SPEAK TO ME!

“I mean, the Pastor doesn’t even speak to me!”  said the  cashier.  This line resonated in my heart all day following a brief conversation I had while purchasing my groceries.  Somehow, the fact that I am married to a pastor of a local church surfaced in our conversation and from that tidbit of information was launched a monologue by the cashier centered on her desire to leave her church.  The statement above was the one thing she could not move beyond and therefore the reason she felt she must attend somewhere else.  After thinking about this statement for some time, and reminding my husband to be sure to engage people, I suddenly realized the importance of such a simple thing.  What this woman was really expressing behind her words was a desire to be acknowledged by the pastor.  What he said to her really wasn’t the issue; it was more the act of speaking directly to her, which then validated her presence and existence. 

Many times I pray for God to SPEAK TO ME.  When I am distraught with emotion and bogged down with worry, I desperately cry out and ask Him to SPEAK TO ME! Like David in Psalm 30:8-9, “To you, O Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy; What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit?’ (NIV)  I want to hear His gentle words of encouragement and compassion.  At times when decisions need to be made and answers need to come quickly, I beg Him to SPEAK TO ME with words of wisdom and direction Verse 10 of that same chapter says, “Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me, O Lord, be my help.”    In the midst of insecurity and relational angst I implore Him to SPEAK TO ME!  Earlier, verse 6, David states, “When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” O Lord, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.”

Life provides many opportunities for me to lose sight of how He does SPEAK TO ME, not just in certain situations, but constantly all around me.  No where else in the Bible are there more beautiful words chained together than in the Psalms.  When I desire to hear His voice and to receive the validation of my existence I read these beautiful words in chapter 29:3-9,

“The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.

The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. . .

The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightening.

The voice of the Lord shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare.”

Later in the day, I wondered if the cashier I spoke with had even approached her pastor.  What were her expectations of his behavior and were they realistic?  Was she taking into account the pastor’s own circumstances?  Perhaps, he was having a personal crisis.  Had she even attempted to make friendly contact with this man or had she just assumed it was his place to move first?  Was her judgment of this man as “unfriendly” based on a one- time encounter or was her decision to leave the church coming from a deeper place in her heart?  The diagnosis of her pastor’s unfriendliness could be completely accurate and changes within his attitude may need to come to fruition, but he may be completely unaware of his demeanor.   Her decision to leave the church could be based on a misunderstanding, which could easily be rectified through loving communication. 

When I am crying out to the Lord, perhaps, I spend too much time waiting to hear something specific.   Do I allow myself to become immobilized when I cannot hear His voice because it is drowned out by the voices of others?  Maybe I do hear His voice, but not the words I prefer.    I can choose to ignore what I hear and continue to expect Him to speak all the while disregarding what He is actually saying.  My own movements and actions can then become rooted in my own expectations, motivated only by my wounded perceptions of God. 

Going back to Psalm 29, it is clear that God has a voice and that He utilizes it over heaven and earth.  How then, can I deny the fact that He does SPEAK TO ME! The greater question is, am I listening and really hearing His voice?    Like the cashier, will I run simply because His words are not pleasing to me? 

His voice is powerful, majestic and over the waters, according to Psalm 29.  If His voice is over the waters, therefore, it is also over me.  If His voice is powerful and majestic, then it is easily heard and respected. If His voice breaks the cedars and strikes like lightening, then it can swiftly be identified as His because only He is able to accomplish such deeds.  If His voice shakes and twists, then I can actually feel it encompassing me.  Perhaps my attention needs to be less on His words and more on the fact that this powerful and majestic God is speaking directly to me.  At this point His words are irrelevant and my response then is simple,  “And in his temple all cry, “Glory!” Psalm29:9.

Gates

Gates, I hate them!  My daughters are 24 and 17, yet I have three baby gates in my house.  Why, because of Piper, our 14 month old lab/pointer puppy.  She has reduced me to a prisoner in my own home.  In an effort to keep her out, I have to lock myself in.  She is a pilferer, so if  an item is not put away or higher than she can reach, it will be chewed to bits or swallowed whole!

All these gates remind me of gated communities where fences keep the residents safe by keeping others out.  I do not have a problem with gated communities or those who live there, it just makes me wonder if perhaps I do live there. 

