My husband, Steve, and I sat anxiously in our seats. I wondered if I was going to be able to endure the ride, especially knowing my propensity for motion sickness. But we began nonetheless.
The guide strapped all passengers into the tiny boats and gave last minute instructions. Of course there were life preservers, but what good would they do in the fierce rapids that threatened to suck its prey below the surface?
The crew boarded and began the journey down the mysterious Amazon. The calm meandering waters quickly gave way to fierce torrents, rushing rapids, and rocky crags protruding from the foaming waters. Alternating between plunging into the water and flying into the air, the boat made its way through the first set of rapids. My body relaxed, thankful that was over. Several times along the journey calm gave way to chaos as passengers maneuvered to keep the boats afloat. Often, I closed my eyes and waited for the turbulence to pass.
When we finally reached the end of our journey, I picked up my popcorn and walked out of the theater.
No, I wasn’t really on the Amazon River strapped in a tiny boat. I was comfortably sitting in a cushioned chair in the IMAX Theater watching a documentary about the Amazon River. In the five-story domed screen covering 6532 square feet of projection surface, large images put you in the center of the action, and the surround sound gave the illusion that you were indeed wherever the screen took you. It wasn’t real.
The Bible tells us, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34 NIV). Someone once said, “worry is a down payment on a problem you may never have.” It is expending emotional energy on something that may never happen. It is thinking on something that is not real.
Yes, I did get a bit queasy from the larger-than-life movement down the river, but I was never in real danger. Even though the producers and engineer tried their best to create a realistic experience, I knew it wasn’t true. It was a movie. I would walk out unscathed.
That is the peace of walking, or in this case sitting, in the truth. Every day the enemy seeks to trip us up by stirring up worry about the future. It’s not real. It’s imaginings. Something that most likely will never happen.
Worrying is like sitting in the IMAX Theater watching a documentary about the Amazon River, but thinking you’re really in the boat. You’re not. It is your imagination running wild.
So what do you do?
Stop looking at the screen…the imaginings in your mind.
Leave the theater…the cinema where the worriers in you heart loop round and round.
Don’t let worry weaken your soul, but let prayer strengthen your heart.
Trust in God…the only One who knows what the future holds.
Turn your worries into prayers. That doesn’t mean worrying out loud to God. It means handing your concerns over to Him and letting it go.
Lord, sometimes I make myself so mad. Mad as in angry and mad as in crazy. I worry about things that I have no control over, most of which will never happen in the first place. Today, I’m getting out of the imaginary boat in the imaginary Amazon River of worry. I’m going to trust in You and refuse to buy another ticket to the theater that plays reruns of my greatest fears. In Jesus’ Name, Amen and Amen!
Are you willing to turn your worries into prayers? If so, leave a comment and say, “I’m going to give my worries about _______ to God!”
Bonus Study
Read Matthew 6:25-24 to see what Jesus said about worry.
Think about five things you worried about in 2024.
What good did the worrying do? What did it change?
How much of what you worried about happening actually happened?
Digging Deeper
Trust God isn’t always easy. That’s why Gwen Smith, Mary Southerland and I wrote a book about it: Trusting God. We’ve share honestly and openly about our own struggles, and how trusting God in the midst of difficult situations has strengthen our faith. This book is set up in a 12-week devotional style with a Bible study guide and journal pages.
Did you know I have The Praying Wives Club over on Facebook? Come by for a visit for a prayer each day!
And just added July 1 is The Praying Moms Club for moms and grandmoms (grandmas, gigis, mimis)!
Comments 73
This helped me so much. The worries of this Earth needn’t hold our hearts and minds captive, for the Lord has us in his hands. Thank you so much for sharing your gifts with the world!
I’m going to give my worries about my kidneys to God
“I’m going to give my worries about my son wanting to be a girl 😩 to God!” 🙌
I am going to give my worries about my job and financial situation to God
Amen!!!
I’m going to give my worries about everything in my life over to God..
Thanks be to God..
I am going to give my worries about my husband getting dementia every time he forgets something to God. I can totally trust God in some situations but have not been able to trust that God will heal his forgetfulness and that his forgetfulness will get worse. I totally want to let this big worry go!
Today, I’m trusting in God with the upcoming deadline of finishing our home and the financial burdens along side finishing the home.
