Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.[1]
4:6 Do not worry about anything. NRSV
Attitudes of joy and gentleness,
combined with a constant awareness of Christ’s return, should dispel any worry.
For the Philippians, these were certainly encouraging words as they faced foes
and needed to stand firm in the faith (see 1:27–28; 3:1; 4:1). Believers
should not set aside life’s responsibilities so as not to worry about them;
Paul was focusing on believers’ attitudes in daily life and as they faced
opposition and persecution. (See Jesus’ words to Martha in Luke 10:41.)
Christians are to be responsible for their needs and their families and to care
about and be concerned for others, but they are not to worry, fret, or have an undue concern. In Matthew
6:25–34, Jesus said not to worry about your life, what you eat or drink,
your body, adding time to your life, or what will happen tomorrow. Despite what
was happening around them, the Philippians did not need to worry about anything
because God held them securely.
Worrying is bad because it is a
subtle form of distrust in God. When believers worry, they are saying that they
don’t trust that God will provide and they doubt that he cares or that he can
handle their situation. It leads to a helpless, hopeless feeling that causes
them to be paralyzed. But Paul offered prayer as an antidote to worry.
“Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but … I’m happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man.” Martin Luther King, Jr., from an address given the night before he died.
But in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. NIV Prayer combats worry by allowing us catharsis. We can offload our stress onto God. Paul said to take all the energy that is used in worrying and put it into prayer. This includes praying about everything. No request is too small, difficult, or inconsequential to God. Paul encouraged the believers to pray in everything—good times and bad—giving petitions and thanksgivings to God. It may seem impossible not to worry about anything, but Paul explained that this can happen if believers truly give their worries to God. Worry and prayer cannot coexist.
The word for prayer is a general term meaning
worshipful conversation with God, while petition
refers to prayer with a sense of need (the Greek word was also used for
requests between people). These two words often appear together in Paul’s
writings. Thanksgiving focuses
on the attitude of one’s heart in approaching God. Prayer combats worry by
creating in us a thankful heart. Believers should come to God in prayer,
thankful for the opportunity to even approach him, for his tremendous blessings
already bestowed, and for the certainty that he will answer his children. When
believers focus on God’s great love for them and the many prayers he has
already answered, they will have no room for worry about whether he will
continue to answer. Requests refer
to directly asking God’s help regarding specific needs. Prayer combats worry by
building trust.
Paul was speaking to believers when he wrote these words. Prayer, an audience with God himself, is an awesome privilege available to those who have accepted Christ Jesus as Lord. Does God want us to talk to him? Yes. Paul admonished the Thessalonians to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV). Communication with God through prayer allows us to know him better and to know his will and guidance for our lives. Can we talk to God about anything? Yes. While he already knows about our needs and feelings, our sharing these with him builds our relationship. It allows us to rely on God as we sort through decisions or need encouragement in the middle of trials. It allows us to give God alone the praise when his answers come. Presenting our needs to him does not guarantee that God will say yes to every prayer. Jesus prayed that the cup might be taken from him, but it wasn’t; Paul prayed that the thorn in the flesh might be removed, but God chose to work through Paul despite his problem. In prayer, we are to present our requests to God, but we must focus on God’s will, not ours. When we communicate with God, we don’t demand what we want; rather, we discuss with him what he wants for us. If we align our prayers to his will, he will listen; and we can be certain that if he listens, he will give us a definite answer.
LIFE APPLICATION ~ STOP AND PRAY
Imagine never worrying about anything! That seems like an impossibility—everyone has worries on the job, at home, or at school. But Paul’s advice is to turn our worries into prayers. Do you want to worry less? Then pray more! Whenever you start to worry, stop and pray.
4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard
your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. NKJV If the Philippians
would take to heart Paul’s words in 4:4–6, then they will turn from
anxiety to prayer and be filled with the
peace of God. This peace is
different from the world’s peace. It is the peace that Jesus promised his
disciples and all those who would follow him: “Peace I leave with you; my peace
I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be
troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27 NIV). True peace
is not found in positive thinking, in absence of conflict, or in good feelings;
it comes from knowing that God is in control. Believers are given peace with God when they believe (Romans
5:1), and they have the inner quiet of the peace of God as they daily walk with him.
God’s peace surpasses all understanding. We simply cannot comprehend such
peace. It is not a natural reaction in calamity, sorrow, or pain. Such peace
cannot be self-generated; it comes from God alone; it is his gift to us in a
difficult world. As with so much of God’s dealings with humanity, we cannot
understand it, but we can accept and experience God’s peace because of his
great love for us.
Why does God give his people peace? Because it will guard their hearts and minds. The Greek word for “guard” is a military term that means to surround and protect a garrison or city. The Philippians, living in a garrison town, were familiar with the Roman guards who maintained watch, guarding the city against any outside attack. God’s peace is like soldiers surrounding believers’ hearts and minds (that is, emotions and thoughts), securing them against threatening and harmful outside forces. Peter used the same word when he wrote that “through faith [believers] are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5 NIV).
LIFE
APPLICATION ~ PEACE
Some realities
cannot be fully conveyed by dictionary definition—the peace of God, for
instance. We could read books about it, but somehow never totally understand
it. Paul knew the shortcomings of words to describe God’s peace, so he just
admitted that it transcends our human knowledge.
How do you find this peace?
First, it is found only in Jesus Christ. Trust him as your Savior and Lord.
Second, God’s peace is attained only by practice. Trust Jesus daily in the
small worries of your life so that you’re ready to trust him when big problems
strike. Tell him your needs and anxieties. Third, you can have peace only
through prayer and meditation on God’s promises. Have you discovered God’s
Word? Have you prayed through the promises? There is no better time
to start than today. And there is no smarter way to invest the first moments of
your morning.
When we trust God, he gives us peace in a traffic jam, peace in a phone call, peace in a relationship, and peace when death draws near.[2]
LIFE APPLICATION QUESTIONS
- Can we talk to God about anything?
- Does God want us to talk to him?
- Do you want to worry less?
- Why does God give his people peace?
- How do you find this peace?
- Have you discovered God’s Word?
- Have you prayed through the promises?
[1] The New King James
Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
NRSV
Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard
Version of the Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of
America, and are used by permission. All rights reserved.
NIV
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission
of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
NKJV
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version.
Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All
rights reserved.
[2] Barton, Bruce B., and Philip Wesley Comfort. 1995. Philippians,
Colossians, Philemon. Life Application Bible Commentary.
Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
Colossians 3:8 NKJV (tecartabible.com)
Verse(s) and Prayer Pic(s) by YouVersion
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