Instruments of Sanctification, Part 2 | Sunday, October 24, 2021

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6–7)

Why the less you pray, the more anxious you will be—and how God's command to "be anxious for nothing" comes with the means to obey it.

What Is Keeping You Up at Night?

Let me begin by asking a simple question: what is keeping you up at night? There is a very good possibility you have an answer right now. People are fairly anxious these days. You may be burdened by concerns and problems—those issues at work you tried to leave on Friday and that are waiting for you tomorrow, a difficult meeting this week, test results from a blood test or biopsy, a loved one going through an illness. Add to that all the swirling things with COVID, government restrictions, and mandates, and anxiety for many people is at an all-time high.

But Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on." He goes on in Matthew 6:31 to say not to worry about food, drink, or clothing, because "after all these things the Gentiles seek." Unbelievers—those who don't know God—are weighed down by these daily concerns. But your heavenly Father knows the things you have need of, so don't be anxious.

It is not only the word of Jesus. Paul wrote in Philippians 4, "Be anxious for nothing." I would love to live a life that follows those orders—the command of Jesus and the command of Paul—a life without worry, fear, dread, or anxiety. And I want to encourage you with this: God never commands what He does not also enable. Let me say it again—God never commands what He does not also enable.

In Training Camp: The Gap Between Justified and Glorified

That is one of the things we have been talking about over the last several weeks in this series, "The Disciplines of a Disciple." We are talking about the equipment and the help God has given to make it more likely we will succeed in working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. God saved you and called you to a new life in Christ, and He desires that you grow and be transformed more and more into the likeness of His Son.

Paul wrote in Romans 8:29, "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son." That is God's determined plan for you. He is working in you to desire and to do the things that are pleasing to Him, and we can be confident that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.

But we have a part to play in this work. Just before Philippians 2:13—"it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure"—Paul says in verse 12, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." So if you are a Christian, you are in a kind of training camp. The moment you believed in Jesus you were justified; the penalty for your sin was dealt with, and He clothed you in His own righteousness. And because of that, you have the promise that He will glorify you when you come into His presence. As 1 Corinthians 15 says, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, this corruption will put on incorruption.

We are in the gap between justified and glorified—and here in this gap is the time of sanctification, the time of transformation. God is working in us, but He has a work for us to do as well. I come back to Philippians 2:12–13 so often, and I would hope you might even commit it to memory.

The Helper and the Fruit of the Spirit

The Lord has not left us without help in this salvation workout. He has given us the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our helper, guiding us in all truth, calling us to walk in the Spirit so we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Paul says in Galatians 5:16–17, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another."

The Holy Spirit also empowers us. Jesus said in Acts 1:8, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me." As the Spirit works in us, He brings about growth unto maturity, and we see the manifestation of His power—what Paul called the fruit of the Spirit. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22–23). These are the evidences, both to me and to the people around me, that God is at work in my life.

Anxiety, the Storm, and a Second Tool

I come back to that simple question—what is keeping you up at night?—because in my conversations with people, both those who go to church and those who don't, I know the last 19 months have brought anxieties, fears, and stress to the surface. Friends of mine who are professional counselors tell me anxiety has risen dramatically. If I am honest, I have had nights where it is hard to sleep because I cannot turn my brain off—thinking about our church, our families, the economy, our political process, and all the craziness in the world.

Yet Jesus said do not worry, Paul said be anxious for nothing, and the fruit of the Spirit is peace and self-control. As a disciple, my life should be increasingly characterized by peace. I am reminded of the story in the Gospels where Jesus told His disciples to get in the boat and cross the Sea of Galilee, and He fell asleep. A great storm arose, and the terrified disciples woke Him, asking, "Don't You even care that we are about to die?" He was at rest in the midst of the storm. Jesus told us in John 16, "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." In Him we may have peace.

So how do I work this aspect of salvation into my life? We have the help of the Holy Spirit, and we have the first tool we discussed last time—the Word of God, the Scriptures. Today we move to the second tool. And the reason I asked what is keeping you up at night is this: if something is weighing on you, if you are worried, anxious, or fretting, it is an indication that you need to employ this tool.

Be Anxious for Nothing—But in Everything by Prayer

The fruit of the Spirit is a barometer. If you are lacking peace, joy, love, self-control, faithfulness, or gentleness, it indicates something is out of whack. So turn to Philippians 4. Beginning at verse 4, Paul says, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand." Then put a star next to verses 6 and 7: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Circle that word prayer.

These words from Paul are inspired by God. As we said last week, 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, that the man or woman of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. The good work God wants you to walk in is peace—rest even in the midst of the storm. If you are not at peace right now, the Word is correcting you. And the correction is clear: pray.

The Cost of Anxiety and the Inverse of Prayer

"Be anxious for nothing" is a command, and it is one I fail to obey frequently. What is ironic is that we Americans living at this moment have about the least reason for anxiety of anyone in human history, yet we still find things to freak out about. As Pastor Mark would say, we mortgage anxiety—we go looking for it.

But anxiety is not good for us. It is linked to headaches, stomachaches and GI problems, breathing problems, a pounding heart, panic attacks, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, and increased blood pressure—all connected in scientific research to stress and anxiety. The Scriptures were right when they said, "Do not fret—it only causes harm" (Psalm 37:8). God, who created you, knows it is not good for you, so He commands you not to worry.

