“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 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 passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-7 (NKJV)
This passage must have been written particularly for this time of year; as we look forward to tomorrow, a day set aside for giving thanks for the blessings of life, these words give us hope and peace during a troubled time.
If indeed we have a right relationship with God through His Son, we should be able to rejoice because He is always near those who love and trust Him. This relationship should produce in us a spirit of joy that finds expression through our praise and worship. Notice the order of Paul’s challenge; we are to rejoice in the Lord’s nearness even before we begin to witness by example. Each verse/action builds upon the previous one as we continue to work through the passage.
The sixth verse is of particular importance to us in this turbulent environment that can cause so much concern. We overcome anxiety by rejoicing in the fact that God’s presence is as near as our thoughts. This relief from anxiety allows us to pray with assurance and faith that our prayers will be heard. Notice too that we are to offer our thanks to God along with the prayers and supplications; it is vital that we thank God as we work through our prayers so that our requests do not become self-serving.
The last verse in this passage is the most important; although we might not realize it, it is also the reason why we pray. When we go to God in earnest prayer we are seeking God’s peace about whatever, or whomever we are praying. When we present our requests to Him, and His peace comes over us, we are inexplicably satisfied with the outcome. We don’t necessarily have to receive the answer we were seeking in order to know God’s peace that “surpasses all understanding”.
Today there are many reasons to pray; none are more important than the spiritual health of this broken world. Let's all give thanks for God’s blessings in life, as we rejoice in the nearness of His presence.
