“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.” (Phil. 4:6-7 NIV)

Many times in Scripture we are commanded to not be anxious about anything. Why would God ever command us to do anything that we could not control?

God enables you to do it!

I am also reminded of other promises such as “when we are weak, he is strong” (2nd Cor. 12:10), and his strength is made perfect in our weakness” (2nd Cor. 12:9), and even “I can do all things through Christ Jesus which strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13), In other words, God sends his help and strength to enable you to accomplish what he commands you to do!

This promise comes with instructions!

And, as many times you see in the Word of God, instructions are included along with the commands and promises. And, that is true here with this command to not be anxious about anything. “By prayer (speak to God about it) and petition (ask God for help about it) with thanksgiving (Thank God for the answer for it) present your requests to God (anything and everything about it, put in the form of direct requests to God about it). And, with this promise, God tells you what will happen if you follow and do the simple instructions in the verse, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Fear is not from God!

Finally, remember that anxiety is fear and fear is not from God! (2 Tim. 1:7), It is an attack against you from the devil. But, God promises to “guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus!” The battle is fought and won in your mind and it’s wonderful to know that He has you covered!

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:17 NKJV)

Learn to hear the voice of God!

Your faith comes from “hearing” the Word of God! It has to be “caught” not “taught”. When you meditate on God’s promises your thoughts are actually changed “transformed” to be “like His thoughts”, and your thinking is effected in dramatic ways. As your thoughts are changed to God’s Word, you actually get “the mind of Christ” because Jesus is the Word (John 1). When the word is in your mind you begin to hear the voice of God. (My sheep know my voice). That’s when you will finally be able to do what Jesus says you will be able to do by faith! You will be like Jesus in the world (1 John 4:17).

“A merry heart does good like medicine.” (Prov. 17:22 NKJV)

It does a body good!

A medical report I heard about recently said that depression actually suppresses the immune system and makes a person sick! So depression is a dangerous thing to allow into your life! DON’T ALLOW IT! It’s destructive! It’s satanic. It’s not from God! But, the good news is that a “merry heart is like medicine” and does a body good!

Here’s what I do!

Whenever I feel any kind of “heaviness or depressiveness” trying to attack me, I use that feeling as a trigger (a reminder) to praise God! The Bible says that “God inhabits the praises of His people” (Psalm 22:3). When you praise him, He enters into your situation and that solves the depression problem! In another place in the Bible, Is. 61:3, we’re again told to put on a “garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness.” And it absolutely works to destroy the enemy’s depression attack! It’s impossible to have any kind of depression and also to have God in the same place! It’s a powerful truth and a wonderful promise that works every time! “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1 KJV).

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” (Eph. 3:20 NKJV)

I don’t know about you, but when I think about it, I can “think” about a lot of things that I could actually “ask” for. But, truthfully, I don’t always remember to “think” or to “ask” for any stuff. And, quite frankly, I no longer EVER ask God for anything that I “need” because it isn’t necessary for me to do so. Why should I ask Him for something that He has clearly promised to take care of already?

He SHALL supply ALL your need!

It says very plainly in God’s Word, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory, by Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19 NKJV) It doesn’t say He “maybe shall supply my need”. Or, if He does “it will be determined by the state of the economy”, or, “according to the prime lending rate!” He said he SHALL supply it, So, it is unnecessary for me to ask for what he has clearly promised me in His Word. So, again, I never ask him to supply my need. Instead, I thank Him for supplying them! (And, of course, he ALWAYS does!) I am very grateful that I never need to worry about these things!

So, what then do I ask Him for you may wonder?

I ask him for things that I WANT! Jesus said that we should come to God just like little children do (Matt. 18:3). If you have children you will notice that they don’t normally ask you for a “need” because they rightfully know that you, as their parent, will take care of it for them. In fact, they never seem to give “needs” a thought. But, they sure don’t hesitate for a moment to ask you for things that they “want”! And, when they have a good attitude, you love to bless them with what they ask for. Most parents do!

According to the power that works within us!

Now, I really love the last part of the promise that says that he gives “above all that we could ask or think according to the power that works within us!” Wow!! When you think of all that implies! God has given us much power, and it is within us, to do what we need to do! In fact, brace yourself for this, “the same power that raised Christ from the dead, is within you!” (Rom. 8:11). Knowing and believing this fact should be a great encouragement and faith builder for you! And nothing is then impossible for you!

