What If You Prayed First?

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"It's past midnight in a small kitchen in Montgomery. A young pastor stares into a cup of coffee, hands still shaking from a phone call that promised to 'take you and your family out'. He's exhausted and afraid.

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He's tempted to quit. The Montgomery bus boycott is boiling and the threats are real.

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He feels the weight on his shoulders, and it feels heavier than he can bear. He bows his head at the table, not to plan, but to pray, 'Lord, I'm at the end. I need you'. And what happened next changed him.

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Welcome to Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. I'm Bart Leger, and today we're asking, 'What if I prayed first? Before reacting or panicking, what if your first move was prayer?' That's exactly what scripture calls us to do, and it's the difference between carrying fear on your own or letting God carry you.

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6 tells us,"Don't worry about anything.

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Instead, pray about everything.

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Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done." In that quiet moment, Martin Luther King Jr. sensed God's steady presence and inner assurance that he wasn't alone and that he should stand firm. The threats didn't go away, but fear lost its grip on him. From that kitchen table, he sensed God's steadying presence. That's

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6 lived out before reacting to the storm, he prayed, and God gave peace to move forward with wisdom. Now, don't be like the church deacon that, according to the story, was in a meeting concerning an issue that had come up in the church. Fears were voiced and concerns for what to do were shared. After some discussion, the pastor spoke up and said,"Men, we need to pray about this." And one of them blurted out, "Pastor, has it come to that?" Isn't that often where we find ourselves? Faced with stress at work or conflict at home? Or maybe a personal fear that we can't shake? Our instinct is to react first. We draft the email, we argue back, go ballistic, or we scramble for control. And then prayer becomes the last thing we think about.

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To many, prayer is like the fire alarm behind glass. Break only in case of emergency. But Paul says it doesn't have to be that way. Don't let worry run the show. Instead, pray about everything: big problems, or small frustrations, future fears, or even tonight's dinner. Don't think for a moment that God doesn't care about these things.

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He invites us to talk to Him about whatever is concerning to

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Father, forgive me for the times I let worry lead the way. Teach me to turn to you first in every situation. Guard my heart with your peace and help me trust that you're already at work in whatever concerns me. In Jesus' name, Amen. Thanks for joining me today on Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. Remember, peace comes when you pray first. Come back next time for more encouragement to help you live grounded in God's truth. Until then, God bless and have a great day.