Welcome to Part 3 of the God Meets You in Your Anxiety series. Be sure to catch Part 1 and Part 2.
Are you ever in a place where your mind is so cloudy you have difficulty praying? This happens to me more often than I probably care to admit. Sometimes, we just need something to walk us through a simple prayer. This article will guide us through how to pray for your anxiety from Philippians 4:6-7.
I do not believe anxiety can be solved with a sequential A+B+C=SOLUTION equation. But, a concrete tool helps guide my anxious heart to clarity, so that I can focus on pouring out my prayers before the Lord. Scripture gives us many such guides. Philippians 4:4-7 teaches us how to meet God when anxious.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 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.” (Philippians 4:4-7, NIV)
Verses 4-5 call us to remember Jesus’ beauty, reveling in His nearness, and living with gentle-humility. We can walk forward in uncertain times because we trust God’s promises for us.
Let us look at verses 6-7 to learn practical steps we can practice in our prayers.
Listen to the anxiety discussions on the We Who Thirst podcast
1. Trust God’s heart as you pray for your anxiety from Philippians 4:6-7.
“Do not be anxious about anything…. “ (v. 6a)
This encouragement is not a judgmental command, demanding an immediate cessation of our emotional state. No, verse 6 is best read as a parent or friend providing comfort when someone dear to them is scared
In this verse the Apostle Paul is not targeting an overarching sense of unease (general anxiety), or fight/flight state of the body (physical anxiety) with this command in Philippians 4:6. The Greek word behind the English “anxious” describes the action of being concerned about a specific object (specific anxiety), such as:
- food, drink, clothing, health/life (Matthew 6:25-34)
- what you should say when on trial for your faith (Matthew 10:19)
- household tasks/entertaining guests (Luke 10:41 & 12:11)
- concerns of earthly life rather than God (1 Cor 7:32-34)
- one another (1 Cor 12:25)
- another person’s welfare (Phil 2:20).
Nowhere in scripture is this Greek word used for the general or overarching sense of unease, physical sensations having to do with real or perceived threats, or what psychologists commonly refer to as an anxiety disorder.
So, dear one, when you read the command in verse 6, it’s not a threat of divine displeasure for every time you feel anxious. Jesus knows what concerns are common to man, so He walks through difficult circumstances with us.
God isn’t standing over us glaring down saying, “Don’t be anxious or else!!!!”
No, He is offering you His hand, saying, “Oh beloved child, come here. What’s bothering you?? Tell me all about it!! I’d love to help. Stop trying to solve your problems in your own power.”
Trust God’s heart with your anxieties. Do not ignore or deny the things about which you are anxious. You cannot hide your concerns from God. And when you try to hide them from yourself, your anxious heart will reveal itself in other ways.
2. Write down every worry.
“Do not be anxious about anything but in everything …” (v. 6a-b, ESV)
As you look for God to meet you in the midst of your anxiety, take some time to write down everything that is bothering you.
Everything? Even my daughter’s runny nose? Or that judgy mom at the park? Or my parking ticket??
Yes, everything.
Write out all the things that are bothering you. Don’t worry about creating a neat or orderly list – just write. If it comes to mind, write it down. Pimple on your nose? Write it. Weird spot on the shower curtain? Write it down. All the little pieces of mental clutter that you hold around the edges of your consciousness. Put them on paper.
Relax, let things flow and write what you can. Don’t get worried or anxious about forgetting. You can come back and add more to the list later. Trust the Spirit to bring the anxieties you are needing to pray about to your mind in this moment.
Your goal right now is just to practice the “in everything.”
After you have compiled your list of concerns, let them be “made known” to God.
3. Start a conversation
“… by PRAYER and petition, with thanksgiving, PRESENT YOUR REQUESTS to God.” (v. 6c)
If we are to bring our concerns before God, we must first talk to Him.
I know this sounds incredibly elementary. Yet, as I speak with friends and family members, I periodically ask, “Have you prayed about this thing that’s troubling you?”
