This challenge we face takes over our thoughts. So much so that it can prevent us from sleeping or finding appropriate solutions. Worry suffocates us: we have to get rid of it!

Worry can ruin our day. It can ruin our week. It can ruin our month. In fact, worry can ruin our lives. The root of the word “to worry”, or “merimnao” (in Greek) means “to choke” or “to strangle”. Worry hurts us, suffocates us. That is why we must stop worrying and start praying.

We all have worries in life, but we must remember the words of the apostle Paul: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV).

When we worry about the future, we become paralyzed in the present. Worry does not empty tomorrow of its pain; it empties the present, today, of its strength. “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature” (Matthew 6:27 NKJV). Even when things are going well, we start to worry that something is wrong, right? Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34 NKJV).

A natural reflex is something we do automatically. For example, if we accidentally touch something hot, we immediately withdraw our hand. It’s a natural reflex. No one has to teach us how to do that. Turning being worried into prayer is a conditioned reflex. It’s something we learn to do. We must develop the conditioned reflex to turn worry into prayer.

When worry creeps in, when panic strikes, let’s stop and pray right now. Let’s not forget that God controls our life. As Christians, we don’t believe in fate; we believe in faith.