|
| |
[Index]
[Previous] [Next]
4:6 Be
anxious
(2PPAM) for
nothing, but in
everything by
prayer and
supplication
with
thanksgiving
let your
requests be
made
known
(3SPPM)
to
God
Commentaries linked
to verse:
Barnes
Calvin
Clarke
Guzik Eadie
Evangelical
Commentary
Henry Jamieson,
Fausset, Brown
KJV
Commentary
Lightfoot
J
Vernon McGee
Pulpit Commentary A
T Robertson Word Pictures
Vine |
Greek:
meden
merimnate, (2PPAM)
all'
en
panti
te
proseuche
kai
te
deesei
meta
eucharistias
ta
aitemata
humon
gnorizestho (3SPPM)
pros
ton
theon
Phillips:
Don't worry over anything whatever; tell God
every detail of your needs in earnest and thankful prayer,
Young's
Literal: for nothing be anxious, but in everything by prayer,
and by supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made
known unto God;
Wuest: Stop
worrying about even one thing, but in everything by prayer whose
essence is that of worship and devotion and by supplication which is a
cry for your personal needs, with thanksgiving let your requests for
the things asked for be made known in the presence of God,
Lightfoot:
Entertain no anxious cares, but throw them all upon God. By your
prayer and your supplication make your every want known to him.
Amplified: Do not fret or have any
anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything,
by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving,
continue to make your wants known to God. |
|
|
|
|
BE ANXIOUS
FOR NOTHING: merimnate (2PPAM) meden:
(Daniel
3:16;
Matthew 6:25-33;
10:19;
13:22;
Luke 10:41;
12:29;
1Co7:21,32;
1Pe5:7) (See John Macarthur's
exposition on
Php4:5-7 &
Php4:6-8)
"Be anxious"
is a present tense imperative calling for a lifestyle in which one
makes the daily (yea, even moment by moment) choice (active voice
calls for a decision of one's will) empowered, controlled, nudged and
stimulated by the Holy Spirit [e.g.,
Ro8:13] and enabled by God's grace [Php
2:13]) to not be anxious in circumstances that would
otherwise be expected to produce anxiety in any natural man or woman
(we are natural people with a supernatural power which the world needs
to see worked out in real life situations!)
"Be
anxious" (Verb form
merimnao from the noun mérimna =
anxious care in turn from merís = part and merizo
= to divide or draw different directions - which is exactly what
anxiety does to most of us!) means to have an anxious concern, based
on apprehension about possible danger or misfortune and is
characterized by extreme uneasiness of mind or brooding fear about
some contingency and emphasizes
fear of frustration, failure or disappointment. Worry means to
be pulled in different directions. Our hopes pull us in one direction;
our fears pull us the opposite direction; and we are pulled apart! The English word "anxious"
has a very "telling" derivation from the Latin word Latin anxius
which is akin to Latin angere which means to strangle!
Isn't that what anxiety does to most of us...strangle us and render us
almost totally ineffective in God's kingdom work?!
Wiersbe comments that "From the
spiritual point of view, worry is wrong thinking (the
mind) and wrong feeling (the heart) about circumstances,
people, and things. Worry is the greatest thief of joy.
It is not enough for us, however, to tell ourselves to “quit worrying”
because that will never capture the thief. Worry is an “inside
job,” and it takes more than good intentions to get the victory. The
antidote to worry is the secure mind: “And the peace of
God... shall keep [garrison, guard like a soldier] your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). When you have the
secure mind, the peace of God guards you (Phil. 4:7) and the
God of peace guides you (Phil. 4:9). With that kind of
protection—why worry?"
The NT realizes that life is swayed by care.
Concern is unavoidable but it is given a new orientation. Liberation
from it comes as one casts it upon God. How do we "cast" our burdens
upon God? Somewhat paradoxically by continually making our anxieties
known to Him Who already knows all -- it seems that even though God
obviously knows, our very act of declaring our prayers & needs to Him
is a humbling of one's self beneath His mighty hand...His hand which
lifts up the brokenhearted (Ps34:18), the downcast...see gnorizo
below.
Prayer grants freedom from care, no matter how He answers...He hears
all & He always answers in His will in a way that causes all things to
work together for good, for our growth & ultimately for His glory.
Hallelujah. What an awesome all-wise God we worship.
Spurgeon wrote "There is no more blessed way of living than a life of
dependence upon a covenant-keeping God. We have no care, for he careth
for us; we have no troubles, because we cast our burdens upon the
Lord."
Edward Everett Hale (1822-1909), former US Senate chaplain, said,
"Never attempt to bear more than one kind of trouble at once. Some
people bear three kinds--all they have had, all they have now, and all
they expect to have."
"Nothing"
is the Greek word medeis which literally means "not even ONE thing"! And not surprisingly this phrase is
first in the Greek construction for emphasis...let us lay hold of the
Father's will (NOT ONE THING) by the Spirit's power through the grace
in Jesus Christ that flows from His throne.
"Careful for nothing, prayerful for everything, thankful for anything".
Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
|
Fretting Is A
Waste
(Our
Daily Bread)
See also pamphlet "What
Can I Do With My Worry?" |
|
Fret
(derived from an Old English word fretan meaning
"to eat") means to affect something as if by gnawing
or biting, to cause to suffer emotional strain, to become
vexed or worried, (of a road surface) to become loose so
that potholes develop (think about that definition as a
word pix of what happens to the one who frets and
worries); a state of irritation or anxiety. To corrode,
rub, chafe, fray, vex, agitate, ripple, grate, stew, fume,
brood, eat one's heart out, agonize, anguish, lose
sleep over, obsess about, upset or distress oneself,
worry, erode, gall, wear, wear away, annoy, bother,
disturb, chagrin, goad, grieve, harass, irk, irritate,
nag, nettle, provoke, rankle with, rile, ruffle, torment,
trouble. Whew!!! "Cease
from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not
fret,
it leads only to evildoing."
(Ps37:8) |
The older we get, the
shorter life seems. Author Victor Hugo said, "Short as life is,
we make it still shorter by the careless waste of time." There's
no sadder example of wasted time than a life dominated by
fretting. Take, for example, an American woman whose dream of
riding a train through the English countryside came true. After
boarding the train she kept fretting about the windows and the
temperature, complaining about her seat assignment, rearranging
her luggage, and so on. To her shock, she suddenly reached her
journey's end. With deep regret she said to the person meeting
her, "If I'd known I was going to arrive so soon, I wouldn't
have wasted my time fretting so much." It's easy to get
sidetracked by problems that won't matter at life's
end—difficult neighbors, a tight budget, signs of aging, people
who are wealthier than you. Moses acknowledged the brevity of
life and prayed, "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain
a heart of wisdom" (Psalm
90:12). Instead of fretting, feed on God's Word and
apply it to yourself. Strive to grow in God's wisdom every day.
Stay focused on eternal values. Make it your goal to greet your
waiting Savior one day with a heart of wisdom, rather than a
heart of care. —Joanie Yoder
Day by day and with
each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear. —Berg
Worry casts a big
shadow behind a small thing.
|
BUT IN
EVERYTHING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION:
all en panti te proseuche kai
te deesei : (Genesis
32:7-12;
1 Sa1:15;
30:6;
2 Chr32:20;
33:12,13;
Ps34:5-7;
51:15;
Ps55:17,22;
62:8;
Pr3:5,6;
16:3;
Jer33:3;
Mt:7,8;
Luke 18:1,7;
Lu12:22;
Eph6:18;
Col4:2;
1 Th5:17,18;
1 Pe 4:7;
Jude20,21) (See John Macarthur's
exposition on
Php4:5-7 &
Php4:6-8 and
4:6b-7Thankful Prayer)
"Prayer"
(proseuche) refers to prayers to God and conveys the
ideas of adoration, devotion, and worship. Paul's point then is the
first priority when we find ourselves worrying, should be to get alone
with God to adore Him, focusing on His greatness and majesty.
Then the God Who may have seemed to "small" or too "indifferent" to
our plight, begins to be envisioned as big enough to handle all of our
problems. If you are like me, too often we rush into His presence,
blurting out our needs, when we should be adoringly approaching His
throne of grace with a sense of deepest reverence. And so the first
thing Paul instructs the saint to do in prayer is focus on God's
character. A fruitful discipline is to praise Him for His many names (click
here) or His changeless attributes (click
here). (See the note below on "Like a River Glorious")
Prayer
= to look at the character of God. Supplication = specific requests.
Thanksgiving = our attitude (1Th5:18) What is the result of seeing His
character, specifically asking Him & finally giving thanks for your
circumstances? PEACE! (4:7) When we begin to become anxious (knowing
that anxiety often causes FEAR), we are to go to God in prayer &
supplication with thankful hearts.
We are to worry about
nothing because we can pray about everything.
"Supplication"
(deesis) refers to prayers from a perspective of NEED.
We are all paupers and in need of His daily grace: Give us this day
our daily bread!
WITH
THANKSGIVING LET YOUR
REQUESTS BE MADE
KNOWN TO GOD:
meta
eucharistias
ta aitemata
humonon gnorizestho
(3SPPM) pros ton theon:
(1 Sa7:12;
2 Co1:11;
Ep5:20;
Col3:15,17) (Spurgeon
on Prayer Perfumed with Praise) (Pr15:8;
Song2:14;
Mt6:8)
"Thanksgiving"
(eucharista) implies gratitude and also perfect submission to the will of God. It
is only when we are fully convinced that God is working all things
together for good that we can really give to Him the perfect gratitude
which believing prayer demands.
Ps55:22 FLING YOURSELF ON JEHOVAH. He will
take it BUT we must cast it. BURDEN: Whatever the Lord allows in your
life, people, circumstances, conditions. That which causes us to give
up on ourselves.
