Prayer, Anxiety, and Thanks

Introduction

The Bible is many things. It relates history but it is not a history book. It contains poetry but it is not a book of poems. It refers to science but it is not a science book. It talks about the mind but it is not a psychology book. However, the God who inspired the Bible knows all history and the future. God knows the science that we have discovered and that we have not. God created the mind and he knows how it works. It should not come as a surprise then that elements of all these areas appear in the Bible and when they do appear we should pay close attention to the creator who knows these things more intimately than we ever will.

There are five traits that compose personality. One of those traits is neuroticism. Think of this on a spectrum from 1-100. Neuroticism is a personality trait characterized by sadness, moodiness, and emotional instability. Individuals who are high in neuroticism tend to experience mood swings, anxiety, irritability, and sadness. Those low in this personality trait tend to be more stable and emotionally resilient. To put it in simple terms, the higher a person scores on the trait of neuroticism the more emotionally volatile they will be and those who score lower tend to be more relaxed. High neuroticism leads to higher rates of depression and anxiety. Lower neuroticism leads to lower rates of depression and anxiety.

Whether one scores high or low on this scale, the expectations are the same. A person with high neuroticism would expect others to join them in their heightened emotions while those who are low would expect others to join them in being relaxed. Unmet expectations leads to disillusionment. In other words, a rejection of another because they did not join them in their preferred emotional state. Women tend to be higher on the neuroticism scale than men. Is it any wonder that couples struggle at times because of this difference. None of this means that one cannot change or at times one moves away from their preferred emotional state. A person low in this trait can become anxious and a person high in this trait can become relaxed.

What does this have to do with the Bible? Our text today is Philippians 4:4-9. There is no doubt that Paul knew little about the field we call psychology but the God who made us certainly does and he inspired Paul to write about something that can help us when we are feeling anxious, angry, worried, or sad. Our God knew that a psychology view would develop and in his wisdom he provides for ways to deal with such things. What does that tell you about God? This blows my mind. He is amazing and worthy of our praise.

Praying with Intent

Having encouraged two women to get along and for the church to spend time helping them to do so, Paul turns his attention to a series of commands. At first we may think these have nothing to do with what he just wrote, but that assumption would be false. Tension within the body of Christ brings a number of emotions not least of which would be anxiety. So Paul instructs the readers to rejoice. Hard to rejoice when there is tension between two highly valued members in the body. Perhaps that is why Paul tells them to rejoice. Rejoicing comes as a result of recognizing that God is near.

Paul either means God is near to them now or God’s return is coming soon. Either one is possible although my sense is the latter. I base that on the language of the first chapter in which Paul wants to go be with God but he must remain in the body a while longer. He knows going to be with God will happen soon. The language of chapter 3 suggests that Paul is heading toward his time with God. Let’s not get into a dispute about which meaning is better. Suffice it to say it could be either one and we can still get along.

When there is tension between two that is creating tension in the body, there naturally follows anxiety. Emotions are revved up. We aren’t surprised by this, but we don’t like it either. You don’t like when it is happening in your family and we don’t like it when it is happening in God’s family. Just a quick side note. I have heard people say that they don’t want tension in their church family and they will leave when it happens. Is that the way you deal with tension in your own family? Let’s not hold our church family to a higher standard than we do our own family. If you expect perfection in your church family, you will be disappointed. Sooner or later someone in your church family will hurt you, disappoint you, or fail you. And you will do the same. Imperfect people can only create imperfect relationships.

So Paul tells them to substitute the anxiety with prayer. Not just any kind of praying will do. Pray with requests but bathe it all in thanksgiving. Anxiety usually means there is the absence of peace. If you want peace, then pray about your anxiety and be sure to bathe your prayer in gratitude. Practically, that means give thanks in your prayer as you pray through your anxiety. How is that done? Here is how I think it might sound in Philippi—“Lord, thank you for Euodia and Syntyche. Both of these women love you and want to honor you. Both of these women belong to you. I want what is best for them. Would you bring healing and let me be a vessel of peace while all of this unfolds. I am thankful to be a part of a place where we can learn how to forgive, deal with disagreement, and still together love you.”

Now I don’t know how accurate that is, but I think it covers what Paul has in mind. You pray like that over your own anxiety and let’s see if God’s peace comes. Prove it. Don’t pray in anxiety. Pray in thanks. Praying in anxiety sounds like this—“Lord, it’s terrible what’s going on. You need to do something or we are going to split. I can’t rest or sleep. Give me rest.”

What are you doing? You are praying your emotions. Nothing wrong with that except Paul says you forgot to be thankful and filled with joy. Count your blessings during trial instead of focusing on what you don’t have. In fact, Paul goes on in verse 8 to reveal how we pray without anxiety. Focus on the true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy. This clearly says we get to choose what we focus on. Focus on your anxiety and you will become more anxious. Focus on trying to get rid of your anxiety and you will become more anxious. Substitute thoughts of anxiety with praise and you will find peace. Is it a formula?

Implications

You remember I started off talking about the personality trait of neuroticism. Lots of studies done about all five personality traits. Individuals high in neuroticism tend to think negatively about life and events. Such negative thinking increases their risk of developing depression and anxiety. Paul was not a psychologist but the Holy Spirit who inspired his writing understands how people think. You can’t tell a person to be less anxious and that be sufficient to diminish anxiety. It would be similar to telling people to not think about pink elephants dancing in tutus. The more you tell yourself you can’t be anxious the more your anxiety will increase.

So shift your thinking. Start with gratitude and thankfulness. Make the thankfulness bigger. Praying with thankfulness and anxiety cannot coexist. Anxiety makes us think this is too simplistic. Have you tried it? Praying with thanksgiving, focusing on the things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy.

Here’s the bigger implication—God knows what you need. Look at the text. In verse 7, praying this way will bring peace from God. Look at verse 9, praying this way will bring God whose nature is peace to you. What does that mean? Praying with joy and thanksgiving even as you make your requests not only brings you peace but opens your heart so that God himself whose very nature is peace can come and reside in you. How do I know this is true? Galatians 5:22. If you live by the Spirit (and learning to pray this way is living by the Spirit), the Spirit will produce in you among other things—joy and peace. That’s God living in you giving you peace and creating peace.

Whatever your anxiety level, God has supplied a way for us to deal with that anxiety. Pray with joy; pray with thankfulness; pray while concentrating on the good rather than the anxiety. Don’t dig your heels in with thoughts like—you don’t know what I’m dealing with. That is true, but God does and he had Paul write this down for a people in Philippi and for you now. This blows my mind. He knows what will help. Why not try it? It will take effort. It will take time. It doesn’t mean the circumstance has changed. What has changed is your view of the circumstance. God is bigger than your anxiety. Prayer.

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