Devotional: Be Anxious for Nothing Philippines 4:4-9

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6, NASB).

The news reporter was presenting a story about young people being concerned about climate change. It seems that young people are worried about climate change. They are concerned that the earth will be destroyed before they have a chance to enjoy life. The reporter tells us that young people from around the world have gathered to march to demand that something is done to halt the dangerous effects of climate change.

These are legitimate concerns, and it has been shown that marching often bring about change. Why are young people so anxious? Why are we as a society so anxious about the many things that we are concerned about? What are we worried about? A more important question that I should ask myself is what I can do personally to help the problem. What activities do I engage in to contribute to the problem? Am I driving my car more than necessary? How much did my trip on the airplane to the place of protest contribute to the problem of climate change? What am I worried about?

We are often worried about things that we have no control over. We want something done, but we may be looking for answers in the wrong places. The Bible has several examples of people being worried about things. In our scripture passage Paul writes to the church at Philippi. There is a lot of anxiety in the church. Paul writes to the church to encourage the people. He writes to reduce the anxiety that the people are experiencing. He writes to give them a solution for their anxiety.

Be anxious for nothing because there is a solution for the issues that you are worried about. The solution for your concerns is found when you pray and make your request made known to God. How can prayer affect our concern about climate change?

Prayer has an affects on how we think, feel, and act. History testifies that people think in ways that prevent them from having the wisdom to discover viable answers for our problems. However, when we pray we have access to the mind of Christ. With the mind of Christ we gain a new perspective on the things that we worry about. The words of a song come to my mind. “Jesus is the answer for the world today. Without Him there is no other, Jesus is the way.”

We do not need to worry. We trust in God who is able to cause things to be according to His purpose. When we pray and tell the Lord about our concerns we receive His peace knowing that the Lord is in control and he has the final word.

Prayer: Lord we thank you for Your awesome power and wisdom. We trust you to guide us in all the things that we are concerned about. Amen.