by Lemuel Niere
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” — Philippians 4:6.
In moments when worry or fear try to wrap its tentacles around you, what do you do first? The reaction of the average person will be to work on remedial measures rightaway without asking God’s help or seeking His counsel in prayer. The passage under consideration is wise advice for us. So don’t let worry wrap its tentacles around you. Instead, listen to Paul’s advice about how to deal with he problems and concerns that try to assail you.
In our text, Paul lays out five very important steps to move from fear to faith, from turmoil to peace, and from defeat to victory.
1) prayer; 2) supplication; 3) thanksgiving; 4) requests; 5) known. (We will study these steps for the whole month in this blog).
The first step is prayer. It is the Greek word “proseuche” and is used about 127 times in the New Testament. One scholar noted that the word “pro” portrays the intimate relationship that exists between the members of the Godhead (1 John 1:1). One expositor translates this verse as, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was face-to-face with God…”
The second part of the word “proseuche” is taken from the word euche. This is an old Greek word that describes a wish, desire, or vow. It was originally used to depict a person who made some kind of view to God because of a need or desire in his or her life. The person would vow to give something of great value to God in exchange for a favorable answer to prayer. This word then carries the idea of an exchange—giving something to God in exchange for something wanted or desired.
So, instead of carrying your worries and burdens, you are to take the first step Paul gives you in moving from a place of turmoil to peace. Come close to the Lord in prayer. Once you are in that intimate, face-to-face place with God, take that opportunity to give Him your worries, fears, and concerns. Then ask the Lord to give you something back in exchange for the worries you have given Him—ask Him for peace! When you give God your problems, in return He gives you His peace.
Can you think of a time when your mind was troubled with fears? Once you truly committed your problems to the Lord, did a supernatural peace flood your soul and relieve you from your anxiety? This is the first step that Paul urges you to take when worry, fear, and concerns are trying to strangle your mind or emotions.
