“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. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4: 6, 7 (NLT)
Paul wrote the letter of Philippians while he was imprisoned. He seems to have forgotten where he was and what he was experiencing. Clearly Paul had learned to keep His mind on the Lord instead of on his circumstances. Picture him sitting in the midst of prison, writing these words:
“Don’t worry about anything.”
He tells us there is nothing acceptable to worry about. No if’s, and’s or but’s.
As difficult as this sounds, Paul told us how it can be done. He not only gives us the don’t, but he also gives us the do. More precisely, the do’s.
“Instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.”
When a worried thought pops into our head, we are told to pray and tell God what we need, and then spend some time thanking Him. If we are well skilled in the habit of worrying, this will be difficult at first, but in time it will get easier as we develop a new habit.
If we do the hard part in verse 6, the best part comes in verse 7. We will experience God’s peace which will be greater than we are able to explain, and His peace will protect our minds. The reason God tells us not to worry is because He wants the best for us, and worry is not good for the health of our minds and bodies. When we obey Him by stopping the worry, the door of our hearts are open to His peace.
Prayer + Thanks = God’s peace.
It’s up to us. We can worry or we can pray. Worry leads us to strongholds of fear in our lives; prayer leads us straight to God and life in His peace.
God has given us the prescription for peace. It’s ours for the taking.
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