Last week I gave you an oversimplification that is not actually an oversimplification: your spiritual health is proportionally related to your intake of God's Word. Here is another one for this week: your anxiety and worry are inversely related to how much you pray. The less you pray, the more anxious you will be; the more you pray, the less anxious you will be. It is as simple as that, and I promise you it is not really an oversimplification—have you tried it? The peace of God is a byproduct of prayer. And if you are not praying, you are going to be anxious.

The Benefits of Prayer

As I considered this, I wrote down a number of the benefits of prayer. Prayer helps you develop a closer walk and relationship with God. It helps you grow in your understanding of God and how He works. It provides answers to our questions and solutions to our problems. It invites God's provision of the things we need and even the things we desire. It helps us find wisdom and direction. It provides strength against temptation. It helps us align our will with God's will. It invites God's power. It can bring healing and miracles. And it helps us be refined and become more Christ-like.

I read a quote years ago—probably from E. M. Bounds or D. L. Moody—that sums it up: "Where prayer is focused, power falls." When you focus your attention with prayer, you begin to see God's power at work in your life.

What Is Prayer, and Why Does It Work?

Setting this theological basis raises questions: What is prayer? Why does it work? What kinds of prayer are there? How do I pray? And when should I pray?

First, what is prayer? Simply put, prayer is talking to God. People have been a praying people for as long as we can see back into human history. When we pray, we talk to God and trust that He hears us.

Second, why does prayer work? Prayer works because God exists, and not only does He exist, but He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. The author of Hebrews wrote, "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Jesus said, "Ask, seek, and knock." John wrote in 1 John 5:14, "This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." Prayer works because God hears our prayers.

What Kinds of Prayer Are There?

The word prayer is the general term for talking to God, but there are different kinds, and Paul alludes to some of them in Philippians 4:6. He uses the general word prayer, then names specifics.

Supplication is asking for God's provision and supply—bringing your needs and desires to God, just as your children bring their wants to you. Thanksgiving is expressing your gratitude to God; when He answers, you go back and thank Him. This is one area we often forget. Praise or adoration is giving glory to God, worshiping Him. Intercession is praying for or on behalf of other people—every week we receive prayer cards, and we have people who intercede for those requests. Confession is acknowledging your failures and sin before God, perhaps saying, "Lord, my impatience with my spouse was sin." And repentance is turning away from your sin and asking for God's forgiveness. You could find lists of seven, nine, or more kinds of prayer, but these capture the heart of it.

How Do I Pray?

"Lord, teach us to pray" is the right and proper question for a disciple. In Luke 11:1, after Jesus had been praying in a certain place, one of His disciples said, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." Jesus desires that we pray, and He teaches us how. He answered, "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" (Luke 11:2–4).

This is both a model prayer—one you can and perhaps should pray from time to time—and a model for how to pray. I know some Protestant Christians get weirded out by praying it, fearing vain repetition, but I don't think that is what Jesus warned against. As a model for prayer, it approaches God in reverence and adoration ("hallowed be Your name"), aligns our will with His ("Your will be done"), asks for His daily provision ("give us this day our daily bread"), seeks His forgiveness, asks His empowering for us to forgive others, and asks for deliverance from temptation and evil.

This prayer also follows the simple ACTS model: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Start with adoration and praise—"You're so good, awesome, glorious, majestic." Then confession—"Lord, I was impatient with that coworker; I lost my cool and had no self-control." Then thanksgiving—"Thank You for Your grace, Your mercy, Your forgiveness." Then supplication—"Help me be gracious, forgiving, and kind; give me Your patience and self-control." This does not have to be a five-hour event. You can employ the ACTS model anytime, anywhere.

When Should I Pray?

The Bible doesn't give one explicit standard, but we have examples. Jesus prayed regularly—at night, in the morning, and throughout the day. Daniel prayed three times a day. Many Christians pray before meals, which is a good tradition. The psalmist exemplified a routine: "O Lord, in the morning You will hear my voice" (Psalm 5), and also prayed in the night season as he lay on his bed. Paul called us to pray always, telling the Philippians, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you"—every time they came to mind, he offered a prayer, praying without ceasing.

So when should we pray? Anytime. All the time. Every time you have an issue, a problem, a need, or a want. Prayer should be a regular and consistent part of your life as a believer—because where prayer is focused, power falls, and your experience of peace increases as you pray, while your anxiety increases the less you pray.

Closing Prayer

Dear God, thank You that You have given us a tool to help us gain perspective, to bring our will into alignment with Your will, to spend time with You and commune with You, and to grow in our relationship with You simply by talking with You. Because You are omniscient and omnipresent, we can trust that You hear us; because You are omni-benevolent, You love to bless and give; and because You are omnipotent, You have both the power and the desire to answer our prayers. So, Lord, hear our prayer.

I pray specifically for those who are wrestling with anxiety, fear, and doubt—those in difficult situations financially, those struggling to find the right job, those without enough time to get their work done, those who find themselves stressed and sleepless. Guard their hearts and minds in You, Jesus. Give them Your peace that surpasses understanding, and a desire to spend time with You daily. Your Word says, "Cast your cares upon Me, for I care for you," and that Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light, and that You give us rest. Draw us into adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication, and teach us, Your disciples, to pray now as You taught Your disciples 2,000 years ago.

Pour out Your Spirit upon Your church. We thank You for Your Word, which is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, able to bring sanctification and transformation in our lives. And we thank You for this tool of prayer, a direct connection to the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Creator of all things. Help us not to take for granted the treasure You have given us in prayer. For we ask this in Jesus' name, and all those who agreed said, Amen.