“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB) Opportunities to become anxious bombard us daily at multiple times throughout the day. We become troubled or concerned about the unknown, as well as the known. It seems at every angle we are faced with matters that can result in anxiety. If we allow anxiety to grip our minds, we will begin to focus on what seems insurmountable and overwhelming; so much so, that we can forget that the Lord is near. As the apostle Paul writes Philippians chapter four, he reminds us that the Lord is close by and is ready to help in our time of need. While Paul reminds us of the nearness of the Lord, he also tells us to let our gentle spirit be known to all men. Oftentimes, when we are anxious, it is difficult to show gentleness to others. Depending upon who or what is involved, it is difficult to be gentle to all men. Yet, even in this, Paul writes to be anxious for nothing and to let others know of our gentle spirit. Paul did not include an exception clause. He emphasizes by using absolutes “all,” “nothing,” and when speaking of prayer “everything.” He leaves no room for exceptions or exemptions. Because we can make our request known to God, we know that the Lord is near, so we do not need to yield to anxiety but we should pray about everything with thanksgiving. I’m sure you have also noticed that it can be very difficult to be thankful when you are anxious. Your prayer life may consist of prayers that lack a grateful heart towards the Lord because of the choice to focus on the people, the person, circumstance, or thing that relates to your anxiety. Paul says to let your request be made known to God. Remember, the Lord is near and He is coming again! He is close by to help you, but you must pray and also be grateful and recognize that the Lord hears you and cares for you. Paul continues by sharing that God’s peace, a peace that we do not understand will keep and preserve our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. This peace will only follow as we remember that the Lord is near and this peace will keep your mind from anxiety and results in a gentle spirit. When we remember that the Lord is near, we can be gentle, we will pray about everything in gratitude, and choose not to be anxious because we know that we have made our requests known to the Lord.
Maybe you have faced or are currently facing a difficult situation, circumstance, or person(s) in your life that has resulted in anxiety. Remember that the Lord is near, His second coming is soon, and He can and will give you His peace when you pray. Be gentle to all, be anxious for nothing, with thanksgiving pray about everything; the Lord is near and we can praise Him because He will return again very soon for His own!
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