April 2023

In Philippians 4:6-7, the Apostle Paul tells us, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Webster’s Dictionary defines “anxiety” as “a state of being uneasy, apprehensive, or worried about what may happen; concerned about a possible future event.” Anxiety is a fact of life in our modern day society. Stress related illness is one of the most popular topics in today’s health magazines. Although some people are more prone to worry than others, I don’t believe anyone is immune to anxiety and worry. That’s the reason why the Apostle Paul wrote what we just read in Philippians.

Another translation of the Bible says, “Let nothing be worrying you…” That sounds impossible doesn’t it? This translation continues with verse 7, “And the peace of God, that is superior to every frame of mind, shall be garrisoning your hearts and your apprehensions in Christ Jesus.”

God’s peace is superior to every frame of mind! Where does worry and anxiety begin? It begins in the mind, with thoughts. Thoughts of fear produce worry and anxiety. Do you have any fears that cause you anxiety and worry? You need peace in their place. You always overcome the negative with the positive. God’s peace is positively greater than all your fear. Another translation says it this ways, “…And the peace of God which surpasses all power of comprehension shall mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

You may not be able to comprehend it, but the peace of God will guard your heart and mind from anxiety. The Word of God states that you can have peace if you will do three things. (1) Pray (2) Supplicate (ask or request) (3) Give Thanks, so focus on God’s power, and not the fear!

There are many different types of prayer, but all kinds are effective against anxiety. Many times people worry about something for days before they realize they should have prayed about it. If you will just pray about it in the spirit (with others tongues) you can picture the worry or care as an obstacle being bombarded by your prayers and being demolished. Prayer will help you get rid of anxiety.

Paul goes on in his letter to Timothy and says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

The word “fear” is interpreted from the Greek as “dread, terror, cowardice, timidity, and fear certainly produces anxiety!” Fear comes from a dark place. God’s light and the light of His Word will cause it to disappear, dissipate and cease to exist. People who don’t face and deal with their fears find that the fear grows larger and larger. Fear seems bigger if you continually try to ignore them. Pulling them out into the light, looking at them, and acknowledging them, makes them smaller. Confronting them in a practical manner and dealing with them will take away their power, and besides, only a small percentage of things you worry about actually come to pass.

The good thing is that we don’t have to face our fears alone; we can face them with an angelic host surrounding us and the Greater One within us! The Apostle John tells us that, “Perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). If you have fears that you have ignored, you can safely deal with them and get rid of them forever through the power of God, and His Word! This is why we as believers need to guard our thoughts and our words.

A lot of Christians have never read the Book of Job, but they all know about the calamity that took place in his life. But if you will take the time to look into it, you will find that the reason the devil was allowed to wreak havoc in his life was because of his words and his fears, “For the thing which I greatly feared has come upon me, and that which I was afraid of has come unto me. I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came (Job 3:25-26).

 I want to encourage you to spend time each and every day, praying in the Holy Spirit, stay in faith, stay in the Word, keep speaking the right things and making the right confessions of faith, pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and remember “God loves you; we love you and JESUS IS LORD!”

In the Service of Our King,

Darrell G. Harrelson