August 13, 2026
— Mrs. Howard Taylor (biographer) · Source: Pastor Hsi: One of China's Christians (1903), ch. 15, "For the Work of the Ministry"
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
We often divide life into "big things" and "small things," only remembering to seek God when faced with a crisis, while relying on our physical strength in mundane and trivial matters, allowing anxiety to quietly fester. However, Philippians reminds us that "all things" can be entrusted to God. In the Father's eyes, there are no trivial matters unworthy of concern. True prayer should not be a rescue in times of crisis, but a natural and continuous outpouring of the soul, like breathing. When we bring both big and small matters before the throne of grace with gratitude, our gaze can shift from our current predicament to our loving Father. Today, try to lay down your worries and let prayer become your most powerful breath of life.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me a new day. Lord, I often face life by my own strength, treating prayer as a routine or a last resort, my heart often filled with hidden anxieties over trivial matters. Forgive my weaknesses and teach me to make prayer a part of my life's breath. As Your Word teaches, today I bring all my worries, joys, and helplessness before Your throne. Remove my restlessness, grant me peace that surpasses all understanding, and guard my heart and mind, teaching me to be grateful and to surrender in all things. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!