Pray. Thank. Ask. Receive.

Pray. Thank. Ask. Receive.

Praying opens a door to our hearts—a door that hides the worry, the nervousness, the anxiety, the what-ifs, the worst-case scenarios, and, sometimes, the nightmares. This is the toughest part because we’d often prefer to keep this special door shut and locked.

Thanking our heavenly Father for all we do have through prayer begins the excavation of removing anxieties, worries, and lies from our hearts and begins replacing them with truth, grace, and love.

Ask God. Yes . . . ask him! Be vague, be clear, but ask him for whatever you think you need or want. Just by asking, you’re shifting responsibility from providing a you-sized solution to the God of the universe to providing a God-sized solution.

Receive. You won’t understand it. You won’t be able to explain it. And you probably won’t be able to put it into words. But when you pray with thanksgiving and ask the God of the universe to give you answers, he’ll give you peace—peace that guards your heart with warmth, love, and purpose. It is truly indescribable. Receive it.

Brad Bretz
North Point Ministries

Alfred E. Newman had it right

What? Me worried?

Humble people worry less than the arrogant. Why is that? Because they aren’t so conceited as to think they have any idea (or control over) what may or may not happen.

The poet Rilke put it well: “Life is not even close to being as logically consistent as our worries; it has many more unexpected ideas and many more facts than we do.” Worry is pointless not only because it rarely makes things better, but also because you’re rarely ever worried about the right thing!

Seneca’s line was that “nothing happens to the wise man contrary to his expectation.” By that the arrogant person might take it to mean that the wise man is so smart that they are aware of all the possibilities. The humble soul knows that is probably not what Seneca meant. They know it’s more plausible that the wise are aware of Murphy’s Law and the absurd randomness of the universe. That is, within the range of expectations of the wise man is the idea that just about anything can happen.

Remember that today when you get anxious. The thing you’re hoping won’t happen, or hoping will happen…well, it’s just as likely that the world has entirely different plans for you. These plans are often things we couldn’t have even comprehended, let alone anticipated or prevented.

So let go a little bit. Don’t worry. It’s unbecoming. It’s arrogant. Be humble instead.

Sunday 

This morning I’m serving at my church,Springschurch, by doing the TV audio. It’s an early start at 7am and we’ll be finished 3rd service around 2pm. 

This is my position with the sound board and TV monitors in a room up behind the stage. 

It’s just me and the equipment. As I’m mixing the band and vocalist I can hear my son Scott quietly on the intercom calling camera shots as he directs the camera operators to present the service on the big screens in the sanctuary and record for later TV broadcast use. 

It’s hard to explain my emotions and feelings as I hear Scott’s voice. I’m so proud of him. Thankful and full of joy for the wonderful man he has become. A great son, husband and father. 

It’s very special to be serving together at a great church that is doing great things for God.