TODAY’S SIGNATURE VERSE ••• 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV)
PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• What. A. Week. It’s 5:50 on Friday morning, and as I ponder what to write about today, I’m struggling. My mind is going in way too many directions, especially given how very little coffee I’ve had so far. Have you ever had one of those weeks? When it just feels like you have to be on the defensive?
This week, my husband has been faced with a very hurtful situation, and as his wife — I’m wrestling with what I want to say versus trusting God to handle the details. Can I say both sides are in a tie?! I haven’t conquered this in spiritual victory, but my flesh can’t claim the win either. There’s been a whole lotta prayin’ going on… and admittedly, God has (along with a few trusted friends) heard me vent.
Today, let’s go to Philippians 4:6-7. Without question, these verses have served as a rallying cry for countless bruised and broken hearts over the centuries. You may even have it memorized… “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 understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
How can something so beautifully simple be so stinkin’ hard?
It is though. In the moment, it’s easy to claim that truth. I’m the queen of giving this advice to others. But when faced with a difficult or heartbreaking situation — it’s hard to release our worries and anxieties.
Y’all, I’ve said it a million times — very often, I write My Grace-Full Life for myself. To remind me of what I need to do. And I just pray God uses it to help someone else too. Today is a textbook case for this. This blog about giving anxieties to God is a reminder for me. I’d be a raging liar if I ever claimed to have this one mastered.
So because I need it, let’s break down the passage:
- Be anxious for nothing — Nothing means nothing. No exceptions.
- But in everything by prayer — Just as nothing means nothing, everything means everything. God may already know it all, but He still invites us to share it all. There’s nothing so insignificant in our lives that He doesn’t care about it. He wants us to pray to Him about everything. But praying to Him is more than worrying to Him… it’s about telling Him and trusting Him.
- And supplication — Supplication means to plead with humility and earnestness. To pray with our whole hearts knowing that the answer to our prayers and the power to resolve them lies with God.
- With thanksgiving — Someone once summed up Philippians 4:6-7 this way, “anxious in nothing, prayerful for everything, thankful for anything.” But if we’re fighting anxiety about something, it’s hard to be thankful for it… this is where faith shifts into overdrive as we search for reasons to be thankful. And here is a blanket reason for gratitude we can use in hardship — hard situations send us to God. We can be thankful for every (even unwanted) opportunity to spend time in God’s presence and thankful that said opportunity gives us a front-row seat to watch God work in our lives.
- Let your requests be made known to God — Yep, He already knows. But tell Him anyway. James 4:2 reminds us, “You do not have because you do not ask.” When we struggle through on our own, we fall short. God is waiting for us to ask for His help.
- And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus — It’s indescribable. The overwhelming calm when we stop fighting and surrender it all to Him. And yet — even when we know this… even when we’ve experienced that indescribable peace that comes from God, we have to be reminded. Again and again. And probably again. How much easier things would be if we laid our burdens at His feet before becoming mentally, physically, and emotionally drained.
Anxious in nothing, prayerful for everything, thankful for anything… and peace like a river.
And now, Denise — time to go live it.
Today, as you pray, thank God for His vested interest in every detail of your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you live Philippians 4:6-7 out loud — to be anxious for nothing… to pray about everything… and to be bold enough to be thankful for anything.
SHARING ••• My Grace-Full Life is written by Denise Heidel. You are welcome to share anything I write, but please credit my writing and graphics accordingly. Visit www.MyGraceFullLife.com to read past blogs. Subscribe through my website to have My Grace-Full Life delivered to your email. You can unsubscribe at any time. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the NKJV translation.