For example, several months ago a young man returned to church after being absent for several years.  Kevin, not his real name, had been in and out of prison when we met and was facing another charge against him.  He desperately wanted to turn his life around, but honestly, the odds were so against him that he did not know where to begin.  Both Bill and I spoke to him and prayed with him on several occasions.  The last conversation I had with him revolved around his new little baby and how he wanted to be a better father to this child than what he had growing up.  Then, Kevin disappeared, until now.  When I hugged him and told him that I had missed him he just smiled and scooped me up in his tattooed arms and said, “Thanks.”  When I asked where he had been he simply replied, “Prison.”  Kevin has been contained by gates many times in the years we have been acquainted.  To a certain degree, I have also been contained by gates in the years I have known Kevin.

As a Christian, I know  my responsibility to my fellow man is  never to stand in judgment, however, this is not always easy.  My intent is not to elevate myself over anyone else, but there are times when it just happens too easily.  One reason this happens is because I am more concerned about my “Christian” exterior and my reputation than I am about being honest and real.  What would it mean to Kevin if I could tell him my most ashamed moments and how God has extended grace to me.  My reservation is that such a revelation would taint his view of me or that he would not think as highly of me.  Then my convicted heart screams let it be!  Let it be known that I am just one prayer away from a poverty stricken soul.  Let it be known that I too am imprisoned by gates that secure my own insecurities and hold me captive to the lies of the enemy.  Like Kevin, I am uncomfortable around so many perfect people and feel unworthy to share the terrible things I have thought or said, not to mention the actions I have carried out. 

As a church we accept and invite  Kevin and others like him into the building and even sit next them,  we open the gate, but do we invite them into our own personal gated communities, our own lives and our own experiences.  I may have not done the same things Kevin has  or know what it is like to be in prison, but I do know what it is like to be forgiven and set free from bondage.  Do our own testimonies hold us hostage?  Do our reputations?  How about our opinions?  I can honestly answer yes to each question. 

I was raised in a Christian home and come from a rich heritage of believers as far back as I can remember.  How fortunate and blessed I am to have such a testimony of faith and perseverance, yet this creates for me quite a standard to live up to.  Since I was saved at five years old, there are times I feel expected to be perfect because I have always known Jesus.  My past has not been littered with drugs or alcohol.  There is no defining moment where I felt God snatch me from death, yet, we have all been snatched from death by a God who desires to save us and set us free! 

Reputations are crazy things!  Webster defines reputation as “the common opinion that people have about someone or something: the way in which people think of someone or something.”  Ouch!  From all outward appearances, I would guess most people would assume that I have it all “together!”  I have a wonderful family, daughters who are growing in their own faith and becoming strong women of God, a husband who supports my every move and decision all the while loving me unconditionally, a great house and car to drive, plenty of food for my table.  I lack nothing, yet there are many underlying currents that flow just under the surface, my surface.  There are days when the depression of my mother’s cancer cripples me and incapacitates me with fear.  I have times when the health issues that my daughter, sister, and aunt endure crush me with despair.  Weeks come and go where the jaws of comparison to my fellow believer gnaw at me to the point of exhaustion.  The pressures and responsibilities of ministry at times squeeze all joy from my being and the weight of those who are hurting tethers my soul to their hopelessness. 

I sit in my office and cry, a lot!  Now it is out there and every time I go to my office and close the door, my girls are probably going to follow me!  God has gifted them both with compassion!  However, the tears that fall are for a desire to see what God sees, past the testimonies, reputations, and opinions of His people, those who have yet to believe and those who do believe.  When I pray for God to break my heart for what breaks His, many times, I do not get past my own mirror.  He sees me, knows me, loves me and is just waiting for me to ask for the gate to be removed. 

The point of this blog is not to evoke pity or personal affirmation from my many loyal friends.   Essentially, honesty is paramount.  I am learning how to allow others into my world and to be more authentic with my emotions.  The value of this is crucial within the church as we seek those who do not know Jesus.  If they do not see our need for Him, then how can they identify their need for a Savior? 

Taking Chaos Captive, part 3

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My last two blogs  focused on accepting and embracing the chaos of live.  It is now time to move on adapting to chaos and taking the ideas from previous readings and applying them to daily living.

In light of previous information, the next step is honestly asking yourself which of these strategies work for you?   Free yourself from comparison!  Perhaps only one thing has resonated with you.  Take that one thing and customize.  Your personality will dictate exactly what it will look like in your own life.

For example, there are certain “chores” I prefer not doing, such as cleaning toilets.  I don’t really mind mopping floors or laundry, but toilet cleaning is on the bottom of my list.  Because I know that I generally will avoid unpleasant tasks, I put this one first.  Many of us have heard this before, but hearing it and doing it are totally different!  I find my bathrooms are much cleaner by making this simple adjustment.  This practical task is accomplished more often now that it is on the top of my list. 

Another way I insert my own personality into these ideas is by wearing something I love to do tasks I am avoiding.  There are days I don’t mind grocery shopping and others where I cannot bring myself to get out the door.  On days like this, I wear a favorite pair of earrings or jeans.  I do this because it makes me feel better about myself if I am wearing something special.  This is the reason why men do not understand the fitness clothing industry!  Women are not content to work out in nasty basketball shorts and sweat stained t-shirts with holes.  Why?  Because if we feel good about what we are wearing and how we look, we are more likely to work out harder and longer.  So, if I wear something I love to the grocery store, the job doesn’t seem as bad as it did before! 

These are just a few examples of how my own personality dictates how I use the practical ideas I have given to you.  Only you can decide which ones will work and how they will work.

As we accept that there will be chaos in life, we must remember that God is still moving in and through us.  He is more concerned about His creation (you) than your circumstances (chaos).  Embrace the fact that you cannot do it all and that you need others in your life to help you.  Set healthy boundaries and stick to them.  Benjamin Franklin said, “Resolve to perform what you ought, perform without fail what you resolve.”  Finally, adapt your system and let your personality shine through it.  Give yourself grace and mercy because failure will come. 

I leave you to ponder this topic with the words of a holy God:

Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, “This far you may come and not farther; here is where your proud waves halt?” Job 38:8-11 (NIV)

Here is where the waves halt, and here is where the chaos is taken captive.

Taking Chaos Captive, part 2

My last blog focused on the fact that there is always chaos in life.  The only way to have order and control of this chaos is the accept it, embrace it, and then adapt to it.  God still moves in our lives when chaos is present, in fact He could be allowing it to draw us closer to Himself.  Once we accept the fact that chaos is around us and allow God to us it, then we can begin to implement practical ways in which to actually embrace the chaos.

There are many tools I use to help me embrace the chaos of life.  However, before I can even begin with the practical solutions I have to realize that  I cannot do life alone and neither can you!  I need people in my life to help with practical things.  Colossians 3:15 says, ““Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace” (NIV).  I am a member of a body, not the sole part.  In order to have peace, I have to have help!  When I am faced with a daunting task, I ask myself this question, “What can only I do in this situation?”  Once I have answered, then I begin to delegate the rest.  Lists are one of the most practical tools in which to do this.  Post lists in common areas so others can see where you need help.  Assuming the dishwasher will be unloaded because the dishes are clean is probably a disastrous thought.  This is an example of a chore that someone else can do to free you up to do something different, but you have to make it known that it is needed!  Put it on the list!

I have a menu planning list and a pre-printed grocery shopping list that I use weekly.  These lists save me time by allowing me to play a weeks worth of meals and then shop for the items need for each of those meals.  Once I have all the ingredients, I can switch out meals depending upon our schedule for the day.  If I don’t feel like making tacos for dinner on Monday then I make spaghetti instead which was scheduled for Thursday.  I can make the switch because I have all the ingredients.  This does take some pre-planning and initial thought, but in the ends saves me a great deal of time.

Another time saver for me is my Life Binder.  This idea came to me a few years ago when I became so discouraged at the end of each day feeling as if I never accomplished enough.  I would go to bed at night and think about all the areas of my life that were not addressed and feel as if I had failed.  One day the Lord challenged me to sit down and categorize my life into seven areas.  These areas then became the sections in my Life Binder where I make notes on each of them and keep them in one place.  My binder is sectioned like this: Personal, Bethlehem Chapel (my church), School (we homeschool), Home, Ministry, BONDED Women’s Ministry (I am the leader of this ministry). 

