Digging Deeper: Ask God, With a Humble and Thankful Heart
6 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Philippians 4:6 (ESV)
ASK GOD, WITH A HUMBLE AND THANKFUL HEART
My father—a great dad—was always one to worry. We would leave on family vacations, and five minutes after pulling out of the driveway, we would be heading back home so he could check to make sure something wasn’t left turned on. I’m not sure how much actual vacation time he allowed himself to enjoy. He made up for it once all the kids were out of the house and he and my mom could simply relax and travel—on his son’s pass privileges, I might add—mostly stress-free.
I thank my dad for most of the character traits I inherited from him, apart from that worry gene. In my younger days, I used to have two credos:
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“It’s never too early to worry,” and
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“I want to see how this is going to turn out before I take that first step!”
Don’t laugh—I know some of you out there are nodding with a bit of embarrassed agreement in your hearts. My point is this: as your faith grows, your anxiety level should decrease. Paul reminds his audience, “Do not be anxious about anything” (v. 6a). That is about as unambiguous as it gets!
How then do we decrease the level of worry and anxiety in our daily lives? Take everything—again, no ambiguity—to God. Talk to God; He will listen. Share your fears and worries with Him—He already knows them. The writer of Hebrews reminds us to confidently “draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16, ESV). Those are powerful words. They remind us that our King sits on a mighty throne, yet stoops down to bless us with His loving mercy and grace.
We can tap into that source of mercy and grace through “prayer and supplication” (v. 6b). Supplication simply means “to plead humbly.” Paul tells the church to simply and humbly make our requests known to the One who loves us and longs to ease our anxiety and fears (v. 6b). Worried about the state of your marriage? Ask God for guidance. Teenage kids keeping you up at night (glad I’m done with that phase of life)? Pray for wisdom. Paul’s message is that God is available and listening—humbly ask Him in all situations. You will never feel more in control than when you give up control to the One who controls it all.
I love how Paul casually drops the word thanksgiving into the conversation. If you removed that word from the verse, the sentence would still make sense. However, if you recall yesterday’s devotional, Paul was in custody when writing this letter, yet he still reminds his readers to find joy in all things—even during times of trial and tribulation. Joy and thanksgiving should go hand in hand. When you think about it, just having the opportunity to talk one-on-one with the almighty Creator of the universe should always fill us with joy and thankfulness.
Approach God with a humble spirit. Ask Him with a thankful heart. Pray for the desires of your heart. Joyfully accept the will of the Father. Leave that worry gene at the foot of the cross.
Digging Deeper (er):
Matt 6:34; Matt 6:27; Heb 5:7; 2 Cor 9:11.
Phil Meade is a father of 3, and grandfather of 5. He has a Masters Degree in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and lives in Acworth. He has led various small groups throughout his more than 20 years attending NS. He retired after 8 years as an Air Force pilot, and 33 years as a Delta pilot.