“Is it really possible for a Christian to be anxious for nothing?” asks this note from the Believer’s Bible Commentary regarding Philippians 4:6-7.
A sentence later, the commentary author provides the resounding answer: “It is possible as long as we have the resource of believing prayer.”
The Challenge of Prayer
Today is National Day of Prayer in the USA, and such an event is a useful reminder and a challenge to us to bring to God all our “prayers and petitions.”
Paul offers the Christians at Philippi this same challenge in Philippians 4:6-7 when he writes:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This call to constant prayer is a refrain of Paul’s. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, he offers similar instructions: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
It’s worth asking ourselves these questions throughout National Day of Prayer: Is it possible to “give thanks in all circumstances” and—in order to approach this kind of faithful living—how can we “pray continually” “in every situation?” This seems extreme. Exceptionally difficult. After all, if we did nothing but pray, how would we ever attend to the other seemingly more practical needs of our daily lives? Don’t we find that it’s exhausting to pray so fervently; so constantly?
Defining Prayer
Again, the Believer’s Bible Commentary is useful for defining prayer in a way that might help us frame Paul’s instructions:
Prayer is both an act and an atmosphere. We come to the Lord at specific times and bring specific requests before Him. But it is also possible to live in an atmosphere of prayer. It is possible that the mood of our life should be a prayerful mood. Perhaps the word prayer in this verse signifies the overall attitude of our life, whereas supplication signifies the specific requests which we bring to the Lord.
National Day of Prayer is a great reminder that we need to first pray for our ability to pray, to live in an atmosphere of prayer. Today, I’ll be praying that God helps reveal to me what a life of prayer looks like and how to live it.
This spiritual gift of a prayerful live must come first for us to begin living a life free from worry. So, if your question today is: “Is it really possible for a Christian to be anxious for nothing?” The answer is as follows: “It is possible as long as we have the resource of believing prayer.”
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