“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
The next time you find yourself troubled and anxious, instead of reaching for the Valium, try reaching for the Volume…of God’s Word, that is. Practice the remedy the Apostle Paul prescribes, by Divine inspiration, in this passage in Philippians; then try adopting the regimen laid out in verse eight for preventive maintenance.
Notice the prescription here instructs the patient to make his or her request known to God. That’s the clincher. The peace is only promised if God is the Counselor. Talking things over with a friend or loved one may be a good thing, but not if it’s peace you’re after. They can, and may, provide sympathy, some perspective, and even good advice; but peace of mind is too much to ask of them. There is only One who dares to claim the ability to affect perfect peace to the mind that rests upon Him (Isa. 26:3). When things get so bad that any hope for peace seems out of question, as children of God, we are free to pick up a prescription for peace the kind of peace that passes all understanding. God has already called it in.
D.L. Moody paraphrased verse six like this: “Be careful for nothing; be prayerful for everything; be thankful for anything.” So, whether your malady is a broken mind or a broken heart, go for the cure.
“O, what peace we often forfeit; O, what needless pain we bear;
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”
— Joseph Scriven (1819-1886)
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