DO NOT BE ANXIOUS

 

 

                         

A little over a year ago, I learned that a woman who led the music ministry when I first began to pastor almost 20 years ago had been stricken with three malignant brain tumors. I wrote to her and she wrote back and told me how her husband, who has worked all his life in construction, now has such bad arthritis in his hip that he can no longer work. She said how the doctors had warned them to do anything they really wanted to do, because her time may be short.

Her final paragraph said, “The peace the Lord gave me while I was in the hospital is far beyond understanding. Everything is in His control--especially the timing of our life. He said that His grace is sufficient and I found that to be so true. His strength is made perfect in weakness.” She is now in the Lord’s presence, free from this mortal body (Steve Cole).

The Bible does not ever attempt to downplay the existence of problems. In fact, Job, possibly the very first book of the Bible to be written, gives an account of a holy man (Job 1:8) struggling with problems.  He said “Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward (Job 5:7). Jesus promised that in this world we will have trouble (John 16:33). Paul said that “we must pass through many troubles to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

We can rest assured that trouble will pave our pilgrim pathway all the way to the end. Many people worry all the time about real or imaginary trouble. Worry saps energy and focus that could be used for productive tasks. Jesus had this to say about worrying “do not worry about your life. Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life” (Matt. 6:25, 27). Worry is a sin because it displays lack of faith in the reality of God and his ability to meet your needs.

Prayer is the antidote to worry, instead of worrying the child of God should pray. In Philippians 4:6, 7 we read “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and minds through Christ Jesus”.These two verses contain one of the most effective and useful tool for the Christian given in the entire Bible. It is a test for God’s existence and the key to what everyone in the world is searching for- perfect peace.

The verses contain a conditional promise of God. The difference between conditional and unconditional promises is that in conditional promises you have to do something to get what is promised while in unconditional promises you do not have to do anything. Philippians 4:6, 7 says if you do four things, God will give you something. Your four obligations are prayer, supplication, thanksgiving and request. Although all four would seem to fall under what we call prayer, they are four distinct actions.

The word "prayer" is the general word for coming into the presence of God in a devotional and worshipful communication. It is the picture of a weak person seeking the attention of a powerful God. The person gets his eyes off the problem and focuses on his heavenly father. When we pray, we must remember that we are coming into the very presence of the holy God, where even the angels cover their faces (Isa.6:3). God invites us to draw near with confidence to the throne of grace in time of need (Heb 4:16). But we must remember that it is the throne of the Sovereign and eternal God.

The word "supplication" means to let God know what you're concerned about. God already knows what we need and what we desire (Matt 6:32).  “You desire but do not have… you do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2-3). But the condition is ask and it will be given to you (Matt 7:7, 21:22, John 15:7) and your joy will be complete (John 16:23-24).  Prayer demonstrates our total need and dependence on God. We need to become accustomed to flee to Him for help in every need.

We should approach God with a thankful heart and maintain the attitude of thanksgiving as we wait for an answer.  If you are a child of God and you are in good relationship with him, he will make all things work together for good regardless of how things turn out. When you are in a situation that gives some cause for anxiety, thankfulness is not easy; you have to do it deliberately by faith.

A thankful heart rests upon the all-sufficient God, trusting that even though we do not see how He is going to do it, we believe that he has the will and the power to working out things for our good. Therefore, we submit to his sovereign purpose in the situation. Request means emphasizing the specific need. So often our prayers are so vague and general that we cannot know whether God has answered them or not.

God's end of this bargain is the peace that surpasses all understanding. If you will do these four things, God will give you this peace. The peace Paul is talking about is that which comes from God the Creator and Lord of the universe. Nothing takes Him by surprise or makes Him pace the floor, wondering how it will turn out. This is the peace that Jesus promised (John 14:27). It is humanly not explainable but it is real and every child of God has access to it.

This peace stands guard like a sentry over the heart and mind. It is a state of calm in the heart and mind despite the turmoil raging around you. Even before the situation you've been praying about changes, you’ll suddenly have peace in the midst of it. This peace is a gift of God to those who will trust in him in everything. God will always be faithful to keep this promise if you do your part. As the Scripture says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you: because he trusts in you” (Isa. 26:3).

In a time of trial, draw near to the God of peace, pour out your heart to Him and the result will be His peace standing guard over your heart and mind. But what God promises is not just a quick fix, where prayer is a practice that will bring you calm until you get through the crisis. Paul is talking about an ongoing, deepening relationship with the God of peace. God says that we worry about nothing but pray about everything.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians “pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests (Eph. 6:18). He wrote to Thessalonians “Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances for that is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thess. 5:18). Paul says we should pray for everything; nothing is too big for God and nothing is too small for prayer. Then, if we are to pray in everything (Philippians 4:6), then prayer must be capable of changing everything.

God wants us in his presence talking about every matter of life.  Praying on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests makes all things work together for good (Rom 8:26-28). If you do this you will live a life of calm poise and quiet confidence (Isa. 30:15). James says that Prayer avails "much" (James 5:16) but how much is much? It is “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to his power that is at work within us" (Eph 3:20).

Prayer changes things more than we imagine or comprehend. We cannot fully measure or perceive the changes which prayer makes because some of the things Prayer avails are spiritual and eternal in purposes. Do you know God’s peace in the midst of situations that the world gets anxious about? Learn to cast all your anxiety on Christ because he cares for you (1 Peter 5;7). Do not worry over problems; instead rush your troubles to his immediate attention as he is always available  to bear you up and give you His indescribable peace at all times.