discover the “peace…that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:4-8 RSV).

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The anxious heart says, “There’s trouble out there!” So you don’t sleep well, you don’t laugh often, misfortune lurks…it’s just a matter of time. As a result, you’re anxious.

How can this be? Our cars are safer than ever. We regulate food and water and electricity. Yet if worry were an Olympic event, we’d win the gold medal. Keep in mind anxiety is not a sin; it’s an emotion. It can, however, lead to sinful behavior.  When we numb our fears with six-packs or food binges, or when we peddle our fears to anyone who’ll buy them, we’re sinning.

Jesus gave this word: “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with…the anxieties of life.” (Luke 21:34 NIV). God made you for more than a life of angst and mind-splitting worry. He has a new chapter for your life, and he is ready to write it.

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Anxiety is a meteor shower of what-ifs.  The sky is falling, and it’s falling disproportionately on you.  Anxiety ain’t fun!

One would think Christians would be exempt from anxiety.  But we are not.  It’s enough to make us wonder if the apostle Paul was out of touch with reality when he wrote in Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing.”  Is that what he meant?  Not exactly.  He wrote the phrase in the present active tense—implying an ongoing state.  As if to say, “Don’t let anything in life leave you perpetually breathless and in angst.”

The presence of anxiety is unavoidable, but the prison of anxiety is optional. Could you use some calm? Of course you could.  We all could.  We all could use a word of comfort. And God is ready to give it.

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The moment you sense a problem, however large or small, take it to Christ. “Max, if I take my problems to Jesus every time I have one, I’m going to be talking to Jesus all day long.” Now you’re getting the point.

An unprayed for problem is an embedded thorn. It festers and infects the finger, then the hand, then the entire arm. Best to go straight to the person who has the tweezers. We can only wonder how many disasters would be averted if we first go to Jesus. Philippians 4:6 says, “Don’t worry about anything. Instead pray about everything.” Tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.

Here’s my challenge for you: every day for four weeks, pray four minutes. Then get ready to connect with God like never before.

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James 1:17 says, “Every good and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

Take this simple pocket prayer for you today: Dear Father, teach me to accept what you’ve given. I may not always understand the circumstances, but show me how they are blessings and give me gratitude for all your gifts. Rain your blessings on my friends and family today. Give them hope whatever they face. Thank you that your blessings never end. In Jesus name, amen.

Here’s my challenge for you: every day for four weeks pray four minutes. Then get ready to connect with God like never before.

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Do you want to see a father’s face go ashen as he discovers three words on the box of a just-bought toy: some assembly required. What follows are hours of squeezing A into B, bolting D into F, sliding R over Z, and hoping no one notices if steps four, five, and six were skipped altogether. I’m convinced the devil indwells the details of toy assembly. Somewhere in perdition is a warehouse of stolen toy parts.

“Some assembly required.” Not the most welcome sentence but an honest one. Life is a gift, albeit unassembled. The pieces don’t fit. When they don’t, take your problem to Jesus. He says, “Bring your problems to me.” In prayer, state them simply. Present them faithfully, and trust him reverently.

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Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” A glimpse of God’s goodness changes us. If He is only slightly stronger than us, why pray?  If He has limitations, questions, and hesitations, then you might as well pray to the Wizard of Oz.

Psalm 68:5-6 says that God is “a father to the fatherless.  He sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity.”

Pray with me! “Dear God. Remind me today that you protect me.  Be my father and defender.  Defend those who are weak and afraid and feel forgotten.  Show up in their lives today. Thank you for giving me a spiritual family that can never be taken away.  I pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.”

At any point you’re only a prayer away from help!

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A lot of us make unnecessary messes, but we can change that. May I make a suggestion? Before you face the world, face your Father.

Take this pocket prayer: Father…You are good. Your heart is good. Your words come slowly at first, but stay at it. You are always right. The weather’s bad, the economy is bad, but God, you are awesome. Don’t underestimate the power of this moment. You just opened the door to God and welcomed truth to enter your heart. Who knows, you might even start to worship.

Is your world different because you prayed? In one sense, no. But you are different. You have peace; you’ve talked to your Father. Here’s my challenge for you: every day for four weeks pray four minutes. Then get ready to connect with God like never before.

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Most people have small thoughts about God. In an effort to see God as our friend, we have lost his immensity. In our desire to understand him, we have sought to contain him.

The God of the Bible cannot be contained. With a word he called Adam out of dust and Eve out of a bone. He consulted no committee; he sought no counsel. He has authority over the world, and he has authority over your world. He’s never surprised. He has never, ever uttered the phrase, “How did that happen?”

