HOW TO BE FREE FROM ANXIETY Philippians (4:6-7)
INTRODUCTION
Paul found the secret of overcoming anxiety, and fortunately for us, he shares that secret in Philippians 4:6-7 – “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.”
WHAT IS “ANXIETY”
Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress. It is a feeling of fear or apprehension about what is to come. The first day of school, going to a job interview, or giving a speech may cause most people to feel fearful and nervous.
A church for instance can be anxious to get a permanent place of worship.
It simply means “to be pulled in different directions.”
To be anxious is to be “pulled apart,” our hopes pull us in one direction; our fears pull us in the opposite directions.
Anxiety has definite physical side effects: headaches, neck pains, ulcers, even back pain. It affects our thinking, our digestion, and even our coordination.
From a spiritual perspective, anxiety is Wrong THINKING and wrong FEELING about circumstances, people, and things. it is the greatest thief of joy.
FREEDOM FROM ANXIETY
The most certain way to be free from anxiety is revealed by Paul in our text, – “the right kind of PRAYING”!
The NLT translation of verse six puts it right for us. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done.”
Here we are told to pray about “everything” – Paul counsels us to “take everything to God in prayer.” We are prone to pray about the “big things” and forget to pray about the “little things.”
But “little things” left unattended grow up to become “big things,” that is why God wants us to talk to Him about “everything.” We do this by “prayer and supplication”. “Prayer” is the general word for making requests known to God.
Whenever we find ourselves filled with anxiety, our first action should be to spend time alone with God in prayerful adoration and worship. We must remember that He is big enough to solve whatever problems we come across. (Chorus – he is bigger that all my problems…)
Too often, we rush into His presence and hastily give Him our shopping list then off we go. But freedom from anxiety comes when we spend more time on Who He is, rather than on what our problems are.
Having spent time in prayerful adoration, we are now ready to move on to “Supplication” where we begin making our requests known to God.
It involves an earnest sharing of our problems and needs. Freedom from anxiety does not come from half-hearted, insincere praying! While we know that we are not heard for our “much speaking” – Matthew 6:7-8 – “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him!”
Still we should realize that our Father wants us to be earnest and persistent in our asking – Mt 7:7-11 – “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him”.
We are to do all this “with thanksgiving”. This implies “appreciation” on our part. Our Father delights in hearing His children say, “Thank you!”
Are we eager to ask, but slow to appreciate? Note that this “thanksgiving” is to be offered at the same time we make our requests!
RESULT
God may not always remove the problems that were the initial cause of our anxiety, but He promises a “peace which surpasses all understanding”!
It is a peace that the world cannot provide, but He can! – Jn 14:27 – “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
This does not mean the absence of trials on the outside, but it does mean a quiet confidence within, regardless of circumstances, people, or things that would otherwise steal our joy!
CONCLUSION
This wonderful peace, this freedom from anxiety, is the result of letting our requests be known to God through the right kind of praying
– Praying about everything
– Praying with prayer and supplication
– Praying with thanksgiving
We should note that, all this is possible THROUGH Christ Jesus (Php 4:7). He is the source of every spiritual blessing from God, including the peace that surpasses understanding – Ep 1:3 – “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.”
We must be IN Christ, if we desire this peace of which Paul writes in our text.
