Prayer Worrier or Prayer Warrior Lk 10:40-42 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
Did you notice in Lk 10:40 that Martha presented the Lord with a prayer request? And the Lord answered her prayer in a way that is very instructive to us. We find out by the Lord’s answer that Martha was a prayer worrier, not a prayer warrior. Today we want to preach about prayer worriers. A prayer worrier is:
Careful – Lk 10:41 – the definition of careful is full of care; solicitous; troubled, which is precisely the word the Lord used to describe Martha in Lk 10:41. Solicitous means full of anxiety or apprehension; troubled. You know that you are a prayer worrier if, when you have prayed about something that’s eating on you and that doesn’t have an immediate answer, you aren’t satisfied to leave it with God. You may not admit it to another soul but you are worried, anxious and apprehensive. And this carefulness and trouble bleed over into other areas of your life. You start worrying about other stuff. Notice that Martha was careful and troubled about “many things.” A prayer warrior, on the other hand, comes away from his prayer meeting with God refreshed, encouraged and confident that the Lord has everything under control [Phil 4:6-7].
Cumbered – Lk 10:40 – to cumber is to hinder by obstruction or interference; to hamper; to burden in a troublesome way. You know you are a prayer worrier if, when you have prayed, you busy yourself in extra work to distract your mind from worrying about the problems. Martha was cumbered about “much serving.” People commonly get busier and become cumbered when they are worrying. A prayer warrior, on the other hand, cuts out some things in his life during a season of prayer to concentrate more of his time with the Lord. Fasting and praying for instance.
Confused – Lk 10:40 – to be confused is to be perplexed, bewildered and doubtful. Notice that Martha began her prayer request with, “Lord, dost thou not care?” That is a strange way to address the Lord in prayer. However, one thing that I have noticed about a prayer worrier is that he gets confused and starts doubting whether God can handle his situation. You know you are a prayer worrier if, when you have prayed, you start asking God questions about what he is doing and why this might be happening to you. You wonder whether the Lord cares about the situation as much as you do. A prayer warrior, on the other hand, finds in the scripture verses that bolster his faith in God and that clear up his thinking in his current situation.
Cantankerous – Lk 10:40 – to be cantankerous is to be bad-tempered or quarrelsome. Martha got really agitated that her sister left her to serve alone. It wasn’t Mary’s fault. Martha was weighed down with much serving and many things. She brought that on herself. And now she was bent out of shape. You know you are a prayer worrier if, after you have prayed, you are bad-tempered or quarrelsome. In other words, spending some very sweet time in fellowship with the Lord keeps you from getting ticked at other people that don’t seem to be as worried about your problem as you are. A prayer warrior, on the other hand, becomes conformed to the Lord in prayer and becomes sweeter, more content and stronger in “crises.”
Contrary – Lk 10:40 – or contradictious. To be contradictious is to be contrary or adverse to the Lord. Martha’s prayer request was exactly the opposite of what the Lord wanted. Martha said, “Bid her therefore that she help me.” She was asking the Lord to pull Mary away from the “one thing” that was “needful.” When you are a prayer worrier, your prayer requests can become so desperate in your anxiety that you end up asking the Lord to do things that are absolutely contrary to what he is trying to accomplish in your life. A prayer warrior, on the other hand, finds peace in praying, “Not my will, but thine be done.” He lines up with the Lord.
Conclusion: If you are a prayer worrier, then admit it. You’ll never change if you don’t admit that you have a problem. Ask the Lord to help you to pray without being careful [Phil 4:6]. Then the peace of God that passeth all understanding can keep your heart and mind. Trust the Lord with your requests, and enjoy the sweetness of fellowship with him. Let him conform you to his image and watch as your prayers start lining up with his will. You’ll be a prayer warrior.