Prayer Part 4: In Everything by Prayer

Philippians 4:4–7 NIV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Intent: We want the peace of God

Obstacle: Conflict

Plan: In everything by prayer.

Rejoice

Be reasonable

Stop worrying.

Worship

Supplicate

Give thanks

Ask

Result: The peace of God

Introduction: The day starts out great.

We feel good, good night of sleep, great breakfast, the weather is great, traffic is light.

Then boom! Our peace and tranquility is smashed like a broken mirror!

We get bad news. Someone is sick, something breaks,

We’re attacked. By a rude driver, insensitive stranger, selfish coworker

We face an unexpected problem. A bill we didn’t expect, an unexpected demand on our time.

Something we were hoping for didn’t happen and our heart is sick over it. Proverbs 13:12

Our peace is gone!

Bottom line: We don’t pray to get peace. We get peace because we pray.

Prayer is the path that leads to the peace of God.

Steps to the peace of God when you don’t have it.

We have in this passage the necessary elements to find peace. Each element is a necessity.

Philippians 4:4 NIV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

1. Choose joy. Philippians 4:4

Pray joyfully.

The process begins with a counter-intuitive approach. The natural response is to complain, lash out or attack. We aren’t going to rejoice because of the circumstances but because of how God can use the circumstances for good. Romans 8:28

Reframe the situation. We aren’t rejoicing in the pain. As we think about our situation we think, “There is nothing in this to rejoice about.” Exactly, we are rejoicing in the Lord.

See it as within God’s Control.

See it as an opportunity to trust God. Phil 4:19-20

See it as a way to grow.

See it as an opportunity to glorify God. Phil 1:19-20

Choose to be happy while having the problem by rejoicing. Then do it again! “I will say it again, rejoice!” He doubles his command!

Philippians 4:5 NIV

5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

2. Be magnanimous. Philippians 4:5

Pray generously.

Be generous to all! This is what our life is to look like to others around us when we are going through painful conflict. This is what we are to known for.

Demonstrate big-heartedness, that is kindness, gentleness, considerateness, generosity.

Be gracious with whoever has caused you pain.

Be an example of gentleness to those around you watching.

Reframe the problem in relationship to the return of Christ. There is good news just around the corner. The Lord is coming soon so we can afford to be charitable.

Even if Jesus doesn’t come today, our lives are short, the Psalmist says like a breath. Psalm 39:5.

Psalm 39:5 NIV

5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.

Life is too short to focus on the negative! In a few moments all of life will be over and the righteous will be vindicated!

Philippians 4:6 NIV

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

3. Stop worrying. Philippians 4:6

Pray purposefully.

The word for worry is μεριμνάω and means: “to have an anxious concern, based on apprehension about possible danger or misfortune—‘to be worried about, to be anxious about.” Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996).

A present tense command in Greek means to stop doing something. Paul isn’t saying don’t worry. The best translation is to stop worrying. That’s a more realistic command. Most of us don’t choose to worry, do we?

Let’s say you get a bill in mail for a medical procedure and the cost is much more than you thought it would be. You don’t look at and think, “Okay, I need to worry about this.” Worry is a natural response to danger or an uncertain situation.

We may not choose to worry but you can choose to stop worrying.

And, he says don’t worry about anything. There is no wiggle room here.

One of the reasons we’re told to stop worrying is that worry grows the more we allow it. It’s like an untended weed in the garden that will take over if we don’t pull it out by it’s roots.

Worry is never warranted. Don’t be anxious about anything. Because worry is the opposite of peace. God wants us to have peace. Paul is now going to tell us how to defeat anxiety, worry, and apprehension but it isn’t the way you might think.

If I were to ask most people how to you get the peace of God a common response would be “Ask for it.” That seems to make sense, but it doesn’t work that way and it’s likely you know it. The reason is that peace is a result of other things happening. Peace by definition is an issue of balance. You can’t have peace without other things being true.

Asking for peace is like asking to lose weight. I’m sure people have prayed and asked God to lose weight. What do you think God’s response to that is? “Sure, no problem. Let me just lop off 10 pounds from your gut. Ready?”

We aren’t going to lose weight unless we take in few calories than we use. That’s all. We can pray and ask God to help us have the discipline to eat less but even then we have to do our part.

You don’t get the peace of God by praying “God give me your peace!” We have to do what God says and then peace will follow. It requires action on our part.

The first act is to stop worrying. That’s step one. The second is to

4. Worship God. Philippians 4:6

Pray worshipfully.

Instead of worrying about anything, we are to pray in everything, “In everything by prayer.”

The word pray προσευχή is the most common word in the New Testament for communicating with God and include asking and worshipping.

Worship in the midst of a trial is an expression of trust. We turn from the source of our anxiety to the source of what we need to deal with the problem.

This is an active step. We get up out of wallowing in the mud and go to God!

This is not our last resort but our first. Our prayer acknowledges and trusts God.

5. Cry out to God. Philippians 4:6

Pray wholeheartedly.

This is a whole-hearted appeal. It has the sense of urgency.

Express the passion of your heart and cast your uncertainty upon him. 1 Peter 5:7

1 Peter 5:7 NIV

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

All conflict is not the same, some are enough to prompt us to cry out to God. That is the word here, supplicate means cry out.

Hebrews 5:7 NIV

7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

Jesus did this just before He was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and when He was on the cross. Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:40-46

Jesus did this while on the cross. Matthew 27:46, 50; Luke 23:46

Cast all our anxiety, throw it up God!

This is an urgent.

6. Give thanks to God. Philippians 4:6

Pray humbly.

This is a humble appeal.

We humbly accept God’s best and thank Him for it, even if it is hardship.

Give thanks for God’s past care.

Give thanks for our present blessing.

Give thanks for what we know God will do for us.

What is the alternative to giving thanks? Complaining. We pray a very different kind of prayer when we are thankful versus when we are ungrateful.

7. Ask God. Philippians 4:6

Pray specifically.

The request is the subject of this phrase. The Greek says “Your requests be made know to God.”

What is it you need that is causing conflict in your heart? What is it specifically that you’re anxious about? Ask God for what you need.

When you do, it is an expression of hope.

This is when we make a specific appeal. It isn’t just “Father bless me.” That’s good but not what you need now.

Father, provide for our needs. Father, please heal me, my mom, my friend. Father, please give me the wisdom to know what to do at work so I succeed. Father, help me learn this so I pass this test.

This is the same word as John uses in 1 John 5:15

1 John 5:15 NIV

15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Philippians 4:7 NIV

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Conclusion: The promise is peace. Philippians 4:7

Verse seven begins with “And.” Notice what happens before the peace of God arrives. It doesn’t say that you will receive everything you asked for and then have the peace of God. It says the peace of God comes to us when we

Choose joy

Pray generously

Stop worrying

Worship

Cry out

Give thanks

Ask

The peace of God is a gift of something that God has.

The peace of God is the opposite of anxiety.

The peace of God is well-being.

The peace of God transcends all understanding. To hope in the depth of despair.

The peace of God is superior to human reason, human plans.

Discussion Questions: