Happy Birthday to Emily! Have you ever been stressed? Ever been a little anxious? Me, too. The
things that weigh us down can be as small as trying to make something fit into our schedules, to as big as the health of a loved one. And in almost every instance, they are things over which we have no control. No matter what it is that weighs us down, God has a better way to handle our stress. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (NAS Philippians 4:6)
Stop. Go back and read the last sentence again.
Did you catch it? Did you notice the subject of that sentence? Think back
to elementary grammar class. It is the “Understood You!” “[YOU] Be anxious for nothing…” It caught me by surprise several years ago when I realized that this is a command. It is an imperative. Thankfully we serve a kind and good God who never commands us to do anything that we are incapable of doing. God shows us the way to live worry free in the second half of this verse. “…by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
The key to overcoming anxiety is found in those two simple words “with
thanksgiving.” Too often we worry with our prayers. What should be a time of giving our fears over to God, becomes just another vehicle for expressing our worry! Even as we approach the Prince of Peace we are so overcome by anxiety that we end up pleading with God to meet our needs rather than trusting Him to provide for us. But we can be thankful that God holds the future in His hands.
We can be thankful that God has promised to meet our needs. In fact,
just a few verses later, Paul tells the Philippians, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (NAS Philippians 4:19) God knows what the provision for our
need is before we even ask!This week’s homework: Don’t worry! Be thankful! Make your requests known to God through thankful prayer.
Devotion by Timothy Putnam
