Do not be anxious about anything
Philippians 4:6-7 was written by Paul to encourage the early church to stand strong in their faith. In the first part of the verse, Paul writes that we shouldn’t worry or be anxious about anything. This command may seem frustrating—if not impossible.
When the pressures of this world put a strain on our souls and bodies, we often try to cope in any way we can. Some of the ways we try to manage might be healthy, but others could be distracting us from what truly matters. Worry can be a heavy load to carry alone. But God doesn’t want it to be that way. Philippians 4:6-7 demonstrates that we can approach God with every fear, care, and worry knowing that He hears our requests.
Our restless souls and worried minds make it hard to simply “turn off” our fears. Yet we aren’t meant to struggle to stop our anxiety or change our difficult circumstances alone. The verse goes on to say that rather than worry, we should give our requests to God through prayer. God is big enough to handle our concerns, and no worry is too small for us to take to His throne of grace. Although we may still have feelings of fear, worry, or anxiety, we can walk through those feelings with God’s help.
Thanksgiving to God
Philippians 4:6-7 goes on to state that we should come in prayer not only with our requests, but also with a gratefulness to God. Often when our minds are consumed with worry, all we can focus on is the problem ahead of us: the sickness we must fight, or the argument that happened late last night. In these moments, it can be extremely difficult to remember to feel thankful.
But thankfulness isn’t just a feeling, it’s also a posture of how we live our lives. It’s easy to forget the blessings and opportunities that God has already given to us. Yet God has already done so much in our lives. We can thank Him for what He has provided while knowing that He hears our requests.
When moments come where we have difficulty remembering anything God has done in our lives, we can still look to Jesus’ finished work on the cross. God made the ultimate demonstration of love to us through the gift of His son. Jesus was willing to lay down His life for us to save us from the powers of sin and darkness. If He was willing to die for us, how willing is He to also hear our requests? His love for us is great and His heart is kind. We can come to Him with our concerns and our praise with the confidence that He hears our cries.