Don't Worry
Our GBFC Youth and Young Adults take over our Devotionals for the month of June and we look forward to the exhortation they will share. Please make sure to leave a word of encouragement in the comment section-it only takes a minute.
SCRIPTURE: “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:25-26

When I was finishing my degree, I was overwhelmed with the anxiety of, “What’s next?” It was difficult for me to focus on the blessings I was already enjoying, the friendships I was nurturing, or the music I was writing. I’d already submitted all of my applications to grad schools, and I was starting to see more “No’s” than I was expecting. Two out of four said, "No," that I didn’t have enough experience, or that my current skill set could not contribute to the current culture at the other institutions. That left me waiting to hear back from my school in Boston and Peabody back in Baltimore while I still had 4 more months left in school. Anxious about the "what-ifs," I called my brother and laid out all of my concerns: How would I make money if I didn’t get in? What would happen with my career? Would I be a failure if I was rejected? Am I letting down everyone who has been praying for and investing in me? Where would I live? And even more questions, thinking that I was the only one who could control the outcome of my life. He told me to stop and read Matthew 6:25-26.
Then, he told me, “Write down the things you are worried about and the things you would like to happen, starting with the biggest thing. What do you want the most?”
I said, “To get into Peabody.”
He said, “Write that down and give it to God. Praying for Him to take away your anxiety isn’t a one-and-done thing. You are constantly seeking Him in supplication and growing your fellowship with Jesus. Lay it in His hands.”
I did just that and soon, an overwhelming, indescribable peace washed over me; the peace which surpasses all understanding. Two months later, after being busy with all of the other cares and obligations in my life while trusting God to do all of the work, I got the email:
“Dear Chloe, Congratulations on your admission to Peabody! We are very pleased to inform you that you have been awarded the Pathways to DMA Fellowship, which provides coverage for full tuition and miscellaneous fees, plus a stipend to assist with living and personal expenses. This award is renewable for one year in the MM. Upon successful matriculation to the DMA, you will receive comparable funding in the form of the Dean's DMA Fellowship.”
"Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6-7) Cast your cares upon Him, trust Him, trust IN Him. He will direct your path. Therefore, I am so blessed and grateful to announce that after finishing my Bachelors at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, I will be attending the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins, fully funded, for both my Masters and my Doctorate in Music Composition. Thank You Jesus and Amen.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I am so blessed and grateful for the peace that You have given to me in my greatest times of anxiety. All I have to do is ask. Thank You for guiding my steps and opening the doors through which I should walk, for all of the opportunities that You have prepared for me, and the courage and strength to see everything through to the end. Please continue to keep me as I walk in Your will and lay all of my cares and anxieties in Your hands. In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen.
By Sis. Chloe Smith
Then, he told me, “Write down the things you are worried about and the things you would like to happen, starting with the biggest thing. What do you want the most?”
I said, “To get into Peabody.”
He said, “Write that down and give it to God. Praying for Him to take away your anxiety isn’t a one-and-done thing. You are constantly seeking Him in supplication and growing your fellowship with Jesus. Lay it in His hands.”
I did just that and soon, an overwhelming, indescribable peace washed over me; the peace which surpasses all understanding. Two months later, after being busy with all of the other cares and obligations in my life while trusting God to do all of the work, I got the email:
“Dear Chloe, Congratulations on your admission to Peabody! We are very pleased to inform you that you have been awarded the Pathways to DMA Fellowship, which provides coverage for full tuition and miscellaneous fees, plus a stipend to assist with living and personal expenses. This award is renewable for one year in the MM. Upon successful matriculation to the DMA, you will receive comparable funding in the form of the Dean's DMA Fellowship.”
"Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6-7) Cast your cares upon Him, trust Him, trust IN Him. He will direct your path. Therefore, I am so blessed and grateful to announce that after finishing my Bachelors at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, I will be attending the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins, fully funded, for both my Masters and my Doctorate in Music Composition. Thank You Jesus and Amen.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I am so blessed and grateful for the peace that You have given to me in my greatest times of anxiety. All I have to do is ask. Thank You for guiding my steps and opening the doors through which I should walk, for all of the opportunities that You have prepared for me, and the courage and strength to see everything through to the end. Please continue to keep me as I walk in Your will and lay all of my cares and anxieties in Your hands. In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen.
