Worry - Philippians 4:6-7
Alone With God Devotion - Philippians 4:6-7
Opening Prayer
Scripture
"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."
Paul tells the Philippians not to be anxious about anything - that means no exception. Instead of letting worry control me, I am called to turn to God in prayer and thanksgiving. When I do, His peace will guard me. The image of God's peace as a guard is powerful, like a soldier standing watch over my heart and mind.
Read the passage slowly 2 or 3 times, making it personal. Allow the Holy Spirit to speak directly to your life.
Apply
The Spirit is reminding me that my habit of holding on to small worries keeps me from fully trusting God. This passage calls me to replace anxiety with prayer, and to add gratitude into that prayer. Today, this applies to my concerns about [name your concerns today]. God is inviting me to surrender these concerns to Him.
Take a minute to talk to God about your specific concerns, and listen for how God would apply this truth in your life today.
Respond
Today, I will set aside five minutes mid-morning and mid-afternoon to stop, pray, and give thanks instead of worrying. When anxious thoughts come, I will choose to speak this verse aloud and surrender the concern to God.
Take a minute to make a response commitment to God in line with how He has spoken to you through these verses.
Closing Prayer
If you can, write your thoughts and responses in your Alone With God journal, or any other journal.
1 Comment
Good morning Pastor Dave. The Lord Jesus woke me this morning to remind me to give Him all my cares. I’ve been seeing my doctors here in Santa Cruz and they have informed me I have two hernias in my stomach.. So my mind started running away with all the negative thoughts. Then I got up and grabbed my Bible and phone and got your message and started reading and praying. Jesus brought peace to my heart. Praise the Lord. Thank you Pastor for the reminder. Blessings.