Day Twenty: That her heart would be guarded from anxiety and fear
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6, 7 ESV)
I am a vivid dreamer. One inch, flying kangaroos! Russian mafia hit men! Cars careening off cliffs into dark waters below! Fears can crowd me in the night. Foggy and fictitious, they wake me and then leave me, heart pounding in a blackened bedroom with my husband sleeping soundly nearby. A common concern of many women with whom I speak is anxiety, and it appears it becomes increasingly pervasive as we age. Little fears of our youth that could easily be put to rest with a nap or good night’s sleep grow into tsunami size worries as families grow and we lose the control we never really had. May this not be so for our daughters as they grow in faith and trust in our sovereign Lord.
Lord Jesus, you have promised that you will guard our hearts and minds as we come to you with our requests. With this in mind, I place my daughter before you and ask you to encourage her to pray and praise. Lord, please give her a heart of thanksgiving and a sure knowledge that when she flees to you with her requests that you will respond with peace that passes all understanding. Guard her heart and mind, dear Lord, so that she might become the woman of faith you desire her to be.
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Joan Hartley is a member of Grace Presbyterian, OPC in northern Ohio – wife, mother of four, and “Mimi” to two grandsons. She is the founder of Winsome Arrows Educational Services which exists to nurture special needs learners in home and private school settings and is training two therapy dogs, Justice and Mercy, for ministry.
