Philippians 4:6. “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
MY REQUESTS. The pacing continues; agitation is obvious; fingernails are short Long stares; quick glances through the window Deep sighs; short words; furled brow; disheveled hair What is wrong? Why such anxiety? Is God dead?
The head is bowed; the knees are bent; eyes are closed The heart is opened; then the emotions; then the mouth Tongue and lips; vocal cords and breath – and brain All join in harmonious unison – thankful for what God said.
Scattered thoughts are corralled and placed in orderly lines Then these become words expressed in ways appropriate The mind recalls past blessings and present Persons Thanksgivings take form rejoicing for what God did.
The affairs and demands of life are formed in words Daily duties repetitive and boring are expressed Strength to do what is needed again and again – is asked for And assurance the request is heard – our God has not hidden.
Things out of the ordinary have come to our attention They must be faced and acted upon, not later – soonest We cannot put off the decision and hope it will go away Make your request – then rest awhile, assured that God is.
You’ve never been this way before – the place and people are strange How should I act? What should I say? What should I not say? The culture, the language; landscape and the weather – are different Make your requests, go ahead in confidence – God says all is His.
Personal things known only to you and God alone – make requests Family things – you’ve done what you felt was right; now they’re gone – make request Assembly things, financial things, health things: past, present and future Be thankful, be specific in supplication – and rest, for God lives.
“I am not very good at praying, Father, but I am so thankful Thou art good at answering. At times my requests seem so trivial and my thanksgiving so casual. Forgive my lack of fervency, I pray – and could You take away some of this pain in my shoulder and the right side of my neck? I thank Thee for being able to sleep well in spite of it. Am I really a “stiff-necked” person inside? Maybe I need a stiff neck to remind me. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”
The value of prayer is that it lifts the pressure of anything so that we can lay it on our Lord and not be overanxious about anything. Coupled with the virtue of praise, peace will follow because there is a consciousness of God being involved in the whole matter. The resulting benefit for us is that we become more Christ-like and are able to discern the mind of Christ in us. When gratitude and praise come in difficult times, there is power in our witness to others, unity among God's people, and peace comes into our own souls. This garrisons our hearts and minds against the inevitable pressure of living so that we will live well.