Do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7
Do you worry about stuff? Do you have a heavy heart or a worried mind? The above well-known verses offer useful guidance: 1) Instead of letting things bother you, pray to God, 2) Everything is both fair game for prayer and really does deserve prayer, 3) It makes good sense to make requests (supplications) of God, 4) Make your requests with thankfulness – for what God has already done and already promised to do for His children, 5) Reliance on God in prayer brings peace – peacefulness so amazing that it goes beyond what we can understand, 6) The peace of God that comes from prayer protects our hearts and minds from frustration and temptation.
Point #6 is especially practical: when we rest and rely on God’s hearing our prayers, we are at peace with who He is and who we are, so we are not as tempted to become frustrated that we can’t accomplish everything on our own. Prayer reminds us of our need for God. Prayer reminds us of God’s love for us. Therefore, prayer reminds us that God lovingly fulfills our needs.
As useful as these two verses are on their own, we ought to consider how these statements are introduced. Verse 6 does not begin with a capital letter – it’s not a complete sentence. Verse 5 begins the passage: “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything...” The teaching here is important: God is close by, so pray to Him. He is next to you, so pray to Him. Jesus came to earth and bled and died and rose again so that you can be close to God, so pray to Him. He sent His Spirit to dwell with you, so pray to Him. This world carries anxiety and stress, but you are not alone, so pray to Him. After all, He is near, He hears, He grants peace and protection, beyond what you can understand. Your heart and your mind need reminding, so pray to Him.
You might critique and wonder, “Well, if God is in fact so near to me, why do I need to pray to Him? If someone’s standing next to me, I don’t need to describe to him how I have just been knocked back. He was there, too, and saw it. Doesn’t prayer affirm that God isn’t close or at least isn’t paying much attention? And speaking of this, if ‘the Lord is at hand’, why doesn’t He – in the first place – prevent the sort of suffering that creates a need for prayer?”
Wow, that’s a lot of questions! Let’s work our way backwards. God doesn’t prevent all suffering because instead of justly destroying mankind for sin, He shows forbearance – is patient – and allows us to live in a world that is broken by our sin. God’s patience grants us time, opportunity, and redeeming love through trust in His Son. Suffering serves as a reminder of our sin, our needs, and His gracious forgiveness. God is very much paying attention, which is why He allows us to continue living and thriving despite the abuses that we foist on one another. God doesn’t need you to describe the world’s pain to Him. But, as a close friend, He gives you the opportunity to pay attention. He gives you opportunity to see and speak your mind about what is important to you, allowing you to sense His warmth. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism reminds us, “Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of His mercies.”
Two people are standing at the bus stop for an hour in the freezing cold and one of them doesn’t say a word. The bus is coming, eventually. It’s freezing, painfully. God speaks to you through His Word, Genesis to Revelation. What do you want to share with Him this cold week? Do you worry about stuff? God grants peace through His Word and prayer. Sure, it’s a cold bus stop, but He’s standing right there. He has the power to bring warmth to you, every day. Warmth that you can share. Do not be anxious about anything, let your requests be made known to the One who removes the distance so that you can be heard. What do you desire to say to Him?
