From his book “A Praying Life”, Paul E. Miller shares:
Several months ago I was on a flight, sitting next to a drug representative from a major pharmaceutical company. I mentioned to her that from listening to people talk, I suspected that one-third of suburban American women were on antidepressants. The drug rep shook her head. It’s at least two thirds.” And it’s not just women. The CDC reports that 1 in 7 Americans are on antidepressants. Most of us simply want to get rid of anxiety. Some hunt for a magic pill that will relieve the stress. Others pursue therapy. While antidepressants and counseling have helped many people, including me, the search for a “happy pill” or “happy thoughts” will not stop our restless anxiety. It runs too deep”.
Instead of fighting anxiety, we can use it as a springboard to bend our hearts to God. Instead of trying to suppress anxiety, manage it, or smother it with pleasure, we can turn our anxiety to God. When we do that we’ll discover that we’ve slipped into continuous praying.
Here’s an example of how anxiety creates an opening for prayer. When I was a kid I didn’t like answering the phone, possibly because I am not quick with words. I can get tongue-tied in new situations, and I used to have a stuttering problem. Jill would joke that she wanted to name one of our kids Lillian because the letter “L” was a particular problem for me. So was “H.” Saying “hello” could really set me back. Sometimes when the phone rings, I still feel a twinge of anxiety. As I reach for the phone, I pray a quick, wordless prayer. I just lean in the direction of God. My anxiety becomes a prayer.
A Brief History of Anxiety and Prayer
The connection between anxiety and continuous praying goes back to Eden, where Adam and Eve were in unbroken fellowship with God and continuous prayer was normal. When they sought independence from God they stopped talking with God in the middle of the day and the prayer link was broken. What does an unused prayer link look like? Anxiety? Instead of connecting with God, our spirits fly around like several power lines, destroying everything they touch. Anxiety wants to be God but lacks God’s wisdom, power or knowledge. A godlike stance without godlike character and ability is pure tension. Because anxiety is self on its own, it tries to get control. It is unable to relax in the face of chaos. Once one problem is solved, the next in line steps up. The new one looks so large, we forget the last deliverance.
Oddly enough, it took God to show us how to be godlike. Jesus was the first person who didn’t seek independence. He wanted to be in continuous contact with his heavenly Father. In fact, he humbled himself to death on the cross, becoming anxious so we could be free from anxiety. Now the Spirit brings the humility of Jesus into our hearts. No longer do we have to be little god’s, controlling everything. Instead, we cling to our Father in the face of chaos by continuously praying. Because we know we don’t have control, we cry out for grace, Instead of flailing around, our praying spirits can bless everything we touch.
David captured the connection between a humble heart and a quiet heart.. . . . “O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child on its mother; is my soul on me. Psalm 131;1-2.
We become anxious when we take a godlike stance, occupying ourselves with things too great for us. We return to sanity by becoming like little children, resting on our mothers.
One of the unique things about continuous praying is that it is its own answer to prayer. As you pray Psalm 131, your heart becomes quiet. You rest, not because there is magic in the words but because your eyes are no longer raised too high. Charles Hodge gave us this example of continuous prayer from his childhood.: “In my childhood I came nearer to “Pray without ceasing” than in any other period in my life. As far back as I can remember, I had the habit of thanking God for everything I received and for everything I wanted. . . . I did not do this in obedience to any prescribed rule. It seemed natural. I thought of God as an everywhere present Being, full of kindness, love, who would not be offended if children talked to Him. I knew he cared for sparrows.
Your heart can become a prayer factory because, like Jesus, you are completely dependent. You needed God ten minutes ago; you need him now. Instead of hunting for the perfect spiritual state to lift you above the chaos, pray in the chaos. As your heart or your circumstances generate problems, keep generating prayer. You will find that the chaos lessens. ~~~Paul E. Miller, A Praying Life, NAV Press “The Navigators” Colorado Springs, CO, 2009,2017) p.57-60
