“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus”. Philippians 4:6-7
Heavenly Father, “Pray more, worry less”? Apart from the Gospel, this would land on our hearts like a pragmatic formula, a pass/fail test, or a spiritualized way of saying, “Buck up, wimp.” But you don’t dole out performative formulas or shame. You give us yourself. To pray is to fellowship with you, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. It’s to enter your perpetual welcome, receive daily mercies, and get need-shaped grace. And it’s to do so with our kindest, most longsuffering, grace-dependent friends.
What do we need? Here’s a few no brainers: (1) A fresh, uncluttered view of heaven’s joyful, in-charge-and-always-on-time occupied throne (Rev.4:1-3). (2) We want to hear the Holy Spirit’s witness to our belovedness as your children, louder than any other voice, and all noise in and around us (Rm.8:16). (3) We want you to gentle, center, and fill our hearts with renewed affection for Jesus, and to experience his everything-changing, hope-giving presence in our lives.
Thank you for what you’ve done? That’s easy Father. You have given Jesus to us and for us; and you’ve given us to Jesus. He is our “righteousness, holiness, and redemption”—our active Advocate, ruling King, returning Bridegroom. Abba, you’ve done and do way beyond all we can ask or imagine.
Do we want peace-guarded hearts and minds? Yes, Abba—please … many, many times over. Our hearts remain the targets of the devil’s lies, our vain regrets, and lingering shame. And our minds seem to be better at fixating on fear than remaining fixed on Jesus—the object, author, and completer of our faith. So thank you, Abba, and So Very Amen.
