Anxious for Nothing
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. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:6-9
"This is it! I found it!", my heart seemed to declare the morning I read this verse as it knit its way into my heart. Some people don't write in their Bible, but I have learned to see it as a treasure to give to my grandchildren one day of how the Word changed my life. Next to these verses I wrote, "how we find peace". I had been without peace for a couple years, anxiety and panic attacks will do that to a person. I was tired of the struggle and tired of the fight. There was nowhere free from them, even on fall break with my family in the mountains, anxiety seemed to tag along. I was up early reading my Bible when the words "and the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds" leaped off the page. I dug in for a closer look.
If I could have God's peace guard my heart and mind, which was what I desperately needed, then how do I get it? Back up. Read it again....by prayer and supplication (an intense, humble and earnest request) with thanksgiving ask God to guard your heart and mind. I was definitely making supplications to God, sometimes more like a two year old tantrum type requests, but requests none the less. But thankful? I was anything but thankful. I started to shift my prayers from foot stomping requests to gratitude. Every morning and every night, 3 things I was thankful for. Then I trusted. I trusted the Word was true and God was faithful to His Word. Before long my mind began to be guarded and sensitive to threats; too much news, too many wondering thoughts, too many what ifs. I met it all with gratitude and truth, changing the direction of my thoughts.
Many times, anxiety comes from thinking about situations out of our control. After telling us how to have a guard around our heart and mind, the Word of God then tells us the "things" we should be thinking about: True things, noble things, just (right) things, pure things, lovely things, things of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. Clean up your thought life and you will find anxiety to decrease and soon your heart and mind will be guarded with peace. Not just any peace but the peace of God which surpasses our understanding.
This week as we pray for our Nation and our leaders, may we be thankful for the blessings of being born in this great country, even with its flaws, it's still pretty great! Then earnestly pray for those who lead it, those we agree with and those whom we don't. Then let the peace of God guard our hearts and minds to a place of living in perfect peace.
"This is it! I found it!", my heart seemed to declare the morning I read this verse as it knit its way into my heart. Some people don't write in their Bible, but I have learned to see it as a treasure to give to my grandchildren one day of how the Word changed my life. Next to these verses I wrote, "how we find peace". I had been without peace for a couple years, anxiety and panic attacks will do that to a person. I was tired of the struggle and tired of the fight. There was nowhere free from them, even on fall break with my family in the mountains, anxiety seemed to tag along. I was up early reading my Bible when the words "and the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds" leaped off the page. I dug in for a closer look.
If I could have God's peace guard my heart and mind, which was what I desperately needed, then how do I get it? Back up. Read it again....by prayer and supplication (an intense, humble and earnest request) with thanksgiving ask God to guard your heart and mind. I was definitely making supplications to God, sometimes more like a two year old tantrum type requests, but requests none the less. But thankful? I was anything but thankful. I started to shift my prayers from foot stomping requests to gratitude. Every morning and every night, 3 things I was thankful for. Then I trusted. I trusted the Word was true and God was faithful to His Word. Before long my mind began to be guarded and sensitive to threats; too much news, too many wondering thoughts, too many what ifs. I met it all with gratitude and truth, changing the direction of my thoughts.
Many times, anxiety comes from thinking about situations out of our control. After telling us how to have a guard around our heart and mind, the Word of God then tells us the "things" we should be thinking about: True things, noble things, just (right) things, pure things, lovely things, things of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. Clean up your thought life and you will find anxiety to decrease and soon your heart and mind will be guarded with peace. Not just any peace but the peace of God which surpasses our understanding.
This week as we pray for our Nation and our leaders, may we be thankful for the blessings of being born in this great country, even with its flaws, it's still pretty great! Then earnestly pray for those who lead it, those we agree with and those whom we don't. Then let the peace of God guard our hearts and minds to a place of living in perfect peace.
Posted in Teach Us To Pray
Recent
Archive
2026
2025
September
2024
2023
October
November
1 Comment
Thank you for sharing! This verse keeps coming up here lately in all that I’m reading/studying confirming where and how our true peace can be found. ??