Learning to Pray

As I was driving home from the store today, with a slight headache (after a week of headaches) and thinking about everything I had to do when I got home (unload the groceries, feed the baby, prepare the meat to freeze it, clean the house, sew the girls' dresses, make lunch,...), I found myself going down my usual path of becoming more and more negative and worked up about "me" and my needs.   I could predict my attitude towards my family when I got home if I continued in this vein, and it would not be pretty or God-glorifying.  However, I also happened to be listening to our new Seeds Scripture Memory CD, and the song that was playing was Philippians 4:6-7 :

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

And there it was!  The solution to my growing anxiety.  You would think, after all of these years, that I would naturally flee to prayer all the time.  After all, Paul says to pray continually.  But, sad to say, I think I am just beginning to catch on.  I have no need to be anxious. About anything!  I can at any time go to the Lord of the universe, the Creator and Sustainer of all, my Redeemer, and lay my anxiety before Him.  And He gives peace!  He will guard my heart and my mind!  Novel idea, right? 
But it is a novel idea for me.  I don't need to confine my prayer times to my morning Bible reading time.  Or to church prayer meeting time.  Or to family devotion time.  I can pray all day long!  When I face a temptation to be anxious, I can pray right then!  I don't have to wait until I can get alone and make my prayer list and organize everything neatly.  I can cry out right now!  When I have a headache and know that I will be extra tempted to be exasperated and short with my children, I can confess my weakness and ask for a heart of mercy and patience towards them.  When my children disobey and I am tempted to respond in anger, I can confess my sin and ask for a heart of love for them.  When I am amazed at something He has done in our family - a new skill, a display of selflessness and sacrifice, a beautiful smile or unexpected love note - I can pray and thank Him for His goodness and wonderfully abundant gifts.  I can pray all day long! 
In the station of life that I am in right now - with a 3 month old and three other children needing me all day long - I don't always have the time or alertness to spend much time in prayer and reading in the mornings.  But I can pray all day long!  What a mercy that God is always available and that He loves to give good gifts to men!  And what mercy that He faithfully leads me along and continues to teach me such truths.  I just wanted to share this in the hopes that it might encourage someone else to not be anxious about anything.....