From Anxiety to Stability through prayerful activity

Philippians 4:6-7

INTRODUCTION

Times are tough. Regular employment is no longer a given and many are struggling to make ends meet. There is political uncertainty with the nagging threat of terrorist activity. There is religious and moral indifference, and people don’t seem to care anymore. For Christians there is the added problem of subtle and overt persecution. This is life in the First Century thirty years after the death of Christ. In this context, a follower of Jesus named Paul is being held in prison because of his faith. From here, he writes letter to a small community of God’s people in Philippi, Greece. In this letter, he says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.” This is Philippians 4:6-7, and today we are going to look at these verses to apply them to our lives. This should help us move from anxiety to stability through prayerful activity. For this to happen, we need to first know something about…

1 GOD’S PRESENCE IN PRAYER

You may remember a song by Bobby McFerrin called, “Don’t worry; be happy.” The song has a pleasant lilting beat. The song is okay as long as there is nothing to worry about! Philippians 4:6 suggests a better way when it says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
One dictionary defines anxiety as being troubled, uncertain, or mixed up in one’s mind. This usually happens when we don’t know which way to turn. In this context, Philippians 4:6 says “Do not be anxious or troubled.” The previous verses help us understand how we can do this. Verses 4-5 say, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice… The Lord is near… do not be anxious about anything.” This is a word of encouragement from the one who made us, the one who loves us, and the one who cares for us. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything. Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-26, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink… look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap, or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they are.”

According to Philippians 4:6, our response to anxiety is not trying to be happy. Our response to anxiety is not putting on a brave face. Our response to anxiety is not to grin and bear it. Our response to anxiety is to talk to God. A more literal translation of Philippians 4:6 says, “In nothing be anxious, but in everything—prayer!” There is much to be anxious about today, and this is why we need to pray. Colossians 4:2 says, “Devote yourselves to prayer… being watchful and thankful.” This implies steadfast perseverance and commitment to knowing God presence in prayer, and to knowing…

2 GOD’S PROVISION IN PRAYER

Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. There are four aspects of prayer in this one verse. There is prayer, there is petition, there is thanksgiving, and there are requests. This is God’s provision in prayer.

Prayer is general prayer. It is how we approach God, and it begins with worship. Jesus said we should begin our prayers by saying: “Our Father in heaven hallowed be your name.” This is the first step in prayer… to enter God’s presence. The next word is petition. This is collective prayer for everyone. 1 Timothy 2:1 says that prayers should be made for everyone. Philippians 4:6 then says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Having worshipped God, prayed for others, and given thanks, we then present our requests to God. We leave our concerns with him saying, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” 1 Peter 5:7 says we should cast all our anxiety on him because he cares for us.”

This four-fold approach to prayer is God’s prescription to lead us from anxiety to stability. We should apply God’s prescription to anything that makes us anxious. We should first engage in worship; we should pray for others and be thankful; we should then present our requests to God and leave them there. Notice that v6 does not say our requests will be met. It says, “Leave your requests with God.” When we do this, the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. This leads us from God’s presence in prayer and God’s provision in prayer to…

3 GOD’S PROMISE IN PRAYER

God’s promise in prayer comes out in Philippians 4:7. The NLT says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.”

When we hear the word peace, we can think about freedom from conflict and war; we hope for peaceful neighbours; we plan an evening without the kids. This is nice when it happens, but it is not the kind of peace spoken of in Philippians 4:7. Peace here is a sense of mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being whatever is happening around us. Paul was suffering for his faith when he said, “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” The idea behind the word guard is a garrison of soldiers protecting a city. In a similar way, God’s peace protects us in our struggles.
We can experience God’s peace in any situation because it is not based on outward circumstances. God’s peace is based upon his presence, his provision, his promise, and his protection in Christ. When things are going well and we are at peace, people around us are not bothered. When things are not going well, however, and we are at peace, people take note. They take note because it defies reason. Philippians 4:7 says it goes beyond understanding.

CONCLUSION

People will try anything to have peace. They will try anything but God who says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.” This should help us move from anxiety to stability through prayerful activity.

Bernard Cartledge