“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 CSB)
We have all faced moments when the burdens of life were weighing us down so much that we started to feel overwhelmed. Whether it is financial pressures, unresolved relational conflict, illness, or simply the growing to-do list of our daily responsibilities, it doesn’t take much some days to become anxious or worried about all that is before us.
The Philippian believers to whom the Apostle Paul wrote these words were no exception. They were facing both internal and external opposition as they sought to follow Jesus and to be faithful in His mission together. What was Paul’s counsel to them in response to their temptation to worry or become anxious? Very simply, he called them to prayer.
Paul wrote: Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Why prayer? Why not tell them to go for a run, to practice some deep breathing, or to cut back on coffee? All of those things may in fact be helpful. But prayer is the most powerful medicine or remedy for helping overcome moments of worry or anxiety that threaten to paralyze us or weigh us down.
Prayer is an acknowledgment that we are ultimately not in control. It’s an act of surrender to God, a statement of our dependence and need for Him. When we cast our anxieties on Him through prayer, we do so knowing that He loves and cares for us more than we could even fathom (1 Peter 5:7). Because we are His children, He has promised to provide for us and to take care of our every need (Matt.6:31-32).
As a result, when we pray, God promises to give us His perfect peace. According to Paul, it’s a peace that surpasses all understanding, a peace that will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The peace of God upon us doesn’t necessarily remove all of the burdens or pressures we may be experiencing. But it is far greater.
And it’s available to us through prayer.
Part of the lyrics to an old hymn says this: “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!”
What are the things in your life today that are weighing you down or causing you to feel overwhelmed? Take each of those things to the Lord today in prayer. Ask Him to give you the perfect peace that He promises.
