Do you ever wake up with a ‘world-coming-to-an-end’ dread or sick feeling in the pit of your stomach? Maybe concerned or worried about political climate, decisions you made, health, finance, climate change, etc. Or all of the above?

It was at the end of the 70s (when I looked like this 😮 - see above) as a 21-year old, that the LORD gave me five words that have literally changed my life about every worry, every concern and every trial.

When I wrote about Meditation on 9th March, I felt I should share some more on this subject in time. I need to start with this little story.

This morning, I woke up with that pit feeling in my tummy, wondering about four of those five things mentioned above. Knowing I was on the verge of having my inner thoughts torpedo my day, I quickly turned to PTMTO, and within 30 seconds I was into another day of grace and joy and peace.

So what is PTMTO? It’s this:

PRAISE - (Psalm xxxiv 1). Praising God no matter what situation you are in and no matter the circumstance.
THANKSGIVING - (1 Thessalonians v 18). Giving thanks in everything; because it’s His will for you to do so!
MEDITATION - (Joshua i 8 and many other verses). Guarding my thought life by meditating in His Word
TRUST - (Proverbs iii 5). Trusting implicitly, i.e. trusting completely in the LORD and in His Word
OBEDIENCE - (Deuteronomy xxviii 1). We show our love to and for the LORD by our obedience

So what did that look like for me in those 30 seconds of dread this morning? I praised the LORD that He is in control. I thanked Him that He has promised to be with me and has never failed me yet and that none of these things I dread are beyond His reach. I remembered a Bible story meditation from the Apostle Paul’s life. I turned the meditation into prayer and renewed my trust in the LORD in prayer that He would work for His glory and in His love for me. I pledged to obey the LORD and move forward having meditated on the fact that He had called us to be here, we had followed, and we made the choices we made this week as we followed Him.

As soon as I had followed through the above (which takes longer to read than it did to follow in my mind!), I was OVER the dread, and peace, joy and grace awareness were regained.

I hope this helps someone today, and arms others for the future. It has not failed me (when I abide by it) in over forty years. He is faithful!