While under house arrest, Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians. The apostle could receive visitors but couldn’t travel. Despite living in a home, Paul was more than likely chained to a Roman soldier 24 hours a day. Moreover, because he knew that a trial was years away, these were his living conditions for the foreseeable future—perhaps for the rest of his life.
Under such circumstances, Paul might have thought to ask the Lord to release him. After all, God had called him to preach, to disciple believers, and to reach the Gentiles. But he was stuck in Rome, unable to plant new churches or visit those whom he was nurturing by letter. Besides being unjust, the imprisonment was keeping him from important work. Surely, if anyone had a right to gripe, it was Paul, who had endured persecution, shipwreck, and beatings for the gospel. Yet he never once complained. His letter to the church at Philippi is filled with rejoicing, as focusing on God let him live above his circumstances (Phil. 4:8).
The more we talk and complain about a situation, the worse it looks, until the problem looms larger in our mind than our faith does. Conversely, carrying challenges straight to God keeps matters in perspective. The Lord is bigger than any hardship. On His strength, we rise above the difficulty.
Problems can look so big and unwieldy that they distort our perspective. God invites us to live above our circumstances by fastening our eyes on Him. The trials of this life shrink when compared to our loving, powerful Lord, who exercises His might in defense of His people.
In today’s passage, Jesus connects two important concepts: prayer and faith. And we know from other scriptures that unless our prayers are united with faith, we shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6-7). But what is the basis for our faith? Are we to believe that God will give us whatever we ask?
Jesus began by saying, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). This is the foundation for prayer—trust in the Lord. If our requests are incompatible with His teachings, we have no reason to believe He’ll answer. Nor should we expect to receive if the motive is our own pleasure (James 4:3). As Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane demonstrates, ultimate trust in God says, “Yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
First John 5:14-15 tells us we can count on God answering requests prayed according to His will. Our prayers should, therefore, be anchored to Scripture because apart from the Bible, we don’t know His will. But as we fill our minds with God’s Word, our desires and requests begin to align with His. When that’s the case, we can confidently expect to receive whatever we ask. And in those instances when we’re not sure of His will, the Spirit intercedes for us (Rom. 8:27). Even the obstacles in our life are no problem for the Lord. Nothing in harmony with His purpose will be impossible for us.
God doesn’t turn a deaf ear to the supplication of His children. As a loving heavenly Father, He protects, provides, guides, and cares for us. He has proven His love by sending His Son. Surely we can trust Him with all our other concerns.
I remember once watching a mother and marveling at her mastery in handling several energetic young children. It was an amazing sight. In the midst of a whirlwind of activity, this seasoned pro intuitively met the needs of her kids. A meal was served, spills were averted, noses were wiped, shoelaces were tied, hugs were distributed—all at the same time! Clearly, such a parent knows the needs of her family, even when the children cannot express them.
Sometimes it is difficult for us to think of ourselves as children. When we see little ones running around, always needing something from us, we cannot imagine that we often look and act the same way, only in grown-up bodies. Fortunately, we also have a Parent who already knows our needs. And yet we frequently act as though we must explain every detail of our problems to the Lord so He can get a more accurate view of how to provide for us.
Isn’t it strange? If you asked most Christians whether they thought God was all-knowing, they would respond, “Of course!” However, if you could listen in when they pray, you would probably often discover long, complicated explanations of why they need His help.
God does want you to talk with Him about what is on your heart. But at the same time, remember that “your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matt. 6:8). Therefore, do not spend all of your prayer time repeating yourself or explaining everything in unnecessary detail to God. For a change, simply ask Him to speak to your listening heart. Remember, He’s already got the answer. Give Him the opportunity to share it with you.
In the Bible, light is equated with good. For instance, Jesus called Himself light—He said, “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness” (John 12:46).
In contrast, the world we live in is dark (John 3:19). However, once we trust Jesus as our Savior, He lives within us through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Therefore, when we’re saved, we have the light with us (John 8:12).
Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He instructed His followers to “make disciples of all the nations” (Matt. 28:19-20). This charge, known as the Great Commission, still applies. In other words, Christians must carry the light to a dark world. But how do we do this? Here are three ways.
• God will send some of us abroad to share the truth of Jesus Christ. There are people in other countries who have never heard how to receive salvation, and we can go as missionaries to tell them.
• The Father also calls Christians to spread the good news of the gospel right where they are—in their neighborhoods, families, and workplaces.
• The Lord asks His followers to give of the resources He’s provided—whether money, talents, or gifts—so His message of salvation can be shared with the world.
Are you willing to tell others about Jesus in whatever way the Lord has in mind? Ask God how He would like you to shine His light into the world. Then be available and obedient to carry out His plan.
People fret over all kinds of issues, from safety and job security to election results. For many folks—and maybe you are one—anxiety is woven so tightly into the fabric of their day that they’ve learned to live with it.
We treat worry like a benign emotion when in fact it can be harmful. Anxiety clouds our thinking, divides our focus, and robs us of concentration. To complicate matters, the body can react to prolonged pressure on the psyche. Stress can manifest physically through tension headaches, elevated blood pressure, and even heart attacks.
Drifting through an exhausting life is not the Lord’s plan for us. Our challenge is to take anxious thoughts captive (2 Cor. 10:5) and replace them with God-pleasing ones by dwelling on that which is pure, good, and right.
The best way to remove stray threads of worry is to crowd them out with something positive. We do this by weaving Scripture into our mental grid instead. God has something to say about everything that concerns us. If we’re feeling weak or underqualified, Philippians 4:13 assures us we “can do all things through Him who strengthens [us].” If we fear the paycheck won’t cover this month’s expenses, Matthew 6:31-32 reminds us not to be anxious, “for [our] heavenly Father knows that [we] need all these things.”
Jesus said worry adds nothing to our life (Matt. 6:27). In fact, we actually waste time and energy dwelling on concerns instead of affirming our trust in the Lord. We must choose to set our minds upon Him before anxiety leaves us feeling frayed.
