Everything and Nothing
Dearly beloved, in Philippians 4, God instructs us to be anxious for nothing: but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto Him. “Be anxious for nothing”, and “in everything by prayer” are polar opposites.
In Matthew 6:25, our Lord taught, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they?”
We are not to be over anxious, full of care, or mentally distracted by the cares of life; why, because our heavenly Father hears the prayer of the righteous and He supplies our needs.
“Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take you thought for raiment?”
The words” take (no) thought”, “taking thought”, and “take you thought” come from the Greek word “merimnao”, which means: to be full of anxiety which divides up and distracts the mind, to be full of cares, anxious; be full of anxious or distracting care. It is the word used in Philippians 4, also.
“Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”
The Lord Jesus used “little faith”, (oligopistos), when rebuking care, rebuking fear, rebuking doubt, and rebuking reasoning.
He said, “All things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.”
Instead of having little believing, we should believe what God says and expect Him to answer our prayers. He is faithful that promised, beloved. He is both able and willing to deliver us. The prayers of the righteous are His delight. “All things, whatsoever you shall ask in prayer believing you shall receive.”
“Therefore take no thought [don’t be full of anxiety and mentally distracted], saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or Wherewithal shall we be clothed?’ (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. But seek you first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore not thought [Don’t be full of anxiety and mentally distracted] for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
Philippians 4 says, “Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication [which is the expression of our need in prayer] with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
What is the godly intended profit to us? “And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” To be mentally distracted and full of anxiety, and, the peace of God which passes understanding are polar opposites as well.
Beloved, we should cast our cares upon Him and allow our Father to fulfill His Word. He delights in our prayers. The Lord taught that prayer and believing absolutely work. Don’t be full of anxiety and mentally preoccupied with worldly cares; in everything ask in prayer, believing, and you shall receive.