kayte
Sep 15th 2004, 04:57 PM
Prayer Chapter 12
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice!
The word rejoice always bring to my mind the picture of supreme exaltation. An extreme ‘happy-party’, an emotional high that never touches the ground.
Yet this isn’t the meaning of rejoice here at all. Paul’s instructions are very much ‘on the ground’, rooted in reality and life changing when applied.
Rejoice. To be calmly happy in the Lord always, knowing you are well off in God.
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.
Be anxious for nothing? Is that humanly possible?
No. But with God all things are possible.
When things come our way we are far more prone to worry, to think things over, to gnaw on them, to consider all the avenue’s, than we are to pray.
I think most of us are guilty of having the words, “I wish I could do something… but all I can do is pray” come springing out of our mouths. All I can do is pray? Is this the thought and heart of one that is unfamiliar with the life of prayer?
I most often took the route of: Be anxious first, then pray, then worry about it some more. Back and forth I went. Never gaining peace or security. Seldom rejoicing.
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.
Remember that only when we pray according to God’s will are we assured of a ‘yes’. Nowhere here does it tell us that if we pray, God will give us what we want, but it is a promise that He will give us what we need. Peace. The peace of God which surpasses all understanding.
Peace that will guard our hearts and minds through any circumstance, through any trial, through any affliction.
Again… prayer isn’t a formula or magic solution. It’s about knowing God and being changed in His presence.
If I know that God hears me, if I know that He is worthy off all power in my life, if I know He is trustworthy, if I know He loves me and that in Him I am safe… then am I able to pray, making my request and giving thanks.
Supplication is defined as a petition, prayer, request. To beseech. To bind oneself, (lit. or fig.) be in bonds, knit, tie.
So often when we pray we bind ourselves to the request. We tie ourselves to the thing we seek as we attempt to bang down the doors of heaven, thanking God for doing what we’ve asked.
What happens if we read the verse as:
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer, bind yourself to God (who knows all things concerning you), with thanksgiving (for He is trustworthy to work what He knows is best and He is able), let your requests be made known to God.
No matter what comes, no matter what circumstances or afflictions, I am bound to Him. I am knit together with Him and I am safe.
I will accept what my heavenly Father allows in my life and I will rejoice… be calmly happy in the Lord always.
…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:8-9 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.
Pray, bind yourself to God, leaving your cares to Him, trusting Him… and think on these things.
Our thoughts tend to wander around while we merely go along for the ride. And while they wander, we fall in deadly potholes or stray entirely from the path.
II Corinthians 10:4-5 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
As we abide in the Lord we gain the weapons, the ability for pulling down the strongholds in our lives. All those things in our thought lives that hold us captive.
One version reads: casting down all imagination and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God…
Our imaginations are often our worst enemy. We imagine a particular sin is more preferable than obedience. We imagine awful things happening. We imagine we are self sufficient. We imagine God is not trustworthy. The list goes on and on.
But as we draw nearer to God, we are compelled to change… to line up with Him and to live in His peace.
If peace eludes you, what things do you think on? What thoughts have become high things that exalt themselves above the knowledge of God… the truth of God?
To have peace that guards our hearts and minds, we must bring those thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
Whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, things of virtue, things that are praiseworthy, intentionally think on these things.
Replace the lie for the truth. Think and do the will of your Father.
Philippians 4:10-13 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity.
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.#
To be content everywhere the Lord leads. In all things, to walk in peace.
To be full, to be hungry, to abound and to suffer need. To accept whatever state we find ourselves in, joyfully knowing that our Father who loves us does all things well.
Philippians 4:5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Father, we thank You for hearing us. We come boldly, thankful for the shed blood of our Savior.
Lord, You told us to not be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by renewing our minds. We ask you to help us do this. Show us when we are thinking in ways that are against You, and help us to think on what is true. Change our hearts Father. Change our minds.
Lord, teach us to pray according to Your will, accepting those things that You have brought us to. Use them to grow us up. Teach us to be like Jesus, trusting and obeying implicitly.
Take all our anxieties and give us strength to do all things in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen
#
Study questions
1) When you look at the circumstances of your life, do you know you are well off in the Lord?
2) Does anxiety and worry interfere in your relationship with the Lord? How do you respond when you find yourself anxious or worried? What helps, what doesn’t?
3) According to these verses, what is the healthy way of dealing with anxiety and worry?
4) What are some of the things you know absolutely and intimately about God to be true?
5) Are there area’s in your thought life that contradict and exalt themselves over these truth’s about God?
6) When you pray do you tend to bind yourself to the need or to God?
7) Have you gone through a time when circumstances could have overwhelmed you, but instead found yourself immersed in the peace of God? If so, how did you come to that place of peace?
8) If peace eludes you, what are some of the things that you know of that separate you from God’s peace?
9) Have you accepted and given thanks to God for your present circumstances, knowing that He is working, or are you in the place of fighting… seeking your own way?
copyright 2002 tkc
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice!
