Salvation Summaries

This is my fourth post in a series of posts on how to pray.  In this one, I will provide observations regarding Paul’s second “prayer” in Philippians, and offer suggestions on how to pray from it.  I will conclude with a prayer you can use whenever you feel worried or anxious.

Studying these verses on prayer has done more to improve my prayer life than reading several (old) books on prayer, and I believe it can do the same for yours.

Prayer in Philippians 4:6-7

Philippians 4:6-7 is not really a prayer (hence the quotation marks above) but rather a set of instructions on how to pray.  I’ve shown these verses in three different translations (NIV, NLT and ESV) below because they vary in some of the key terms used.  I’ll explain these terms shortly.

• Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. NIV

• Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. NLT

• …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. ESV

Summary

God can give us peace during times of worry and anxiety.  He does this when we pray to Him in a way that Paul described in Philippians 4:6-7, and in a manner that Jesus prayed per Hebrews 5:7.

We should begin our prayer by adoring and worshiping God. Next, we should make our requests to Him with supplication, or humble and reverent pleading (begging).  We should end our prayer with thanksgiving. According to one Christian website, the ACTS prayer format (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication) was developed from these verses.  I would use the acronym ART (admire, request, thanks) instead (for there is a certain “art” in praying well).

I believe omitting one or more of these steps hinders our ability to receive peace when we seek it, and can leave us disappointed with our prayer life.  On the other hand, following these steps is not a guarantee that we will receive peace, especially if our requests are not aligned with what God desires.  We need to keep growing in our knowledge of God and faith in Him in order to know what we should be requesting in our prayers.

From a practical standpoint, here’s what I recommend you do anytime you being to worry or feel anxious:

• Immediately recall what Paul and Jesus said – that we are not to worry or be anxious about anything.
• Remember the acronym ART
• Say a short prayer to God.
  • Start by telling God one thing you admire about Him
  • Present your request to Him with seriousness and conviction
  • End your prayer by saying one thing you are thankful for.

Anxious and Worry

What does it mean to be anxious or worry? In the past, I would have defined worry as thinking about something bad that could happen, and which bothers or concerns you.  I would have viewed anxious as being more severe than worry, where it can affect your mood and possibly physically too (sweating of hands, rapid heartbeat, etc.).

For example, I’ve never been comfortable with public speaking. If someone were to tell me that I might need to present something to an audience next week, that would worry me.  If I were told I had to present something tomorrow, that would make me anxious.

However, when I looked up each word using various dictionaries, worry simply has a wider range of meaning (or its intensity can vary more) than what I thought, and essentially includes being anxious.  As shown below, worry can be as “small” as thinking about something unpleasant that might happen to something as “big” as causing you mental distress.

• to think about problems or unpleasant things that might happen in a way that makes you feel unhappy and frightened.
• give way to anxiety or unease; allow one’s mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.
• mental distress or agitation resulting from concern usually for something impending or anticipated
• to torment with cares, anxieties, etc.; trouble; plague.

In addition, when I looked up verses in the Bible with the word worry or anxious, I discovered that most came from the same Greek word (merimnaó), and thus they mean the same thing. A good example of this is Matthew 6:34, where Jesus says “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  The Greek word for worry in this verse is the same one as that used for anxious in Philippians 4:6.

Why do we worry? We worry when we lack faith in God’s ability to take care of us (Luke 12:22-28).  If this is true, then worry is a spiritual issue.  Now, some of you might disagree with me by saying that non-Christians worry too, so it can’t be spiritual.  However, non-Christians and Christians sin, and sin is a spiritual issue.

What does Jesus tell us to worry about? Jesus tells us to not worry about what we will eat, drink, or wear (Mt 6:31); the world, wealth (Mt 13:22), the future (Mt 6:34), or our life (Luke 12:22). As a result, we shouldn’t worry about anything.

What does Paul tell us to worry about? Paul tells us not to worry about anything.

