Shape Worry Into Prayer; Philippians

May the mumbling commence!

Today we will look at the second passage in Philippians that deals with prayer from Peterson’s The Message paraphrase.  Read it below from chapter four:

Don’t fret or worry.  Instead of worrying, pray.  Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.  Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down.  It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious – the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.  Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized.  Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. (Verses 6-9)

Petitions and praises will shape our worry into prayer.  Sometimes the moaning and groaning of the Holy Spirit helps us to express these deep things within our soul.  By petition and praise, our worry will transform into prayer.

It is indeed wonderful when worry is displaced in the center of our lives by Christ.  Praise God!

But there is more to prayer than praise and petition.  Prayer is also about meditating on the things of God.  It is about filling our minds with godly things.  What are these things?  Paul gives us a partial list – things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling and gracious.

Focus our prayer thoughts on the best we see – not the worst.  Focus our prayer thoughts on the beautiful in our world – not the ugly.  Focus our efforts to praise God and others – not to curse.

When we have such a focus, it is no wonder that peace will abound.  Everything and everyone will seem to work together.  And the differences that remain between us will be woven together into the most wonderful harmonies.

Indeed, why worry when we can pray?

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out