Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstances and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. Philippians 4:6 AMP
This scripture is so calming for me, I don't know about you. It is calming because it recognizes that worry and anxiety are real. It recognizes that circumstances and situations, that are likely to baffle and beset us are prevalent. It allows us to be human without the additional burden of guilt. And because of that recognition, that we're likely to be beset with anxious thoughts and worries, we're provided with an outlet. Don't you love God? He thinks about everything and provides us with solutions even before we go through the event. In effect, God is telling us "I know you'll go through periods of anxiousness and situations where you'll be worried, but turn it all back to me". Not only is he asking us to dump it all on him, he also asks us to be thankful knowing that he's picked up our slack. God won't shame us. He's also asking us to come again and again to him with our numerous worry items. He's not restricting us to just one or two and then he'll be fed up or run away from us in hiding; the verse says "continue to make your requests". Don't stop hollering until you get satisfaction. Instead of bending under pressure, we can stand up in prayer. Prayer not pressure will solve our problems. And when we add a healthy dose of thanksgiving to the God who answers prayer, we're sorted for now and tomorrow.
Let's pray: It's me again Lord, standing before you in prayer. Hear my voice and hearts cry, and send me my answers. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen
