5 Ways to Apply Paul’s Teaching of Being Anxious Over Nothing
Spiritual Life
Audio By Carbonatix
10:00 AM on Thursday, May 28
By Vivian Bricker, Spiritual Life
The Apostle Paul tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). By following Paul’s outline here, we will be able to help ourselves end the endless cycle of anxiety.
This world has given us many reasons to be anxious. Due to financial troubles, family issues, or relationship problems, none of us is lacking in the department of stress and anxiety. Some days, we might feel anxious just because of all the overwhelming stress. Whenever we find ourselves in a constant state of anxiety, we need to consult the Word of God and turn to the Lord. There is freedom from this constant cycle of anxiety.
It will take time to obtain this freedom, as anxiety will return from time to time. However, by applying the teachings of the Bible in our lives, we can help lessen anxiety day by day. Anxiety will continue to occur throughout our lives, yet we can make the choice not to allow it to control us or dictate our joy. If you are ready to start this process today, let's look at 5 ways we can apply Paul’s teaching on being anxious over nothing, as found in Philippians 4:6-7.
1. Prayer
In order to give Philippians 4:6-7 the respect that it deserves and to truly become anxious over nothing, we are going to have to break this passage down section by section. Although it is not a long passage, there is much to learn from Paul's words. The first thing Paul tells us to avoid is being anxious over nothing; he urges us to go to the Lord in prayer and petition. We are going to first focus on prayer and later move on to petition.
Prayer is extremely important when we are trying to weed out anxiety from our lives. When anxiety is great within us, God can give our hearts solace (Psalm 94:19). All we must do is go to Him in prayer. Therefore, consult Him in prayer today and present all of your worries to Him. Tell him about your anxieties and how they are impacting your daily life.
In truth, you will feel a lot better after talking with the Lord about your concerns. Take a deep breath, sit back, and trust in the Lord to help resolve the reasons that are fueling your anxiety. Allow the Lord to work in the situation and continue to lean on Him for support. It is also important to continue praying to Him and to present any worries at the foot of the cross each day.
2. Petition
As mentioned, Paul says that, in addition to praying, we need to petition God with our requests. Petitioning God means bringing our requests to His attention. God already knows what we need, yet we still need to go to Him in prayer and petition the inner needs of our hearts. Going to the Lord acknowledges our dependence on Him. By refraining from going to Him in prayer and petitioning our request, we are making the statement that we don't need God.
This is a dangerous statement to make, and it is one that leaves us prone to the attacks of the sinful flesh. Therefore, make sure you bring your worries to the Lord and tell Him about any anxieties you have. In this way, you will experience peace of mind, and your soul will be granted rest. Rather than feeling anxious all the time, you will feel more steadfast, hopeful, and joyful.
3. Thanksgiving
If we look carefully at Paul's words, we also see that he says we must cover our prayers and petitions with thanksgiving. This means we need to give thanks to God for all that He has done for us and continues to do. This is a common theme in the Bible as we are told, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1). Give thanks to the Lord today for all His goodness, grace, kindness, protection, and love.
Giving thanks to God will remind us of all of the blessings He has surrounded us with and the goodness of God's nature. By reflecting upon these things, we will feel our anxiety lessen. Since we know God is our good, good Father, who is perfect in every way and loves us beyond measure, we won't feel as anxious about what the days have to bring. We know that God is with us and that He has only good things in store for us (James 1:17).
Everything that happens in our lives is to shape us into the image of His Son. While some of these things may be challenging and painful, they are ultimately working all things out for our good. As we are trying to figure out how to end the constant battle with anxiety, we don't need to forget to bring these worries and concerns to the Lord, and also to cover ourselves with thanksgiving when we are approaching the throne of God.
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4. Present Your Requests to God
We have already discussed bringing our worries and concerns to God; however, we also need to cover the aspect of truly presenting our requests to God. When you pray, are you ever truly telling God what you need, or has church culture made you feel guilty for asking for what you need? Try to refrain from applying any false teachings you may have received from your church or from others when it comes to interacting with God or going to Him in prayer. Applying false teachings to your walk with God can give you a distorted view of God and cause you to question His goodness.
Despite what anyone has told you, choose to present your requests to God today. All of the anxiety that you are feeling, surrender it to Him. He cares about all of your worries, anxieties, and concerns (1 Peter 5:7). You are His beloved child, and He truly wants what is best for you. Lean into His love today and reject any false notion that you cannot present your requests to God.
If you ever feel as though false teachings are taking up a big part of your life and it is hard for you to know fact from fiction, turn to a trusted individual who truly knows the Word of God. This will be someone who does not go to a church that is indoctrinated with false teachings. It can also be helpful to read works by various authors to help you understand the Bible as it is meant to be, such as Dr. Charles Stanley, David Platt, and Dr. Charles C. Ryrie.
5. Allow the Peace of God to Wash Over You
The final aspect of Philippians 4:6-7 tells us that once we have gone to the Lord in prayer and petitioned with a heart of thanksgiving, and we have presented our requests to God, we need to allow the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. This tells us that the peace of God is greater than all things and will give us the solace we truly need. As believers, we need to allow the wonderful peace of God to fill our hearts and to watch the anxiety wash from our minds. There will be days when anxiety will still rise up within us; however, we can fight back against it by relying on the peace of God.
The peace of God is perfect serenity. The more we lean into God’s peace, the more we will feel hopeful, content, and full of life. If you have a hard time allowing the peace of God to fill your heart, try to surrender to Him today. Sit in His presence after you have gone to Him in prayer and have petitioned your requests with a heart of thanksgiving. Wait on His goodness to be revealed in your life. The constant anxious cycle in your mind will be eradicated in due time.
Until we get to this time, we need to continue turning to the Lord and applying the teachings of Philippians 4:6-7. It will be helpful to memorize this passage, as it helps keep it close to our hearts. The Holy Spirit can also bring this passage to mind when anxiety is hitting us hard. Continue to live out your walk with Jesus and obey Him in all things. This world will continue to present many anxieties to us; however, God is greater than all of them, and He can bless us with the peace that surpasses all understanding.
Related Podcast Episode: Philippians 4:1-9 - How to Be Unified with Christians You Don't Like
Paul knows we don't always get along. In this episode of The Bible Explained, you'll learn:
- Unity is not being cookie-cutter, but rather, putting differences aside for a common goal
- How to unify with Christians you don't really like, or that don't like you
- 4 things Christians should do daily for better spiritual health
- Why our thought life is important
If this podcast helped you understand the Bible in a clearer way, be sure to follow The Bible Explained on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Photo Credit: wikimedia
Vivian Bricker obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry, followed by a Master of Arts with an emphasis in theology. She loves all things theology, mission work, and helping others learn about Jesus. Find more of her content at Cultivate.