Is it a sin to worry or be anxious?  Yes, for Jesus tell us not to do this, and it reflects our failure to believe that God can meet our needs.

Prayer

We are to present our requests to God by prayer, but what does this mean?

According to Bible Commentator Warren Wiersbe, “prayer is the general word for making requests known to the Lord. It carries the idea of adoration, devotion and worship.  Whenever we find ourselves worrying, our first action ought to be to get alone with God and worship Him. Adoration is what is needed.”  Adore means to worship, and worship means to have or show a strong feeling of respect and admiration for God.

Thus, when we come before the Lord to make our requests, we should begin our prayer by adoring and worshiping Him.

Petition/Supplication

We are to present our requests before God by petition (or supplication), but what does this mean?   

According to the ISBE Bible Dictionary, supplication comes from the Latin verb supplicare, which means to plead (an emotional, urgent request for something) humbly. It also means to entreat (beg, appeal, beseech, plead) someone in power for help or a favor.  To plead in earnest means to do so with sincere and intense conviction.

As a result, praying with supplication means that we earnestly yet humbly (and reverently) plead and beg to God to take “corrective” action (for us or others).  It is praying with conviction and emotion.  If you think this is extreme, consider how Jesus prayed according to Hebrews 5:7, “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.”

Now, I’m not saying that we need to loudly cry every time we pray (especially since we are to pray continually).  However, I believe far too many of our (my) prayers are simply casual requests with no confidence that God will answer even though we hope He does.

Thanksgiving

We are to present our requests to God with thanksgiving, but how does this relate to our receiving peace from Him?  I don’t know of a theological answer to this question, but I did think of a practical one.

When we pray to God with supplication over things that worry us, there may be times when we get “worked up” in our prayer, and even yell out of frustration or anger.  However, if we end our prayer by thanking God for who He is, what He’s done, and how He has blessed us, that shifts our focus away from the things that trouble us, and onto the things that are pleasing and good.  It also helps provide us with a proper perspective on God’s ability to deal with our situation (whether that is through answering what we ask for, or working in our mind and heart to change our attitude and desires).

Peace

What does the verse mean when it says that peace will guard our heart and mind?

According to the footnote in one of my Bibles, peace is confident assurance in any circumstance.  It is the absence of a troubled heart and mind.  John 14:26-27 indicates that peace comes from the Holy Spirit, and Galatians 5:22 shows us that peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Peace from worry and anxiety is available to any person who is a Christian.

Helpful Hints in How to Pray

• Who to pray to:  In these verses, Paul indicates we are to pray to God (rather than to Jesus or the Holy Spirit).

• What posture to assume when praying: These verses do not mention what posture Paul took.

• What attitude to have when praying: We are to begin our prayer with adoration and worship, and end it with thanksgiving.

• What to pray about: We can pray for peace from our worries and anxieties, along with anything and everything that may concern or affect us.  When we make our requests, we should do so with supplication and thanksgiving.

• How often pray: These verses do not say how often we are to pray.

• How to end your prayer:  With thanksgiving.

Sample Prayer

Dear God,

(Adoration) There is no One like You.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are Your ways higher than my ways, and Your thoughts than my thoughts. And yet, you love me despite of who I am.  Your love and mercy simply amaze me. 

(Supplication) Oh Father, I have a deeply troubled spirit.  I am under tremendous stress for a problem I’ve created out of foolishness, and which has lasted so long.  It affects my mood, saps my energy, and robs me of joy.  I have cried out to You over and over for wisdom in how to deal with this problem, but I’ve received nothing.  Please answer me in a way that  I can understand.  Work in my mind and heart to help me know what I should do. And please give me relief from my anxiety and stress, for only You can.  

(Thanksgiving) God, thank you for hearing my plea.  Thank you for loving me, and saving me.  Thank you for blessing me with a wonderful wife, and children.  Thank you for allowing us to live where we do, where we can see and admire your creation.  And thank you for your goodness. I eagerly look forward to seeing what You will do in my life.