God always provides exactly what we need. A blog post from His word or a story of His faithfulness to reaffirm my faith and trust in Him. This story of the IMAX experience is going to the son of my closest cousin, who is really like a sister to me. She has been fighting stage four breast cancer for nine years. Yesterday she needed a craniotomy for a 2mm spot found on her left frontal lobe of her brain last week. My prayer for her son and daughter who are supporting her emotionally in this fight is that they will remember to trust the omnipotent One for things out of their control.
I am ready to leave worry about finances to God
I’m going to give my worries about my daughter to God.
I’m going to give my worries about finances to God!
I am going to give my worries about my health to God; and praise Him in the process!
I am going to give over my anxieties about my upcoming epidural and cruise to God.
I am going to give my worries & concerns about our family to God
And praise God for what he has done for us all and continues to do
Amen
Thank you
I’m going to give my worries about my family to God!
I’m going to give my worries about my son to God
I am
Going to give my health worries over to God.
Thank you Sharon, for reminding me that God is in control. I will stop fretting over a messy family relationship.
leave my worries of debt and health to God
Pray for our trip to Poconos in Pennsylvania. That we will have a safe trip and my daughter drive carefully. . She has a tendency of flaring up, saying words that hurt I pray for her to have a loving heart like Jesus. Jesus will be real to her.,and protection on the on the roads. September 20 to the 24th please pray for our safety.. I’m going to give my worries to God, especially for my children. They will come back to you and be real. You will be real to them.
I’m going to give my worries about everything to God!! I needed this today and everyday! Thank you for reminding me he is always in control.
I’m going to give my worries about my finances to God!
Am going to give my worries over to GOD about Joey
Thank you 🙏 JESUS
I’m going to give my worries about moving out of state and changing my entire life to God!
I’m going to give my worries about my family to God!
I’m going to give my worries about getting the job I’m praying for and rebuilding a career to God.
Please pray with ALL your prayer warriors for my granddaughter- 41 & my greatgrandson 9 yrs S she had a total mental breakdown & now is totally gone as she does NOT have any memory!!!Pray-prsy
I’m going to give my worries about finding a remote/ work from home job that will still allow me to care for my elderly parents to God!
I’m going to leave my worries about my future with God!
I am going to give my heart health worries to God along with the financial worries as well.
I am going to give my worry about my schooling to God.
I’m going to give my worries about successfully finishing my principal certification & passing my certification test to God. I’m going to give my worries about my next job to God. I’m going to give my worries of weight loss struggles to God. I’m going to give my worries about my finances to God. I’m going to give my worries about my family to God! Amen! 🙏🏾
“ I’m going to give my worries about MY MOM’S HEALTH CHALLENGES
to God! “
In the name of Jesus,
Amen
I am going to hand over my worries to God. Obsessing and dwelling in worry is in the Lord’s hands.
To God be the Glory.
Thank you for this encouragement! I’m going to give my worries to God and let him have his way!!
I am going to give my worries about my health, my kids’ issues and a big change God has asked me to do and the steps to get there.
I’m going to leave my worries about moving/next steps/where we are going to live to God!
I am going to give up worry about my health.
In God’s Love
Frances
This truly helped me so much. When Worry Steals Your Joy was exactly what I needed — such a gentle reminder to trust and let go.
Im going to leave my worries about my acid reflux to God🙏
I am giving my worries to God about my mental health struggles with depression and anxiety to God. Also my hurt in that no one cares when I am struggling and it hurts so much to see people like my mother in law know I am hurting and refusing to be kind. I know God cares and I need to place my faith and cares into Gods hands.
Hola Laura solo para recordarte la promesa del salmo 23. “Aunque andes en sombra de valle de muerte, Yo estaré contigo”.
I am going to give my worries about my children’s future, my financial status and my husband’s infidelity to God
Lord, I turn my life over to You. I cannot do this on my own. Anxiety, angry that things don’t go “my way”. Let YOUR WILL be done for me. In Jesus’ name. Amen
With the help of Jesus, I will give up the worries about my husband’s health.
Thank you for this message.
“im going to give my worries about my children and grandchildren and husband
to God!”
