Philippians 4:6b (NKJV) But in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
The Apostle Paul emphasises the importance of bringing our worries and fears before God through prayer and supplication, accompanied by thanksgiving, because our Heavenly Father is a God who hears and cares for us.
As believers, we are no longer living without hope or God in this world. Anxiety is born out of fear, and fear is an act of the evil one, a spiritual force that can cripple us. It keeps us preoccupied with potential outcomes, diverts our attention away from God, and prevents us from finding solutions.
However, as God’s covenant partners, we have the privilege of casting our cares upon Him and resting in His love. God is limitless, possessing vast resources and ideas. Out of love, He established the covenant with man to make our problems His responsibility under the covenant obligation between partners. Through the covenant, He has committed Himself to be with us in good and bad times. If He has resolved our sin issue as our covenant partner, there is nothing in this life that He can’t help us with. Understanding this covenant relationship allows us to bring God into a hopeless situation.
1 Peter 5:7 (AMP) Casting the [whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, [once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.
The Apostle Paul reminds us to cast all our anxieties on God, who affectionately cares for us, but we also need to choose to offload our worries and fears to God through prayers, bringing specific situations before Him and seeking His help. Speaking to God about our concerns also serves as a release valve for our emotions, as He brings comfort and strength through His Word and His presence. Moreover, during times of stress, praying in the Spirit can strengthen our inner selves.
We need not engage in lengthy prayers but rather sincere, honest conversations with God, fostering fellowship with Him, and giving Him a chance to assure us by bringing Scriptures into our memory to comfort and strengthen us. When facing job loss or challenging circumstances, we can trust God to provide, but we need to manage our expectations and follow God’s guidance even if the path is not what we expected.
After praying, we should give thanks to God as an act of faith that He has heard us and will deliver us. Thereafter, we should also praise and worship Lord, which in themselves are also a form of prayer. Praising Him is a declaration of our dependence on Him when we don’t know how to pray. Praise and worship will keep us focused on God and it is in His presence that He will infuse our hearts with grace and strength.
Sermon Series: Keep the Peace (Part 1)
凡事祷告，不要忧虑
腓立比书 4:6b 只要凡事藉着祷告、祈求，和感谢，将你们所要的告诉神。
使徒保罗强调，我们要把忧虑和恐惧带到神面前，借着祷告与祈求，并伴随感谢，因为我们的天父是一位听见我们祷告、也关心我们的神。
作为信徒，我们不再像没有指望、没有神的人一样活在世上。忧虑生于惧怕，而惧怕是出于那恶者，是一种能捆绑我们的属灵势力。它使我们不断沉溺在可能的结果里，分散我们对神的注意力，甚至拦阻我们找到解决之道。
然而，作为神的约的伙伴，我们有特权把忧虑卸给祂，并安息在祂的爱中。神是无限的，祂拥有无穷的资源与智慧。出于爱，祂与人立约，使我们的难题成为祂的责任，因为在约的关系里，双方彼此担当。在这个约中，神已经承诺无论顺境逆境都要与我们同在。既然祂作为我们的约的伙伴，已经解决了罪的问题，那么在今生，就没有任何一件事是祂不能帮助我们的。明白这样的约的关系，就能使我们在绝望的处境中邀请神进入。
彼得前书 5:7 你们要将一切的忧虑卸给神，因为他顾念你们。
使徒彼得提醒我们，要把一切的忧虑卸给神，因为祂顾念我们。然而，我们也需要作出选择，愿意把忧虑与惧怕卸给神，这要通过祷告来完成，把具体的情况带到祂面前，寻求祂的帮助。把我们的忧虑告诉神，本身就像一个释放的出口，能让我们的情绪得到纾解，同时神也会藉着祂的话语和同在带来安慰与力量。而且，在压力的时候，用灵里祷告也能坚固我们的内心。
我们并不需要冗长的祷告，而是需要真诚、坦率地与神交谈，借此培养与祂的交通，也给祂机会把经文放在我们心中，安慰并坚固我们。当我们面对失业或艰难处境时，我们可以信靠神的供应，但同时也要调整自己的期待，并且跟随神的引导，即便这条道路并非我们原本所想的。
祷告之后，我们要以感谢作为信心的行动，承认神已经听见我们，并且必然会拯救我们。接着，我们也要赞美和敬拜主，而这本身也是一种祷告。当我们不知如何祷告时，赞美是我们对神的倚靠的宣告。赞美和敬拜能使我们的眼目定睛在神身上，而在祂的同在里，祂会将恩典与力量浇灌在我们心中。
讲章系列：保持你的平安（第一部分）
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