The Potential of Prayer (3)

Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4.6, 7

Anxious about everything
These are anxious times. The economy is flimsy. Terror and disease are on the rise. Relationships are more fragile than ever. Morality shape-shifts with abandon; schools flounder; jobs evaporate; wealth disappears, or simply disappoints; and death stalks us daily and stands waiting for us at the end of our journey.

Have a nice day.

In short, there’s a good bit to fret and worry about, all of which robs people of their sense of wellbeing – their peace. Or perhaps you haven’t noticed the increase of commercials and advertising promoting drugs to relax us or help us sleep, resorts and cruises to enable us to get away from it all, offers for gold and silver to shore up your diminishing retirement, and new cars, new clothes, new credit cards, or new cosmetics to allow you to become someone other than that person whose anxious fears just won’t go away.

These are anxious times, friends, and we tend to be an anxious people. We keep reaching, grabbing, and lurching after peace, peace, but there is no lasting peace to be gained.

Not, at least, by means such as I have thus far mentioned.

Prayer and peace   
The Apostle Paul tells us that anxiousness need not rob the praying Christian of his peace. Whenever we feel that tug of anxiousness in our breast, we don’t need to take a pill, hop in our new ride, or make reservations for a cruise. We simply need to pray.

Paul holds out prayer as an antidote to anxiousness and the pathway to peace. But prayer will only have this effect to the extent that we actually make use of prayer. We can’t expect anything from God if we won’t call on Him for it. Here Paul enlarges and clarifies that condition somewhat.

Anxiousness, it seems, requires a certain kind of praying if we are to overcome it and know the peace of God. Paul says our prayers against anxiousness must include supplications and thanksgiving. Now prayer consists of many things, as we have seen. Prayers include praises to God, interludes of silent meditation as we reflect on God’s greatness or meditate on His Word, periods of listening in silence for some prompting or incitement of the Spirit, intercessions for others, invocations of God’s promises, recitations of His works and His Word, celebrations of His grace, singing and shouting, and, of course, supplications and thanksgiving. While we’ll want to learn how to master all these, when our peace is threatened and anxiousness is skulking around the door, supplications and thanksgiving appear to be the best defense.

OK, but what does this mean?

A supplication is a specific request. To supplicate is to beg, petition, or plead with God concerning a specific matter or situation. Implied in this is that we should be able to identify whatever is threatening our peace and talk with the Lord specifically about it, placing the matter or situation in His hands and trusting that He Who does all things well will take care of this for us. That doesn’t relieve us of responsibility; rather, it simply gives us the confidence that, as we act in good faith, God will be at work within us, willing and doing of His good pleasure (Phil. 2:12, 13).

But we need to remember that what we may expect from the Lord is not the answer to our prayers as we might dictate it; what we may expect is grace to help in our time of need. So we’ll need to leave it to the Lord to determine just what form that grace should take.

By giving thanks when we are feeling anxious, we declare our confidence in God Who works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8.28). We don’t give thanks because we feel thankful, but because we want God to know we trust Him and are already looking forward with gratitude to the good and perfect way He will banish anxiousness and flood our souls with peace.

Unexplainable peace
The peace that comes from such prayers cannot be explained; it is beyond understanding. It has to be experienced. It stills every anxious thought and relieves every worry. We couldn’t explain to someone what this peace is or how it works within the chambers of our soul, but we know it, we possess it; and worries, doubts, and fears simply cannot overcome it. When the grace of God meets us at our point of need, we can know the peace that passes understanding, even though nothing may have changed in our outward circumstances. God’s peace floods us when we come seeking it in prayer.

In anxious times like these, peace that banishes anxious fears is a rare commodity. Such peace is only available through prayers of supplication and thanksgiving. Isn’t this the kind of peace – peace that passes understanding – you’d like to know more consistently in your life? Look to God in prayer, with supplication and thanksgiving, and the peace that passes understanding will be yours.

For reflection
1.  What are some things that can cause you to feel anxious or uncertain? How can you learn to see these as divine summons to seek Him in prayer?

2.  Why can we give thanks in all things, if not necessarily for all things?

3.  Does knowing God’s peace mean that all our outward circumstances are exactly as we would have them? Explain.

Next steps – Transformation: Do you ever feel anxious? Make a list of the things that cause you to feel anxious. Then take those things to God in supplication and prayer. Wait on Him until He shows you Himself in a great and mighty new way, and floods you with His peace.

T. M. Moore
Each of our “next steps” exercises is tied into goals and disciplines involved in working your Personal Mission Field. If you have not yet identified your Personal Mission Field, watch the brief video showing you how to get started right away (click here). Learn how to work your Personal Mission Field by finding a friend and signing-up for our Mission Partners Outreach.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.