This binder has helped me create mental space by allowing me a place to empty my brain!  Ben Franklin said, “Let all your things have their places; let all part of your business have its time.”  Now, I have a place for all my lists.  My binder also allows me to work daily on each major section of my life.  I do this by actually setting an alarm on my phone for a specific amount of time and working within one section of my binder at a time.  I have learned that I do not multitask well, in fact, I do not think it is even possible to do more than one thing at a time.  One of them will suffer.  Working on one section of the binder at a time keeps me focused on that specific section and I have found that I accomplish more in half the time. 

A secondary binder that I use is my Holiday Binder that makes its appearance in October.  This binder, replaces my Life Binder for the holiday season.  In this binder, I have everything I need in one place for the holidays.  Here are some examples: calendars, Thanksgiving meal planning sheets, Thanksgiving grocery shopping lists, recipes used for holiday meals, left over labels, paper table decorations, coloring pages for small children, Christmas wish lists for family members, gift giving pages, thank you note record, Christmas card lists for giving and receiving, holiday memory keepsakes, Christmas gift tags.  I have personalized these pages over the years to suit my own needs and even given complete binders as gifts.  Again, everything I need for the holidays is in one place.  Search the internet for examples of these types of pages.  The ones I use are no longer in print. 

The last practical tool for embracing the chaos of life is setting boundaries.  I do not work outside of my home, yet I have office house from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Establishing a work day for myself keeps me accountable to my family.  In fact, my youngest daughter is my phone accountability partner.  If she catches me on my phone after 5 p.m. she will ask me what I am doing.  If I am answering an email or sending a business text, I am reprimanded!  It can wait until tomorrow!  I will not begin answering email or texts before 9 a.m. because that is my time to read my Bible, pray, and hopefully exercise.  Honestly, it doesn’t always work like this, but I certainly do try!  I am fortunate enough to have an office of my own in our home which helps me establish that boundary of “work” mode as well.  However, if you do not have an office, find some place in your home or even just a tote bag where you keep your mobile office and let that help distinguish that “work” mode for you as well.  Once the bag is put away, it stays put away! 

Embracing chaos is part of taking it captive.  Review the practical steps above and see which of them  work for you.  Next time, we will discuss how to adapt some of these practical tips. 

Taking Chaos Captive, part one

I was a strange child!  Growing up in Missouri I learned early on to appreciate and fear thunderstorms.  Stormy Saturdays were some of my favorite times, especially in the spring.  On these dreary and darkened days I would lock myself away in my room and organize my closet!  Not the expected response, I understand!  My love for organization and order began then and was largely a result of living with a very spontaneous father and oppositely grounded mother.  Dad would throw a trip together and I watched as my mother struggled to make it happen all at the last minute.  I have since learned to embrace my Dad’s carefree lack of planning and my Mom’s careful planning. 

Another organizational marker for me was after I was married and living in Texas next door to an Army drill sergeant.  One day, I found myself needing to borrow something from him.  As I followed him out to his shed, I had no idea the glory that was about to be revealed to me.  Opening the dismal shed, he stepped inside and put his hand instantly on a clear plastic bin that contained the item I needed.  My mouth gaped as I looked around me at the pristinely stationed clear plastic bins stacked floor to ceiling.  Each one was labeled notating its contents on the outside.  He had no difficulty finding the item.  From that moment on, I decided I was going to do things very differently! 

Now to my confession, I have many areas of my home and life that are organized and probably about equal that are extremely unorganized.  For instance, I am a recovering self professed pack rat!  Our garage is full of boxes containing memories and mementos that I cannot seem to part with.  This is my summer project!  Do not mistake me for an expert or one with strict or legalistic ideals about organization.  I am just like you, looking for any place I can bring control and order to the chaos of my own life.   This all begins with the realization that I must accept, embrace, and adapt to the chaos of my life in order to take it captive.

