| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Rest, relax, renew” Our Bible verse for today: “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.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) Our thought for today: “Pray more, worry less” I’ve seen multiple studies in recent months regarding the state of mind of the American people. The studies are designed to assess the psychological health of the American public. The findings are not good. On average, almost 70% declare themselves to be very concerned about the economy. More than 60% say they are worried about the future of democracy. A large percentage of people have significant concerns about crime in our nation. All of that translates into mental health problems for large segments of the population. Close to 70% of those surveyed report feeling somewhat or very overwhelmed by the totality of everything mentioned in the previous paragraph. Close to 50% report high levels of frequent anxiety. 45% report experiencing a prolonged sense of sadness. More than 40% say they are angry. Although there is evidence of all of that in the Christian community as well, I believe Christians are doing much better than the overall public in terms of good mental health, and I believe a big part of the reason is prayer. It’s what the Apostle Paul wrote about in Philippians 4:6-7 above – the more we pray the better we handle things. This is important. How can we savor our time; how can we rest, relax, and renew; how can we enjoy and appreciate the gift of life and the moments of our lives; if we’re stressed-out and anxious all the time? We need to pray more so we can worry less. Hebrews 12:2 reminds us, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith …” And in Isaiah 26:3 we find the promise, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” The world is a mess, but Jesus isn’t. Jesus will give us peace that transcends all the issues we are faced with, a peace that will guard our heart and mind. So, let’s pray more and worry less. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville |
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