Philippians 4:6

Scripture:

Philippians 4:6 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

Observation:

In this verse, Paul lays out five very important steps to move from fear to faith, from turmoil to peace, and from defeat to victory. These key words tell us exactly what we must do when worry and concerns are trying to attack our minds: 1) prayer; 2) supplication; 3) thanksgiving; 4) requests; and 5) known.

I'm sure you know what it's like when worry tries to flood your mind. It has a way of magnifying issues to the point of being ridiculous, but when you're in the midst of the situation, it seems so real. Only after the event has passed do you realize how silly it was to be so worried about something that was so non-eventful. But at the time you can be consumed with worry.

It is during these waves of "panic" that you need to make yourself reach for your Bible to find peace for your troubled soul. Turn to Philippians 4:6, and read and meditate on these words, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

Application:

According to my favorite author, Rick Renner (Sparkling Gems from the Greek),
an expanded, interpretive translation of Philippians 4:6 could be rendered:

"Don't worry about anything — and that means nothing at all! Instead, come before God and give Him the things that concern you so He can in exchange give you what you need or desire. Be bold to strongly, passionately, and fervently make your request known to God, making certain that an equal measure of thanksgiving goes along with your strong asking. You have every right to ask boldly, so go ahead and insist that God meet your need. When you pray, be so bold that there is no doubt your prayer was heard. Broadcast it! Declare it! Pray boldly until you have the assurance that God has heard your request!"

So in moments when worry or fear is trying to wrap its life-draining tentacles around you, rush to the truths found in Philippians 4:6. You don't have to live subject to worry, concerns, and fears the rest of your life. If you meditate on this verse, and speak it out loud as you pray, worry and fear will be replaced with a peaceful and praising heart!

Prayer:

"Lord, I thank You for allowing me to come boldly before You in prayer. I know that You love me and want to meet the needs I am facing in my life today. My temptation is to worry and fear, but I know that if I will trust You, everything I am concerned about will turn out all right. Right now I reject the temptation to worry, and I choose to come before You to boldly make my requests known. I declare that I am not ruled by worry, fear, or concerns. I go to You with those things that are on my heart, and I clearly articulate what I feel, what I need Heaven to do on my behalf. Because of the promises in Your Word, I know exactly how to boldly make my requests. I will always match my requests with thanksgiving, letting You know, Lord how grateful I am for everything Yoiu do in my life. I am so thankful that You are on my side; therefore, I know I will survive and victoriously overcome each and every attack that ever tries to come against my family, my relationships, my business, my finances, and my life. I declare this by faith in Jesus' name, amen!"

Blessings!

Pastor Rusty