"Be
made known" (gnorizo)
is a command (imperative) in the present tense (continually do this,
make it the habit of your life). In other words keep praying and don't
lose heart. Jesus gave a similar exhortation to His disciples "telling
them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to
lose heart" (read the parable in
Luke 18:1-6)
|
|
4:7 And the
peace of
God, which
surpasses (PAPFSN)
all
comprehension, will
guard (3SFAI)
your
hearts and your
minds in
Christ
Jesus
Commentaries linked
to verse:
Barnes
Calvin
Clarke
Guzik
Eadie
Evangelical
Commentary
Henry Jamieson,
Fausset, Brown
KJV
Commentary
Lightfoot
J
Vernon McGee
Pulpit Commentary A
T Robertson Word Pictures
Vine |
Greek:
kai
e
eirene
tou
theou
e
huperechousa (PAPFSN)
panta
noun
phrouresei (3SFAI)
tas
kardias
humon
kai
ta
noemata
humon
en
Christo
Iesou
Phillips:
and the peace of God which transcends human understanding, will keep
constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ
Jesus.
Young's
Literal: and the peace of God, that is surpassing all
understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ
Jesus.
Wuest: and the peace of God which surpasses all power of comprehension
shall mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Lightfoot: If you do this, then the peace of God, far more
effective than any forethought or contrivance of man, will keep watch
over your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
Amplified: And God’s peace
[shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its
salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being
content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace]
which transcends all understanding shall dgarrison and mount guard
over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. |
|
|
AND THE
PEACE OF GOD: kai e eirene tou theou: (1:2;
Nu6:26;
Job 22:21;
34:29;
Ps29:11;
85:8;
Is26:3,12;
45:7;
Is48:18;
48:22;
55:11,12;
57:19-21;
Je33:6;
Lu1:79;
2:14;
Jn14:27;
16:33;
Ro1:7;
5:1;
8:6;
14:17;
15:13;
2 Co13:11;
Gal5:22;
Col 3:15;
2 Th3:16;
Heb13:20;
Re1:4) (Click
here for study of "The LORD our PEACE", Jehovah Shalom) (See John
Macarthur's exposition on
Php4:5-7 &
Php4:6-8)
When we are justified by
faith we are given peace with God (Ro5:1) Set at one again (like Eden) , opposite of war
or disturbance (before salvation or when walking in darkness we are
''at war'' with the Almighty and our peace with Him is ''disturbed''
by His Holy Spirit. Confession & Repentance brings Reconciliation &
Restoration). The peace of God is a sense of holy repose and
complacency which floods the soul of the believer when he is leaning
hard upon God. Frances Ridley Havergal conveyed this truth
beautifully in the words of the hymn Like a River Glorious...
|
|
|
Stayed upon Jehovah,
Hearts are fully blessed;
Finding, as He promised,
Perfect peace and rest. |
WHICH
SURPASSES
ALL COMPREHENSION: e huperechousa (PAPFSN) panta noun: (Ep3:19;
Rev2:17)
God's peace CONTINUALLY
STANDS OUT & IS SUPERIOR & is more EXCELLING than the world's peace or
any so called peace we might be able to well up because of ''positive
thinking'' etc.
It is beyond our ability to produce it by
our own intellect.
A person whose cancer has been arrested may say, “I am so thankful to
God.” That is praise. But a person who is dying of cancer and in pain
may calmly say, “Everything is all right. The Lord doesn’t make
mistakes. I have peace in my heart.” That is “the peace that passes
all understanding.”
SHALL GUARD
YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS: phrouresei (3SFAI) tas kardias humon kai ta noemata humon en
Christo Iesou: (Neh8:10;
Pr2:11;
4:6;
6:22) (Spurgeon
on How to Guard the Heart) (1 P1:4,5;
Jude 1:1)
here it has to mean our heart & mind. Wow!
HE IS OUR PEACE (Ep2:14). This verb is derived from "pro" before and "horao"
take special note of, even to stare at, so here we have God's Peace
like a sentry staring before & keeping intruders from entering our
heart (emotional) and our mind (volitional).
The guarding of the city gate ("THE GATE OF OUR HEART") from within
(THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST INDWELLING US...guard through the Holy Spirit
the treasure...) as a CONTROL ON ALL WHO WENT IN & OUT! AWESOME
PICTURE OF CHRIST'S GUARDING...yet we still must make those
disciplined choices which lead to godliness! and God's PERFECT PEACE!
So when thoughts "knock" we must take them captive to the obedience of
Christ and "Php4:8" them so to speak (see below where Php4:8 serves as
a "filter" much like is used today in Internet search engines to
screen out the trash.)
The result of believing prayer is that the peace of God will stand
like a sentinel on guard upon our hearts. The way to peace is in
prayer to entrust ourselves and all whom we hold dear to the loving
hands of God.
Gurnall: “The peace of God is said to garrison the believer’s heart
and mind. He is surrounded with such blessed privileges that he is as
safe as one in an impregnable castle” (“Christian in Complete Armor”).
"Hearts"
(kardia) describes the center of each person from which
thoughts and affections flow. Thus the CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF GUARDING
YOUR HEART (Pr4:23). "Minds"
(noema) act of the will which issues from the heart. |
|
[Index]
[Previous] [Next]
|