God’s goodness is a major headline in the Bible. If he were only mighty, we’d salute him. But since he is merciful and mighty, we can approach him. If God is at once Father and Creator, holy—unlike us—and high above us, then we at any point are only a prayer away from help.

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When my eldest daughter was 13, she flubbed her piano piece at a recital. The silence in the auditorium was broken only by the pounding of her parents’ hearts. She hurried off the stage, threw her arms around me and buried her face in my shirt. “Oh, Daddy.” That was enough for me. At that moment I’d have given her the moon, and all she said was, “Oh, Daddy.”

Prayer starts here. Prayer begins with an honest, heartfelt, “Oh Daddy!” Jesus invites us to approach God the way a child approaches his or her daddy.

Here’s my challenge for you: every day for four weeks, pray four minutes. Then get ready to connect with God like never before.

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Jesus invites us to approach God the way a child approaches his or her daddy. And how do children approach their daddies? When a five-year-old spots his father in the parking lot, how does he react? “Yippee!” was screamed by a red-headed boy wearing a Batman backpack. “Pop! Over here! Push me!” yelled by a boy wearing a Boston Red Sox cap who scooted straight to the swings.

Here’s what I didn’t hear: “Father, it is most gracious of thee to drive thy car to my place of education. Please know of my deep gratitude for your benevolence. For thou art splendid in thy attentive care and diligent in thy dedication.”

I heard kids who were happy to see their dads and eager to speak to him. God invites us to approach him in the same manner. What a relief!

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Jesus downplayed the importance of words in prayers. We tend to do the opposite—the more words the better. We emphasize the appropriate prayer language, the latest prayer trend, the holiest prayer terminology. Against all this emphasis on syllables and rituals, Jesus says in Matthew 6:7, “Don’t ramble like heathens who talk a lot.”

There’s no panel of angelic judges with numbered cards. “Wow, Lucado, that prayer was a ten. God will certainly hear you!” or “Oh, Lucado, you scored a two this morning. Go home and practice.” Prayers aren’t graded according to style. If prayer depends on how I pray, I’m sunk. But if the power of prayer depends on the One who hears the prayer, then I have hope.

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Religious leaders loved to make theater out of their prayers. The show nauseated Jesus. In Matthew 6:6 he said, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who cannot be seen. Your Father can see what is done in secret, and he will reward you.”

The words surely stunned Jesus’ audience. The people were simple farmers and stonemasons.  They couldn’t enter the temple, but they could enter their closets. The point? He’s low on fancy, high on accessibility. You needn’t woo him with location or wow him with eloquence. It’s the power of a simple prayer.

Join me every day for four weeks to pray four minutes. A simple prayer. Then get ready to connect with God like never before.

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In Matthew 6, Jesus prayed, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

A prayer that begins May I not view you as a distant father, but as one who has come to earth and understands the challenges and temptations of my life. Be near me today, whisper reminders that you’re close. My friends need you today as they make difficult decisions in their workplace and in their families. Show them you are closer than even their earthly fathers. Thank you for hearing me and listening to my pleas. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray this, amen.

Here’s my challenge for you: every day for four weeks, pray four minutes. Then get ready to connect with God like never before.

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Prayer really is simple. Resist the urge to complicate it. Don’t take pride in well-crafted prayers. Don’t apologize for incoherent prayers. No games, no cover-up, just be honest. Honest to God.

Climb into his lap, tell him everything that is on your heart. Or, tell him nothing at all. Just lift your heart to heaven and declare “Father, Daddy.”  Stress, fear, guilt, grief.  Demands on all sides. All we can summon is a plaintive, “Oh Father.” If so, that’s enough. Your Heavenly Father will wrap you in his arms.

Here’s my challenge for you: every day for four weeks, pray four minutes. Then get ready to connect with God like never before.

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We prayer wimps fear mis-praying. What’s the expected etiquette and dress code of prayer? What if we kneel instead of stand?  Jesus’ answer is in  Matthew 18:3 when he says, “Become as little children.”  Carefree.  Joy filled. Playful. Trusting.  Curious. Trust more—strut less.

God prefers this greeting:  “God, you are my Daddy, and I am your child!” It’s hard to show off and call God “Daddy” at the same time.  Impossible, in fact. Remember, prayer doesn’t depend on how you pray.  The power of prayer depends on the One who hears the prayer.

Here’s my challenge for you! Every day for 4 weeks, pray four minutes. Then get ready to connect with God like never before.

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