Day 421 What If?

I think about and write often about the "ifs" in the Bible.    Did you know that the word "if" appears almost 1600 times?   That's a lot of "ifs".   This morning I heard the phrase "what if" and it set off a light bulb in my head.  Important questions to ask myself, not just today but every day.

What if I put more trust in God?   What would happen if I could just let go of my anxieties and turned them over to Him?  He promised that He would take on all our cares if we could just do that.

What if I spend just an extra five minutes on my knees in prayer every day?   Jesus prayed all night.  One time he went away to pray and fast for 40 days.  What would happen if I just took that extra time to be with Him,  just the two of us?  I think it would be a much closer relationship.

What if I take the time today to exercise my body so that I was in the best shape I could be in?  Probably I would be better able to serve Him.  That in itself is it's own reward. 

What if I make the right choices today in the foods I eat?  There is certainly a reward in that.  Not just feeling better at the time but long reaching benefits allowing me to still better serve Him.

What if I let go today of any anger and unforgiveness in my heart?  What would happen?  It would certainly make room for more love and joy and it would allow God to forgive me.  He tells us that we have to forgive in order to be forgiven.

What if you take a few minutes today to think about your own what ifs?  Try it.  Just put what if in front of anything that you've been dealing with and turn it over to Him.  He says that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  It only becomes light when you give it away and He's there to receive it whenever you're ready.

Precious Lord, Jehovah Rapha,
I know so many people that read and pray along with me are going through huge issues.  I ask that You open their minds and hearts to the release, the relief and the lightness that can only come from You if they will just turn their burdens over to You.
Father, I surrender every one of your warriors fighting the enemy today to you and I ask in the name of Jesus Christ that You make their yoke easy and their burden light.  For Lisa who has had her entire immune system destroyed so that healthy stem cells can be implanted to kill the multiple myeloma in her blood, I ask that you ease the pain and the nausea and give her complete healing.
For Tony who will have his appendix out tomorrow so that he can restart chemo, I ask that the surgery go quickly and that recovery is complete so that he can resume treatment to completely destroy every cancer cell in his body.
For Bryce, Lord I just ask that you ease the nausea that he is fighting from the chemo.  He just celebrated his fifth birthday and we want him here for at least another eighty or ninety birthdays. 
We surrender the healing of these precious ones to You, Lord.  You are the God who heals.  Let them be shining examples of Your love and mercy.
We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, the one true Messiah.
Amen