By Sis. Chloe Smith
Archive
2025
January
Prayer For A New Year 2025Prayer for A Heart Like Christ’sA PRAYER FOR HELP WITH OUR FAITHA Prayer of RepentanceA Prayer to Press OnPrayer For a Fragile Next GenerationPrayer For an Open HeartA Prayer For EndurancePrayer of Praise From the RedeemedPrayer For True EnlightenmentA Prayer: God is Waiting in the New YearSUNDAY MORNING PRAYERS with Pastor Wayne CockrellPrayer That Celebrates God’s WorkPrayer To See Things God’s WayPrayer of Thanks for God’s Keeping PowerPrayer When Faith is Tested: Accepting God’s WillPrayer of Dedication to Our LordA Prayer of Appreciation and WorshipSUNDAY MORNING PRAYERS with Pastor Wayne CockrellPrayer For Humble LivingPrayer for Greater Faith to Live for GodPrayer Against Our FeelingsPrayer to the ONE Who Knows All ThingsPrayer For Sight in the Midst of LossPrayer to be Better Lovers of All Kinds of PeopleSUNDAY MORNING PRAYERS with Pastor Wayne CockrellPrayer of Rekindled PraisePrayer According to Your WillPrayer for the Generations to ComePrayer For the Benefits of PrayerPrayer For a Fresh Awareness of the HOLY SPIRIT
February
The Celebration of Jerusalem’s Deliverance: The Festival of LightsSUNDAY MORNING PRAYERS WITH Pastor Wayne CockrellThe Gift of ForgivenessGreat Love Requires DisciplineFrom The 2024 Vault: We Must VoteHow Does God Love?Running Our RaceA Prayer of Thanksgiving to GodSUNDAY MORNING PRAYER with Pastor Wayne CockrellHeart to Heart with GodWill You Be Mine?Birthday Gifts for Pastor Wayne Cockrell.The Discipline of GodStop In the Name of LoveSUNDAY MORNING PRAYERS with Pastor Wayne CockrellApple of God’s EyeOne Thing NeededStriving Side by SideWhat’s Love Got to Do With It?An Unshakable LoveHis Love and Our WorkSUNDAY MORNING PRAYERS with Pastor Wayne CockrellAnchored in a Storm by the WordRenewing Your MindI’m Delighted in the LordWe are FamilyFAITH, ALIVE
March
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April
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9 Comments
Wow! To God Be the Glory, dear Sis. Chloe! What a mighty God we serve! Your praise report amplifies the biblical truth that without faith, it's impossible to please Him! Keep on showcasing Him, daughter! AMEN!
Amen. So happy for you. Trust and believe that God is able to do. Continue to delight in him.
n
Praise God ? sister Chloe! What a blessing. Continue to delight yourself in Him and He will give you the desires of your heart. ❤️
Gawd got dis, so, as de song say Doncha worry bout a thing...cuz erry lil thing gwine be awright. Better yet, as the Word says Because the Lord is my shepherd I have everything l need, He makes me to rest in the meadow grass and He leads me beside the quiet stream
n... Amen. Thanks for being transparent, sharing your devotional and being a servant -leader amongst the youth and young adults at GBFC.??
To GOD be the GLORY for the things He has done, is doing and will do for your growth and His Glory!!!! Excited for you Kingdom Woman!!!
Amen Sis Chloe! Won’t He do it! God be praised for all He’s accomplishing in & thru you??
Woo Sista, they that wait on the Lord...(what the Lord does in that waiting period is absolutely precious.) renewing strength so that you can walk, run. Thank You Jesus and glory to your name. Thanks for this encouragement, Sis. Chloe!
Amen! Sister Chloe. God is a good God He remind us, that just because the circumstances are challenging..That does mean God far away!!
Amen! Can I say completely blown away! As I read this I considered my own desires and thoughts of failure and was reminded that the Lord has me. Thank you for this much needed reminder to stop worrying and to give everything to God and watch Him work!