Philippians 4: 6 Be anxious about nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and minds through Christ Jesus.
Anxiety-: A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with uncertain outcome.
-: A strong desire or concern to do something or for something to happen.
When we are anxious about something, it ceases from arousing necessary concerns in us to becoming fearful and exasperated. There is a degree of concern that is allowed for every situation that will help to perpetuate soberness, commitment, integrity and diligence in the expected process and outcome. This kind of concern is backed by the fear of God.
Paul tells the church at Philippi to exercise their minds not to worry about anything but rather, in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving to make their requests known to God. In other words, advance from being excessively concerned about everything; about your lives, families, ministries and careers. By so doing, you will open the gate to your hearts and minds for the peace of God – the Shalom that keeps our hearts and minds from the spiritual pollutants. In contrary doing, you are unable to experience the peace of God to your hearts and minds. By anxiety, you lock out the peace of God that has been given expeditiously to guard your hearts and your thoughts – your minds – your thought process and will the mind that need the peace of God through Christ Jesus.
There is only one way to know the peace of God – by expelling anxiety. Anxiety is vice that frustrates the advance of the peace of God toward humanity. It stands between as a barrier, that our hearts regardless of how much we love God, will never experience that peace. Though we may resolve in our minds to seek after God, when anxiety is detected, that terminates the progress of accessing the peace of God to our minds. The peace of God is a shield that guards our minds from the influence by the statutes and canons of the world. When our minds are exposed from the shield, one who was an ardent Christian starts to conform to the world.
When we are confronted in our hearts by concerns, it’s a perfect time to respond to the concerns through prayer and supplication in the Spirit. When responding to anxiety we need to be careful not to trade on the isle of fear and pity petting but navigate through the realms in the Spirit to the coffers of the peace of God. Ephesians 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints–. The Spirit helps us to navigate and soar higher above the ripples of anxiety. Prayer and supplication are the pedestal upon which our eyes are lifted to the mountains – the reservoirs of the Shalom. The strength to our mind is accessible through prayer in the Spirit as it experiences the renewal. Ephesians 4:23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. When the spirit of our mind is renewed, it is empowered to conceive the mind of God for us.
The shrine of praying in the Spirit is ‘with’ thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the modesty and paradigm in which we present our request to our God. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. When we depart from this mannerism as Christians, we miss out on accessing the peace of God. It’s more than peace that we access; as we are able to expel anxieties besides exposing our minds to the mind of God. Our prayers and supplications are wrapped in thanksgiving. Making our requests known to God without thanksgiving is like going out in the savannas for a hunting spree without the arc. You may have the means but lack what it takes. Our prayers are like arrows. They are shot at a call – when we fight our battles – and these arrows are propelled by thanksgiving. No matter how noxious your arrows are, without the arc which is thanksgiving you will go home empty, confounded, and defeated. Thanksgiving is the premise of launching offensive attacks to the gates of the enemy.
Anxiety is a spiritual battle that is focused to the heart. The enemy wants to keep the hearts of men occupied with anxiety such that no one will have time to express their petitions and supplications to God. The devil knows that any battle outside the heart of a man, he has no chances to triumph. That’s why we need to guard our hearts with all diligence, Pro 4:23, Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Anxiety will never allow anything good to flow from the heart – be on the look-out and guard your heart.
Lord Help us in Jesus name. AMEN.
Patrick Ichoya 