First, I have to accept that there is chaos and there always will be chaos as this is the nature of a fallen world.    My definition of chaos is a created state of mind that causes confusion and disorients the purpose of the mind.  Practically speaking, the purpose of the brain is to control all bodily functions, however, it also sorts, filters, and categorizes information.  God has given us our own laptop to use for His glory.  When I begin to become overwhelmed by my thoughts, I have to stop and ask myself if I am creating an environment that is breeding confusion and disorientation.  If the answer is yes, then I know the chaos I am feeling is something that I have created and never Godly because I Corinthians 14:33 says that God is not a God of confusion but of peace. 

Second, in spite of the chaos around me God is still moving.  He works in and thru me in all ways and in all experiences, including the chaos of life.  He is more concerned about his creation (me) than my circumstances (chaos).  In fact, He could be allowing some of it in order to reveal something to me about myself or I could be creating it by not allowing Him to be in control. 

Watch for part two of Taking Chaos Captive for practical tips to embracing the chaos of life.

The Hope of Christmas

Hope is a word used carelessly.  The phrase “I hope you have a good day,” escapes my lips daily.  At the time the sentiment is sincere but quickly fades from my memory as my own life steps into the spotlight.

The following quote is from the Encyclopedia of the Bible; “Hope has been defined as ‘desire accompanied by expectation.’ Hope, however is not always expectant.  One may have hope with little or no expectation.” To hope with little or no expectation at all seems to be more of a cultural definition rather than a Biblical one.  This holiday season reminds me of the true definition of hope.  His name is Jesus and He is the hope of Christmas seen in the babe, the blood, and the cross.

The Christmas story is familiar but what I often forget is the reassurance given to us long before the actual birth.  My favorite scripture, Jeremiah 29:11, promises a plan and a future for our lives, one that brings  hope.     The coming of this hope was foretold by Isaiah as he declares in chapter 9, verse 6, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. . .” (NIV).  The proof of this prophecy comes when the King is born heralded by the heavenly host to the shepherds and also to the Magi several years later.  These shepherds were ordinary men going about their ordinary day when  suddenly, there is an interruption.  God uses the ordinary to display the extraordinary and He humbles the extraordinary so the ordinary may be revealed.  The Magi were men of privilege and highly revered, yet they too were humbled and led by a star to an ordinary child. 

His blood promises us redemption as seen in Ephesians 1:7, “In him we have redemption through his blood. . .”  We are reconciled to himself as seen in Colossians 1:19-21.  The proof comes with the shedding of that blood and in the working of it to cleanse and to purify.  An ordinary substance, common to all man, achieves extraordinary results when shed for sinners. 

We cannot have Christmas without the cross and the promise of hope that it brings through eternal life.  Hebrews 9:12 says, “He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.”  An ordinary event we are all destined for is death, yet because of His death we can have an extraordinary eternal life.

The babe, the blood, and the cross all work together to reveal the hope of Christmas.  It is not dead, nor does it slumber.  The first chapter of I Peter, verse 3 tells the good news, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ in his great mercy h has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 

“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without words and never stops at all.”  -Emily Dickinson

Puppy Lessons

It is week two, I think wearily to myself, only week two!  Our puppy, Piper, has made our hearts her home, however, I find myself increasingly less and less prepared for the arrival of her needs.  She is a baby, I keep telling myself, remember those days?! 

Here are a few things Piper has taught me this week:

1.  I am not nearly as prepared as I thought I was!  Granted, I had all the puppy gear, but I am    more vulnerable in the area of patience at this point.  My perception of myself has been          much higher than my situation is revealing. Ouch!
2.  No matter how much organizational armor I put on, Piper is slowly chipping away at each        resource.  It has become evident I do not have enough "margin" planned or scheduled in            my daily routine for the unexpected. The hilarious part of this is I am scheduled to teach an organizational workshop in the spring. Now that is hilarious!
3. The value of each hour is important,  especially when on is removed due to the unexpected.  I need to make the most of each hour and what I have planned for that particular hour.
4. I have forsaken my notebook.  What notebook you ask?  My response. . . THE notebook.  Essentially, it is my brain on paper, keeper of every carefully crafted list,  and the Yoda to my Skywalker!  Seriously, this notebook is my daily organizational guide and in conjunction with the timer on my iPhone, keeps my sanity in check.