“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Rom.8:32 NIV)

What God has made available for us for free wasn’t free for him! In fact the price paid was the highest amount ever paid for anything that was ever purchased throughout all of history, and it is impossible for that fact to ever change, because the price that was paid was the precious blood of God’s only Son, Jesus!

Don’t waste it!

It is absolutely insane NOT to put to use that which was so highly paid for on your behalf!

What did it buy for you?

• You are God’s kid and Jesus’s sibling! It paid for you to be adopted into God’s family! You are now an heir to God! (Rom. 8:17).

• Instant access to God! You now can come boldly to God (your father) at any time of need! (Heb. 4:16).

• All ‘things’ belong to you! Because of what God has done, you have received ‘all things’ from Him! Everything that belongs to Him, also belongs to you!

• All your needs are met! Every possible need you could EVER imagine is supplied somewhere in the Word of God in the form of Promises! (2 Peter 1:4 & 2 Cor. 1:20).

You just have to find them (search them out), mix faith with them, and they are yours!

“But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” (James 1:25 NKJV)

You must be a doer and not a forgetful hearer if you want to be blessed in what it is that you do in life (your deed). Many folks read the Bible, (they look into the perfect Law of Liberty) but you would never know it to watch how they behave and live! They don’t retain (keep in their memory) what they have read to use in their life. Therefore, they are NOT blessed in what they do.

The steps to being blessed are clearly defined in this promise.

• First, you look into the Law of Liberty (the Word of God).

• Second, you continue in it (don’t quit, be faithful).

• Third, don’t be a forgetful hearer (remember what you have read).

• Fourth, be a doer of the work (do what is said to do).

As a result, there will be a blessing added to what you do!

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” (Psalms 34:4-8 NIV)

With great confidence!

I love the fact that we serve a personal and powerful God who we can approach with great confidence knowing that He hears us, answers us, and does something about what we ask! And I love that he frees me from ALL my fears and ALL my troubles.

Negative Feelings

As I was thinking about the part of this verse referring to “all of my fears,” I noticed that it was plural and not singular, meaning more than one fear was being talked about here. He didn’t explain what each fear was, but it was definitely more than one. Usually fearful people are fearful in many areas at the same time. Fear is really just negative feelings, and you can actually do something about your fearful feelings when you understand it is something you have the power to control.

Recognize and take control!

The first step to overcoming a negative feeling is to recognize it and then take control of it. (Fear, anger, or some other negative thing). A helpful principle to understand: “A feeling named is a feeling tamed!” Explanation: An unidentified feeling can take control of you. But, you can take control of a named feeling once you have recognized it and then take control of it. Then ask God to help you knowing that He can and He will.

“You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” (2 Cor. 9-11 NIV)

It will result in thanksgiving to God!

God will “enrich you in every way!” Wow, think of that promise! That is huge! But, notice that the reason for enrichment is explained clearly. It is NOT to make you greedy! It is to enable you to be generous on every occasion resulting in thanksgiving to God!

Develop an attitude of gratitude!

It’s about your attitude. And it’s about understanding that blessings from God are intended to help you serve the Lord’s people which will cause them to then overflow with many expressions of thanks to God! That’s what the next verse in the promise above says clearly:

“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” (2 Cor. 9:12 NIV). It’s a lot to praise God for?

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, (1:4) by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” (2 Peter 1:3-4 ESV)

Makes me want to shout!

I can hardly read this about how we have “escaped corruption” and how we have become “partakers of God’s divine nature” without running around and shouting Praises to God about it! It is absolutely wonderful! Notice that “partaking of God’s divine nature” happens through “the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises!”

Obtained through knowledge!

Most Christians miss out on these wonderful benefits out of ignorance of them. Notice that the promise says these things are obtained “through knowledge”. But many don’t know the promises of God listed in the Bible so they cannot apply them to their lives!

A sad story

I heard a true story about a man who had died under a bridge where he had been living for a long time. He had very little food or clothing. But, when they took his fingerprints to find out who the dead man was they discovered that he was actually a very wealthy man, but he didn’t know it! He had inherited millions of dollars but no one could locate him to inform him. It’s a sad story but you can say the same thing about Christians who don’t bother to learn about the more than 8,000 promises from the Word of God that they have inherited from Jesus! Remember 2 Cor. 1:20, that says “all the promises of God are yes, through Jesus.” But, sadly, that can only be true for the ones that have been searched out and put to use!