Inevitably they answer, “God knows.”
Dear one, of course, He knows. But divine insight is not the same as prayer. God invites us into a conversation with Him. The Greek word used for “prayer” in Philippians 4:6, προσευχή, indicates our act of calling upon the Lord – reaching out to Him with our needs. {See note 1}
Don’t stand around waiting for Him to act since “He knows.” Walk into His presence as a the beloved child in whom God delights.
4. Admit you have needs.
“… by prayer and PETITION, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (v. 6c)
When you pray for your anxiety from Philippians 4:6-7, the conversation centers on your neediness. There are no “supplications” if there are no needs. {See Note 2}
The Greek word for “supplication” (δέησις) refers to a petition presented out of need. {See Note 3}
Do you ever struggle to admit your need?
You’ve all heard the quote: “God helps those who can help themselves.” {See Note 4}
Yet, this is exactly our problem. We are trying to help ourselves.
Perhaps, you work to solve your own problems so that you aren’t a burden to other people, or to God. Or maybe you think, if I can figure out my problem myself, then I won’t need to bother God.
Dear one, You are not a burden to God. He created you to be completely dependent upon Him! Like a good friend, He longs for us to share everything going on in our hearts.
I would be so insulted if one of my best friends didn’t tell me her needs or what was going on in life because she didn’t want to bother me. I’m her friend just so she can bother me!!!
Let us not assume God cares for us any less.
Sometimes it’s hard to admit our own needs and brokenness even to ourselves, much less anyone else. When we come to God, we have the tremendous privilege of recognizing our frailty and limitedness. We can see all we are not, and therefore, all He is.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you..” (1 Peter 5:6-7, NIV)
As you consider your needs, remember how God has provided for you in the past. Then, pray for your anxiety from Philippians 4:6-7. Don’t hide your concerns from Him.
5. Rehearse God’s great actions
“… by prayer and petition, with THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God” (v. 6c)
“Thanksgiving, eucharistia, is an important accompaniment of true prayer. The recalling of God’s goodness and mercy will save us from the many pitfalls which await the ungrateful soul, e.g. over-concern with our immediate problems, forgetfulness of God’s gracious dealings with us in the past, disregard of the needs of others who are less fortunate than we are.” {See Note 5}
As you consider your top 2 or 3 concerns, ponder God’s promises about these types of needs, and how scripture reveals His care for these specific areas:
- Write down ways God has provided for you in these sorts of areas in the past
- Remember of His promises and actions throughout scripture, specifically in these kinds of situations.
Example: “Dear Jesus, I am coming down with a cold. I feel absolutely yucky. So, I remember how you are the creator of the human body. I rejoice because You are the healing God who has given my body a way of fighting off these kinds of illnesses. And you are using this momentary discomfort to transform my soul into Your image. I thank you for how you have brought me through colds, viruses, and stomach flus in the past. I recall many times where I was sick and absolutely miserable, and You walked with me through those days bringing me back to health. Thank you!”
6. Boldly lay your requests before God.
“… by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your REQUESTS to God.” (v. 6c)
God always welcomes us to pour out our hearts before him.
However, Philippians 4:6 doesn’t describe our waxing eloquent on our many anxieties and worries, for the sake of having a divine listening year. An in depth looks at how Paul put together this verse reveals a person coming before God with specific requests – a shopping list of needs if you will.
(Article: How to Ask God for What You Want)
In Philippians 4:6 the Apostle Paul creates a beautiful image for us. He describes the act of “prayer,” the type of prayer (“supplication”), and the “request.”
These words work together to describe the delivery of anxiety to God like we might send a package or a letter.
- Prayer – handing the package over
- Supplication – the intent of the hand off
- Thanksgiving – the attitude with which the package is handed.
