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Read: Philippians 4:6-7 ESV
“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 Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 4:6-7 ESV)I think this verse is very timely tonight for our prayer blends... because as we all have our corporate and personal prayer concerns, it is so important that we declare our petitions and supplications together with the knowledge of the Biblical truths that God has shown to us through His Word in the Bible.
We are currently in trying times, especially in this pandemic. So at times, we end up worrying for our loved ones being infected by the virus, or of our source of income being affected with the failing economy, or maybe some of us are in dire need of a new contract to earn money to feed their families, or some of us might be in dire need of rest because they are stranded in their workplaces, or maybe some of us are having relationship issues that we find difficult to address because of the restrictions made by our current situations. We cannot deny that what is happening around can somehow cause us to think about the issues in unhealthy ways. With our bad nature, we tend to try to fix everything with our own hands; eventually failing in the end. Mistrusting our capabilities, we end up being anxious when we face similar situations again.
The Bible said do not be anxious. It’s a commandment. But what's happening around us can sometimes make no complete sense at all for us. Everything just goes into chaos and confusion. So how can we stop being anxious about it, right?
The good thing is, when God commanded us not to be anxious, He also made a way for us to do it. Not just that. God also gave promises to give us hope when we have nothing to hold on to. In Philippians 4:6-7, God gave us the command: "Do not be anxious about anything." Aside from the command, He gave us the way on how to do it: "in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Then God promised that: "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ." It wasn’t mentioned in the verse that God will fix the problem in ways we can perceive, at least. But He assures that although we are in the midst of chaos and confusion, we can find the peace that surpasses all understanding; the peace that only Jesus Christ can give.
Now that we know of God’s promises to us, we can have the confidence of His faithfulness.
“And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.” (1 John 5:14-15 ESV)
The important thing that we have to remember in this passage is: "If we know that He hears us in WHATEVER WE ASK, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him." But not only that… "if we ask ANYTHING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL" He hears us. We have to ask according to His will.
This is the reason why sometimes we end up having a big NO as an answer to our prayers. James 4:3 says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend in on your passions.” That is why we need to align our hearts with God’s heart. Sometimes, almost always unaware, we have prayers that are focused only on what we want (or need). There’s nothing wrong with telling God what we want (or need). That is one of the good reasons why we pray to God in the first place. But as Christians, we have surrendered our life in partnership with God. Although God gave us the free will to choose and decide, He also gave us the Holy Spirit for us to will what He desires and to accept what He wanted to happen. It’s not that we are imprisoned with what God wants us to do; but it’s that in our partnership with Him, we get to live the life our Good Father intended for us to have in the first place. Our values are influenced by His values. Our desires are influenced by His desires. Our mindsets are changed by His. If we used to live for our selves, we get to learn to live a life of love for others as well, just as Jesus did. And not only that; we become enlightened with God’s plans even though it’s not in line with our plans.
With our growing relationship with Jesus Christ, our personality and nature become like His. Our hearts become like His. That is why if we go back to 1 John 5:14, we will get to ask everything according to His will. Our prayer concerns no longer focus on our desires, but they are focused on the well-being of others and for the glory of God, and it’s all by God’s love and grace.
So, as we lay before God our petitions and supplications, may we all be thankful for His goodness behind the ugliness that is happening around us.
“For all the promises of God find their YES in Him [Jesus Christ]. That is why it is through Him that we utter our AMEN to God for His glory.” (2 Corinthians 1:20 ESV)
We have to realize that in our genuine prayers to God, we are declaring His promises to us and the whole world. That is why Jesus prayed “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10 ESV) We know that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment (the YES) of every promise that God had ever made. And so, as we declare these promises again, we declare their fulfillment (the AMEN) in Jesus Christ.
So as we go through our prayer time, let us learn to lay down every burdens, worries, and anxiety that we have. May we be reminded to align our hearts to God’s heart. May we all desire what God desires and accept what He wants to happen. May we all declare His promises in Jesus’ Mighty Name; the promise of hope, the promise of healing, the promise of protection, the promise of provision, the promise of enlightenment; the promise of redemption and salvation; whatever promises we are holding on to right now. In whatever situation we are in today and will be in tomorrow, may we all find the peace that surpasses all understanding; the peace that only Jesus Christ can give. May we all find confidence in our prayers through Jesus Christ.
Photo by: Jaime Legaspino
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