I have been avoiding the scale. I have been trying to lose weight for over 10 years. Other health issues got in way and caused a lot of worry. Heart, digestive issues, depressions, anxiety, and family issues. Plus, just coming out of Covid. So, I have been trying a new approach of losing weight, but having a hard time due to barriers. Dumb me, decide to see if there were any good results. Who am I fooling. When I am in the muck of life, there is a verse that is always put in front of me and Sharon Jaynes, God used you today with my go to in the Bible, Mathew 6. Thanks for the V8 moment!
I’m going to turn over my fears to God about never being able to sell our home! Faith over Fear is my new motto!
I am leaving my worries about feeling like I’m not operating in my calling, gifting and purpose everyday or not knowing exactly what it is at the moment, about my personal overall well-being, oral hygiene and health, my unemployment status temporarily right now, about me/my family(household); us the women, our children and our Men(promised husbands), my life/our lives, home(not having the extra-added assistance, income or resources) as we speak, my and our finances/financial state for the upkeep of it for better, greater and healthier living conditions. The years and years of home, land and taxes issues with certain family members and non; along with all of the back to back full-out spiritual warfare attacks from and by both and their coming up against constantly with their weapons and tongues(Isaiah 54:17) and certain other situations from a personal identity and information standpoint that just have more recently began again and the other for the first time that I’m praying doesn’t have to require any legal action but I need even more of God’s help and Wisdom with those as well, discerning/deciphering knowledge, understanding, insight and inside-information coupled with a greater discerning of spirits and with the interference that has been going on with my relationship situation involving a certain relative also, a particular individual/certain other individuals which began about 4 years ago and not too long ago that I con’t to give all to God!
I am going to give my worries about the future to God. Thank you for your messages, they seem to be right when I need them.
Thank you, Sharon. I’m going to give my worries about my husband’s upcoming surgery for nasal cancer to God! Yes!
I am going to give up my worry on who’s gonna take care of my kid when my mother leaves this August (just for context we are immigrants in a foreign country and my husband and I need to go to work to rebuild our life here).. Also I am giving up my worry about our future and the Great Unknown..
I am going to give my worries about my oldest adult son, Scott, to God. He loves him even more than I do.
I’m going to give my worries about my past to God.
I will give my fears to God. (Fear of my sickness, fear of no strength in my body)
I am going to give my worries about a study visa, to Canada, to God. Thank You God for You alone knows and holds the (my) future.
I’m going to give my worries about my daughter and granddaughter to God.
I perpetually worry about ‘what ifs’ most of which never happen.
I battle with this almost daily and I’m determined to surrender this to Jesus.
I am not in control but God is 🙏🏻
I going to turn my worries about Evanne over to God.
I’m giving up my financial worries and everything regarding my future to God.
He is faithful and able to take care of all that concerns me.
Hallelujah!
I’m going to give my worries about my life and work to God!
I’m going to give my worries and fears about my future to God. He has always been faithful even when I haven’t understood the plan he has for me. Thank you
Praise God in all circumstances. Leaving worry about my husband’s & my health in God’s hands!!
I am going to leave my worries about the future with God. I know that He is in control, and I can release everything into His loving care. Thank you, God!
I’m going to give my worries to you God. Not knowing where I’m going to work, live, selling my house and my children needing you in their lives. I’m been alone for almost 1 year since my husband died and trying to make decisions. I’m going to depend on God.
I’m going to give my worries all to Jesus. He alone is the greatest powerdul God. He deserves all praise and glory . I give my worries about trusting Him to Him.. I give my worries about what the future holds to Him. I give my worries about what submission entails-to Him.. I give up my rights to Him. I give up my fears to Him.
I’m going to give my worries about work to God
I’m going to give up my worries about Juneau, and turn them into prayers to God Almighty…who loves him so much more than I do!
I’m going to leave my worries about moving out of state to God
I will leave my stinking thinking and the battlefield of my mind to God. Let His joy shine in me and let His grace follow through me so others will see I am a child of God. Amen!
I will leave my stinking thinking and the battlefield of my mind to God. Let His joy shine in me and let His grace follow through me so others will know that I am a child of God.
Hello Sharon,
Thank you again for this message. Yes, agreed nothing years before helped when I worried, all did pass without a second thought in mind. We are so blessed! The answer is Jesus, to handle it and lay it down!!!!!
I am leaving my worries about my financial situation, selling our house, my relationship with my son and my second wedding planning at the feet of Jesus. When I worry about these things, I am not trusting that same God who delivered me from so much more.