I could go on; instead, here are the spiritual parallels to the above points:

1.     No matter what preparations I make in life, there will be situations that I did not expect.   There will undoubtedly be someone who disappoints me or does not follow through on his or her word.  My response must be loving and gracious.  God is indeed working on my weakest area, which is mercy.

2.     There will be times when the organizational pieces I implement to survive my life, have to be put aside to make space for the spontaneity of the Holy Spirit.  Unless, I budget time in my schedule and allow Him to move, I will miss His arrival, as the Pharisees did when the donkey brought Jesus to town.  I need to practice making room in my “to do” list for Him and to open my eyes to His hand when He moves.

3.     This point mirrors point number two.  My time is valuable.  God has given to me 24 hours in each day to do something for Him.  Once again, I need to shift my focus from what is happening directly in front of me to how it can bring honor and glory to Him and the role I am to play in that. 

4.     Many times I begin my day with my notebook rather than the book of notes that God has given to me.  When I start with the Word, my day takes on a different shape.  The interruptions and annoyances of life are still there, yet my attitude towards them is different because I am seeing them through the lens of Christ. 

This is where I stop for today because my iPhone has alerted me that my writing time is finished!

Things Are Never as Bad as They Seem

Once when one of our daughters was facing an unfamiliar experience, I gave her a nugget of my vast wisdom.  As the tears flowed, I looked loving in her eyes and said, “Don’t worry sweetheart, things are always worse than they seem.”  At that moment we both burst out laughing!  You see my error.  We have laughed about that as a family since then and even say it from time to time as it has become one of mom’s “quotables.”

We all know the original saying is, “Things are never as bad as they seem.”  I wonder at times if this is really true.  Do not misunderstand this observation as I am simply being honest.  Are things as bad as they seem? Perhaps that is the point.  Hmm. . .

When I am fearful about something or find myself overly stressed, I ask myself these questions, “Are things as bad as they seem?  What are my expectations of the outcome?”   From there I try to formulate an answer.  For example, in the middle of trying to train our new puppy not to jump on everyone and everything or bite like a piranha, I begin to feel as if this just is not worth the effort.  She is never going to do what I want her to do and I begin to have visions of a 50 lb dog knocking people and things over while she has a death lock on someone’s arm.  From there, I imagine my kitchen table replaced with a chain link dog run because I cannot control her behavior.  This leads to never eating another family meal together at the kitchen table or have any guests for dinner because the table no longer exists and it is not socially acceptable to serve food in a dog run!  One thought spirals out of control to the next leaving in its path a trail of anxiety. 

When I allow my own mind to “think” or “wonder” over potential outcomes, positive or negative, my anxiety level increases.  Let me explain.  When I make a decision as a leader that affects others, my tendency is to focus on their response.  Before any action is carried out, I try and think of all the possible outcomes of my decision.  These could be positive responses or negative responses that I receive.  Next, I begin to shape how I carryout my decision around those assumptions.  This quickly begins to gnaw at the original intention of the decision and I begin to doubt my original plan.  This is a problem and brings me back to “Things are never as bad as they seem.”  Sometimes, they are worse!   Other times, they exceed our expectations!  Either way, this process of thinking always leads me to anxiety.

What does the Bible say about anxiety?   Most Christians have Philippians 4:6-7 memorized,

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)

Three words jump out at me: prayer, petition, and peace.  When I make decisions I need to be asking if I have prayed about it.  Seems simple enough, but many times I find this step missing.  Prayer removes the anxiety of the situation because I have the mind and heart of God.  The response of others does not matter because I have prayed therefore, He will provide.

The word petition means to ask.  This goes along with prayer.  If I do not want to be anxious about something, then I need to ask God to help me.  I believe there are times when He allows me to feel anxious because I have not invited Him into the situation. 

If I have prayed and asked specifically from God, the next step is peace.  Jesus is the only one who can grant the luxurious gift of peace.  We have free access to it, but we must ask for it, or petition, then accept it.  That last part is difficult for me.  I want peace, but accepting peace means I have to trust His hand.  I love how The Message communicates the above verse:

^6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”

How I need for God to settle me down!