Ask God For Help (Prayer) Series

Ask God for help. (Prayer) Philippians 4:6

Staying calm in the chaos means we must begin with worship.

The 2nd step is just as critical: Taking our cares and worries to God.

Taking our cares and worries to God

1. Pray constantly “Don’t worry about anything but pray about everything.” (CEV)

2. Pray persistently “through prayer and petition”

3. Pray expectantly “with thanksgiving”

Intro (Russ) Last week we began this series called CALM. Turn to Philippians 4:6 if you will. With all the anxiety and worry and depression and angst going on in our world and in our own lives, we have to find the path to the calm and peace that God desires for us. You can change jobs, but that won’t fix the problem. You can change spouses, but that won’t fix the problem. You can medicate yourself with weed or alcohol or other drugs, but that won’t fix the problem. In most cases, these actions only make the situation worse. Everyone experiences fear, anxiety, and worry—it’s what you do about them that counts.

Last week, we started this journey toward calm and peace at square one. We looked at Phil. 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!” Rejoice in who? The Lord!! Staying calm in the chaos means we must begin with worship. When we focus on Him, His attributes of goodness and sovereignty and love and power: the things of this earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.

I used to run track. Have you ever run the hurdles? Here is what I learned about running hurdles: if you look at the hurdle, you’ll end up in the hurdle, under the hurdle, mangled by the hurdle. You have to look ahead if you want to run successfully. Remember last year we studies Hebrews 12:2 “Keep your eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith.”

Rejoicing in the Lord in the chaos, keeping our eyes on Him in the midst of the chaos of life is the first and most important step on this journey toward peace and calm.

The 2nd step is just as critical: (build) Taking our cares and worries to God.

Our text for the day is Philippians 4:6 “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Right off the top, God says “Don’t worry.” Argh! Don’t worry—who’s He kidding? But as I’ve said this before: this is a big deal to God. In fact, the most often repeated phrase in the Bible is “Don’t be afraid.” He kept telling the Old Testament saints as they faced challenges and captivity and enemies “Don’t be afraid!” When Jesus came He continued the refrain and put it this way in Matthew 6:25-34. “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God,o and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Over and over we read, “Don’t be afraid. Stop worrying.” Here in Philippians God says, “Don’t worry about ANYTHING” Yeow!!! But wouldn’t that be awesome!!! A life, an inner tranquility that cut right through the waves of anxiety and fear and filled us with a gladness of heart and peace of soul?

Absolutely! How? Taking our cares and worries to God

Phil 4:6 NLT

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.

1. Pray constantly “Don’t worry about anything but pray about everything.” (CEV)

Origin of the word worry is “strangle” “to seize by the throat and tear” - isn’t that what worry does? Think about how you feel when you’re worried – anxious, fearful…. worry “strangles” gladness of heart and peace of soul.