With thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God

What a great verse!  It is a verse that I try to live by.  As with so many other cases in the Bible, we again see a conditional promise of God.  Have you ever noticed that?  Most of God's promises are conditional.

In other words,  God isn't Santa Claus.  This kind of goes along with Kumbaya Jesus.  There seem to be a lot of people who say since God loves everybody, that means we all get the goodies of God without the obligation. 

 

I don't believe that is true.  God's promise's come with conditions.  He tells us the proper way to do things.  This verse is a great example.  Do you want the peace of God that surpasses all understanding?  Then follow this process.

Philippians 4:6-7(NKJV)

6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 

7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The first step is don't be anxious about stuff.  You might say 'that's not natural" and I'd say that you are probably right.  However I don't see anything in this Scripture, this message from God, saying anything about it having to be natural.

It actually takes discipline.  To recognize it, to take control through prayer and to banish it and replace it with faith.  Now is faith a big deal to God?  You bet it is!  By being anxious you are demonstrating fear instead of faith.  The Bible tells us that fear and faith can't co-exist.

Once we learn to control our fear or anxiety then we are told to bring all of our requests to God.  We are told however to do it in a very specific way.  How do we do it?  By prayer and supplication, WITH THANKSGIVING!  Scripture is very clear that if we follow this pattern we will experience the peace of God.

Why do you think the with thanksgiving part is in there?  I happen to think it is the most important part.  The reason is that I think it further demonstrates our faith to God. 

Think about it.  We wouldn't be anxious unless it was about something that wasn't going exactly right in our lives.  By approaching it in a thankful spirit I think we are saying to God "I trust that you've got this under control just like you have had everything else in my life under control.  You always make it work out in the end.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Now this all starts by having Jesus at the center of your life.  Have you asked Jesus into your life yet?  Why not do it right now?  Just have a talk with Jesus and ask Him to guide your life.  "Dear Jesus…."