So Over It

No Worries
But in EVERY situation, no matter how big or small, bring it to God in prayer. Give your request to Him thanking Him for what He will do and for giving you the right mindset to carry out his instructions for you to walk righteously.

What will you get in return? Well we get PEACE! Verse 7 says we will receive His peace which passes ALL understanding for His peace guards our hearts and our minds. YES!!! It’s so simple but why is prayer the last option for us when we don’t know how to resolve a situation? Verses 8 and 9 remind the believers in Phillipa to ponder on these things when they pray: whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, and whatever is admirable. Paul asks them to meditate on these things because it matters what you put your mind on and then activate it in your life. If you say you go to church but what you heard in church, God’s Word, didn’t go home with you and get activated throughout the week, then why do you go to church?

OUCH!
 Paul doesn’t promise that God will do every single thing they request, but he does promise that when the Philippians pray about things, God will change the Philippians themselves. When they really pray about their problems and choose to be thankful, God will give them peace. This applies to all believers. When we have problems and worries, we often forget to pray about them. Then, when we do pray, we may think that the only help God can give is to grant the request as we have presented it and change the situation. God may very well do that. He has the power to change any situation, but He will not be limited to that! As I Look Forward I saw a post on facebook that read, “What if you went after God the way you go after men?” I giggled and then thought,

WOW!
There’s a lot of truth in that. So much so that it stung a little. Have you ever wanted something so bad you did whatever it took to get it? In this I want to change my mindset about prayer. I want to have urgency as well as joy when I pursue prayer. I also want my pursuit to have no stress attached to it. I want prayer to be the first thing I think about when I’m looking to rectify a situation and not the bandaid or last ditch option. I look forward to having consistent prayer daily in my life. A joyous experience that doesn’t feel forced and I’m rest assured that God knows and hears my heart in every word uttered.

For further study, read:
Philippians 4:4-9

Questions
Do you have an attitude of ‘Thankfulness’ in ALL situations? Is prayer a last resort for you when faced with a trial or situation? After reading this summary, what actions will you take to change prayer from being last to first in your life?