The word rejoice always bring to my mind the picture of supreme exaltation. An extreme ‘happy-party’, an emotional high that never touches the ground.
Yet this isn’t the meaning of rejoice here at all. Paul’s instructions are very much ‘on the ground’, rooted in reality and life changing when applied.
Rejoice. To be calmly happy in the Lord always, knowing you are well off in God.
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.
Be anxious for nothing? Is that humanly possible?
No. But with God all things are possible.
When things come our way we are far more prone to worry, to think things over, to gnaw on them, to consider all the avenue’s, than we are to pray.
I think most of us are guilty of having the words, “I wish I could do something… but all I can do is pray” come springing out of our mouths. All I can do is pray? Is this the thought and heart of one that is unfamiliar with the life of prayer?
I most often took the route of: Be anxious first, then pray, then worry about it some more. Back and forth I went. Never gaining peace or security. Seldom rejoicing.
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.
Remember that only when we pray according to God’s will are we assured of a ‘yes’. Nowhere here does it tell us that if we pray, God will give us what we want, but it is a promise that He will give us what we need. Peace. The peace of God which surpasses all understanding.
Peace that will guard our hearts and minds through any circumstance, through any trial, through any affliction.
Again… prayer isn’t a formula or magic solution. It’s about knowing God and being changed in His presence.
If I know that God hears me, if I know that He is worthy off all power in my life, if I know He is trustworthy, if I know He loves me and that in Him I am safe… then am I able to pray, making my request and giving thanks.
Supplication is defined as a petition, prayer, request. To beseech. To bind oneself, (lit. or fig.) be in bonds, knit, tie.
So often when we pray we bind ourselves to the request. We tie ourselves to the thing we seek as we attempt to bang down the doors of heaven, thanking God for doing what we’ve asked.
What happens if we read the verse as:
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer, bind yourself to God (who knows all things concerning you), with thanksgiving (for He is trustworthy to work what He knows is best and He is able), let your requests be made known to God.
No matter what comes, no matter what circumstances or afflictions, I am bound to Him. I am knit together with Him and I am safe.
I will accept what my heavenly Father allows in my life and I will rejoice… be calmly happy in the Lord always.
…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:8-9 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.
Pray, bind yourself to God, leaving your cares to Him, trusting Him… and think on these things.
Our thoughts tend to wander around while we merely go along for the ride. And while they wander, we fall in deadly potholes or stray entirely from the path.
II Corinthians 10:4-5 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
As we abide in the Lord we gain the weapons, the ability for pulling down the strongholds in our lives. All those things in our thought lives that hold us captive.
One version reads: casting down all imagination and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God…
Our imaginations are often our worst enemy. We imagine a particular sin is more preferable than obedience. We imagine awful things happening. We imagine we are self sufficient. We imagine God is not trustworthy. The list goes on and on.
But as we draw nearer to God, we are compelled to change… to line up with Him and to live in His peace.
If peace eludes you, what things do you think on? What thoughts have become high things that exalt themselves above the knowledge of God… the truth of God?
To have peace that guards our hearts and minds, we must bring those thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
Whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, things of virtue, things that are praiseworthy, intentionally think on these things.
Replace the lie for the truth. Think and do the will of your Father.
Philippians 4:10-13 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity.
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.#
To be content everywhere the Lord leads. In all things, to walk in peace.
To be full, to be hungry, to abound and to suffer need. To accept whatever state we find ourselves in, joyfully knowing that our Father who loves us does all things well.
Philippians 4:5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Father, we thank You for hearing us. We come boldly, thankful for the shed blood of our Savior.
Lord, You told us to not be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by renewing our minds. We ask you to help us do this. Show us when we are thinking in ways that are against You, and help us to think on what is true. Change our hearts Father. Change our minds.
Lord, teach us to pray according to Your will, accepting those things that You have brought us to. Use them to grow us up. Teach us to be like Jesus, trusting and obeying implicitly.
Take all our anxieties and give us strength to do all things in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen
#
Study questions
1) When you look at the circumstances of your life, do you know you are well off in the Lord?
2) Does anxiety and worry interfere in your relationship with the Lord? How do you respond when you find yourself anxious or worried? What helps, what doesn’t?
3) According to these verses, what is the healthy way of dealing with anxiety and worry?
4) What are some of the things you know absolutely and intimately about God to be true?
5) Are there area’s in your thought life that contradict and exalt themselves over these truth’s about God?
6) When you pray do you tend to bind yourself to the need or to God?
7) Have you gone through a time when circumstances could have overwhelmed you, but instead found yourself immersed in the peace of God? If so, how did you come to that place of peace?
8) If peace eludes you, what are some of the things that you know of that separate you from God’s peace?
9) Have you accepted and given thanks to God for your present circumstances, knowing that He is working, or are you in the place of fighting… seeking your own way?
copyright 2002 tkc