- Request – the package
The Greek word for “request” (αἴτημα) “is a word which specifies the content of prayer as the formulating of definite and precise petitions (cf. Luke 23:24; 1 Jn. 5:15). Prayer . . . can express itself in direct and specific requests” (e.g. Luke 11:5, 9–10).” {See Note 5}
Perhaps you struggle with identifying your specific needs.
I encourage you, take time to list out all the things concerning you. Then, choose the 2 or 3 concerns you want to start praying about.
Think about these concerns. What are you needing in this situation?
God can most certainly take our weak and jumbled prayers and provide for all our needs in spite of them. He doesn’t need us to be specific and precise.
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” (Romans 8:26, NIV)
However, YOU, dear one, will benefit greatly from praying specifically and precisely.
Often we catch ourselves praying things like:
- Please help my cold.
- Please work in Susie’s life.
These are still valid prayers – albeit vague.
Instead, consider interacting with God more specifically:
- HOW do I want God to help my cold?
- By healing it immediately?
- By giving me endurance to work through the discomfort?
- By giving me patience with my children when I feel like death?
- WHAT do I want God to “work” in Susie’s life?
- Does she need a job?
- Is she struggling with losing her temper with her children?
- Has she ever given her life to Jesus and been called from the kingdom of darkness into light?
Take time to carefully think through your 2-3 concerns asking yourself:
What do I need in this situation?
How specifically would I like to see God work?
Write down the answers to those questions. Don’t be shy. We pray boldly!
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16, NIV)
7. Trust God’s promise to give you peace, as you pray for your anxiety from Philippians 4:6-7.
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (v. 7)
God’s promise to give you peace is His gentle answer to your aching heart. He sees and understand the complex nuances of emotions. He knows the depth of pain and suffering in the world to a greater extent than we can. He sees our feeble attempts at prayer, and He answers every one.
He’s not withholding peace until you jump through the appropriate hoops of prayer. Jesus is our steadfast peace and we are united fully with Him.
Dear one, may your experience of God’s divine peace increase as you rest in His love through prayer.
“Have no care, but much prayer. Prayer is the cure for care. If you are in trouble, ‘Let your requests be made known,’ not to your neighbors, but ‘to God.’” ~Charles Spurgeon {6}
This printable will assist your prayers when you are anxious.
Created from an in-depth study of the passage, this Philippians 4:4-7 Anxiety Prayer Guide will help you connect with the LORD and walk in His promises.
Download yours today!
NOTES for “7 Steps to Pray for Your Anxiety from Philippians 4:6-7”:
{1} Heinrich Greeven, “Εὔχομαι, Εὐχή, Προσεύχομαι, Προσευχή,” Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, p. 807
{2} William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, p. 213.
{3} “Four terms are used in the vocabulary of the soul’s inner life. Prayer, proseuchē, and petition [or supplication], deēsis, are frequently found together in the apostle’s writing and are distinguishable in two ways, according to G. Abbott-Smith’s Lexicon. He says that [prayer] proseuchē is used of prayer in general, while [petition/supplication] deēsis gives prominence to the sense of need. On the other hand, [petition/supplication] deēsis is used as well of requests from man to man, while [prayer] proseuchē is limited to prayer to God. Requests, aitēmata, is a word which specifies the content of prayer as the formulating of definite and precise petitions (cf. Luke 23:24; 1 Jn. 5:15). Prayer is thus saved from becoming a sentimental ‘mooning before the Lord’, to quote Oswald Chambers again; it can express itself in direct and specific requests (e.g. Luke 11:5, 9–10).” (Ralph P. Martin, TNTC: Philippians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 11, p. 176 – Emphasis mine).
See also: (Peter T. O’Brien, NIGTC: The Epistle to the Philippians, pp. 492-293)
{4} Quote by Benjamin Franklin in his Poor Richard’s Alminack (1736) using Algernon Sidney’s wording.
{5} Ralph P. Martin, TNTC: Philippians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 11, p. 176
{6} (Charles Spurgeon, Spurgeon Commentary: Philippians, p. 147).
