What The WORD Instructs Us To Do About Worry

What The WORD Instructs Us To Do About Worry (Philippians 4:6-7)

Philippians 4:6-7, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Paul tells the church that they are to pray and he tells them why to pray. We are not to worry about anything, but trust the Lord in everything! Careful or anxious means to be troubled with cares, to worry, to strangle, to have a divided mind. This carries the idea “to divide, to cut into pieces, to be pulled in different directions”. Worry does exactly that to us. Worry is detrimental to us and harmful for us. It will affect your relationship with the Lord and your relationship with others. It will have a negative effect on your physical health and spiritual health. What then can a Christian do when he is surrounded with problems, persecution, and pain? Paul focused on a corporate prayer. Paul seemed to be referring to the body of Christ, not individual Christians per se. True Christianity is reflected when a believer is able to trust God and other members of the body of Christ, even when it is beyond his human ability to understand.

I. The Affliction of Worry
"Be careful for nothing." The command in this text tells us not to worry. Although we all do this, here is the threefold product of worry.

1. No help. Worry has never helped to solve problems. It only creates them. It does not ward off difficulties or problems or make life more enjoyable, yet we worry unceasingly.
2. No honor. Worry certainly does not honor God. It shows a lack of trust in God, it says we are not sure God has control of things and that He can take care of us.
3. No health. Worry saps our energy, leads to depression, ulcers and other health problems.

The one sure cure for worry is prayer for the following reasons:
Godly prayer takes the focus off the difficulty of the situation and puts it on the power of God (Ephesians 3:20). Through prayer, we renew our trust in the Lord’s faithfulness by releasing to Him all our anxieties and problems, knowing that He will take them because He cares for us (Matthew 6:25-34; I Peter 5:7). When we release our problems and concerns to God, He will replace them with His peace. This supernatural peace will guard our minds and protect our hearts as a result of our communication and companionship with Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7; Isaiah 26:3; Colossians 3:15). Through prayer, God strengthens us to do all that He desires of us (Philippians 4:13; 3:20; Ephesians 3:16). Through prayer, we receive mercy, grace, and help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). As we spend time with God in prayer, He is able to assure us that in all things He is working for our good (Hebrews 4:11; Romans 8:28).

II. The Antidote of Worry
"But in everything by prayer." Prayer will help us to win over worry successfully. Notice: Prayer itself is not the answer, but a special kind of prayer is.

1. Pray honorably. "Prayer" - This word sums up the general solution to worry. It is, however, an honorable and respectful prayer. It is not one of criticism and complaint. This comes from the meaning of the word "prayer." The meaning involves an attitude of worship and devotion to the Lord.
2. Pray earnestly. "Supplication" - Much praying is nothing but spinning the beads, reciting a prayer list, or prayer book. "Supplication" is earnest prayer from the heart. It is the "Fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16).
3. Pray gratefully. "Thanksgiving" - May we all say 'Thank you”. If you are not in the habit of thanking God, you will not do well in thanking people. You will not get much from God if you have not learned to thank Him for the blessings He has given you. Lack of thanksgiving has more to do with our barrenness in blessings than we realize.
4. Pray completely. "In every thing" - Nothing is too small to bring to God in prayer. Nor is anything to big to bring to God is prayer. "Every thing" means "every thing." Many of our worries are trivial so this command is to pray for little things, as well as big things. When something bothers us, our text says to take it to the Lord in prayer. That is the real cure to worry.

God’s peace is the opposite of human anxiety. It comes when we call on God from hearts that are fully devoted to Christ and His Word (John 15:7). By committing our cares to God, we can determine not to worry about them because they are now His concern. This peace is an inner sense of calm and assurance delivered from Christ by the Holy Spirit within us (Romans 8:15-16). It is not based on emotions or circumstances, but on the solid foundation of our relationship with God. It involves a firm confidence that Jesus is near and that God’s love will be active in our lives for our good (Romans 8:28; 8:32; Isaiah 26:3). When we commit our troubles and concerns to God in prayer, His peace will stand guard at the door of our hearts and minds, preventing the cares, worries and heartaches of life from troubling our lives and robbing us of our hope in Christ (Philippians 4:6; Isaiah 26:3-4, 12; 37:1-7; Romans 8:35-39; I Peter 5:7). If fear and anxiety return, we can go to God in prayer with a thankful heart, and once again, He will send His peace to guard our hearts. Under God’s “protective custody,” we will again feel safe and be able to rejoice in the Lord.

Several years ago, a pilot was making a flight around the world. After he had traveled two hours from his last landing field, he heard a noise in the plane which he recognized as the gnawing of a rat. For all he knew, the rat could have been gnawing through vital cables and wires of the plane. It was a very serious situation, and the pilot was very concerned and anxious. At first, he didn’t know what to do. It was two hours back to the landing field and more than two hours to the next field ahead. Then he remembered that rats are rodents, and they are not made for heights, they are made to live on the ground or under the ground. Therefore, the pilot began to climb. He went up 1000 ft, then another 1000 ft, and he continued to climb. At 20,000 ft the gnawing ceased, the rat was dead. The rat could not survive in an atmosphere of those heights. More than two hours later the pilot brought the plane safely to the next landing field and found the rat dead. Worry is a like a rodent in that it cannot live in the secret place of the Most High! Worry cannot breathe in the atmosphere made vital through prayer. Worry dies when we ascend to the Lord Jesus through prayer and His Word. We need to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ! Be at Peace with God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and have the peace of God through our trust and dependance on Him in everything.

Prayer, Lord, I humbly ask You to graciously grant me a heart that desires to pray. Forgive me, I’ve just been struggling with fear and doubt that has troubled the peace I have from You. I commit myself to prayer and I am casting these things Your way right now. I’m choosing not to worry about them anymore because You will deal with them under the authority of Jesus’ name, Amen

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