Peace When We Might Think Otherwise

Philippians 4:6

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

It is easy to read Philippians 4:6 and come away with the simple thought that God encourages us and desires for us to bring Him our prayer requests.  This interpretation is absolutely true.  But when we break it down, we find that God is saying much, much more to us.

First, and foremost, we are being taught to be anxious in nothing.  Does that make any sense? Surely we all have daily concerns and cares that we need to attend to as good stewards of our provisions, our relationships and our own spiritual condition.  God is aware of these due concerns, but He is giving us the command to trust in Him.  He knows our needs better than we know our needs.  He is actually calling on us to have peace and comfort when the world would suggest otherwise.

After first resting in the comfort of His promise, then we are urged to go to Him in prayer with our requests.  But there is a stipulation attached as He commands that we bring our thanksgiving in advance of our requests. Why does He ask us to come with thanksgiving?  Again, it is for our peace and comfort.  When we bring our thanksgiving, we are reconciling with Him all the favor and blessing that He has provided in the past. This positions us to approach His Throne with the confidence that everything we ask for will be addressed and answered perfectly according to our needs, our real needs. 

If we are in line with the passage to this point, then our thankful, angst free mindset will help us to meet the last command in this passage which is to let our requests be known to God - not to men.  This is a not so subtle reminder that it is not our job to manipulate our circumstances through our own capability.  Instead we are to depend on Our Heavenly Father for everything in our lives.  In exchange for following His supplication process, peace will be our companion.

Let us go to Him in thanksgiving, adoration and trust.  Let us rest in His peace as we wait for His provision. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your unconditional love and Your forgiveness through Your Son, Jesus.  We ask forgiveness for coming to You so often with our needs alone, accompanied by a stark absence of our professed love for You and our expression of our sincere thanks for all that You provide.  Teach us, Lord, how to seek Your presence in our lives.  Teach us how to fully trust in You throughout each and every day.  Teach us how to use our prayer lives to build our relationships with You.  We ask all these things in the name of the One whose mercies and miracles never come to an end, Jesus Christ.