BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING!

Thursday, January 9, 2020

BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING!

Phil 4:6-7

6 Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

I have served the Lord as a minister for forty-eight years and yet I have yet to conquer anxiety. I can say that most of my doubt is not about God’s ability but my own. I worry that I am not strong enough, smart enough, or whatever enough for the challenge before me. So, I just confessed to being self-reliant instead of relying on God – didn’t I?

I suppose I am also guilty of prayerlessness because Paul recommends prayer first. In fact the word “prayer” is preceded by a definite article. It is not just prayer it is THE prayer. So which prayer would that be? Likely it is what James calls THE prayer of faith in James 5:15.

The word “supplication” is also preceded by a definite article. To me it seems to be a stronger, more urgent form of prayer. Actually it is “THE petition.” Random prayer may produce random results and one might never know if such a prayer is answered but THE prayer is specific. Results are more easily measured.

Guess what! The word “requests” is also preceded by a definite article. THE prayer, THE agonizing supplication, and THE requests are all very specific.

Someone recently said to me, “God has big muscles. Give Him something heavy to lift.” Unfortunately, most of us, myself included, simply keep straining to lift the load ourselves.

Dear Lord, forgive me for trying to solve the problems that were meant for You to solve. Let me be specifically prayerful today. AMEN