Click Here to Read Philippians 4:1-23

“Be cheerful with joyous celebration in every season of life.  Let your joy overflow!” (Phil. 4:4 TPT).  This statement from Paul isn’t just a suggestion to encourage us.  It is an instruction for us to obey.  Kind of like “be holy” or “do not fear” or “have faith in God”.   On thing I have learned about instruction given in the Bible: it wouldn’t be given if we didn’t have the capability to achieve it.  We may not think being cheerful with joyous celebration in every season of life is doable but the very fact that Paul instructs us to do it says that it is.  And Paul gives us some very practical applications to help us.  “Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing.  Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude.  Tell him every detail of your life.” (Phil. 4:6 TPT). 

First, we are not to be worried (some translations say, “do not be anxious”), and we are not to allow our minds to be filled with thoughts that take us down “what if” trails.  Anxiety, fear, and worry are not from God.  So, we never want to agree with them or allow them into our circumstance.  When we find ourselves entertaining such thoughts, we do what the Word of God tells us to do: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7 NKJV).  A practical application of this is to actually speak it out.  “The Word of God tells me not to fear so I will not fear.  God tells me to be anxious for nothing so I will not be anxious.”  And then confront these feelings with a promise of what God has given us: “For God has not given me a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).  And then thank Him for it.  By acknowledging and confessing what God has given to us we are empowering that which He has given us.  At the same time, if we acknowledge and confess the worry, fear, or doubt (sometimes we call this “venting”) we end up empowering that which we want to be free of.  So, it is really important that we make sure our words are always coming into agreement with the Word and promises of God.  His promises are supposed to be our reality.  If that doesn’t seem to be the case, then we can speak to our reality and command it to come into alignment with what God says.  This is where knowing the Word of God comes in handy even if we have to write scriptures out on cards and carry them with us or store them in our phone so we always have them ready.  The more we speak them out the more they will strengthen and empower us.

Second, Paul tells us to be saturated in prayer throughout the day.  I just love that.  We don’t have to save everything for that designated prayer time when we are all alone and on our knees.  We can be in prayer constantly throughout the day.  To be saturated means to fill (something or someone) with something until no more can be held or absorbed.  Prayer is a two-way communication.  When we pray our thoughts and words go up to God and He sends things back down to us.  Prayer is an exchange.  1 Peter 5:7 says to cast our anxiety on Him.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28 “Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.”  Prayer is like opening a portal to heaven.  We gain access to heaven’s resources, and we exchange our burdens for God’s peace, joy, and love.  But it isn’t just burden that we bring Him.  Paul says to tell Him every detail of our life (not because He doesn’t already know but this is how we invite Him into every part of our life), and to offer faith-filled prayers with overflowing gratitude.  But how do we make sure our prayers are filled with faith? 

In 1 Samuel 30 we find that David and his men discover that the Amalekites had invaded Ziklag, taken all their women and children captive and burned the entire city.  “Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters.  But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.” (1 Sam. 30:6 NKJV).  Then, after he strengthened himself, he inquired of God (verse 8).  I think David began to look back at all the things that God had already brought him through.  I think David began to remind himself just who his God really was.  The God of the impossible, the God who makes a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.  The God who brought all things into being, the God who has the highest power and authority there is.  The God who always was, is, and always will be.  The God who was with him when he killed the lion, and the bear, and the giant.  The God who had anointed him to be a king.  I think he began to praise God and thank Him as he brought these things to mind.  This gave him strength and faith to then inquire of God and believe that God would have a redemptive solution for him.  When we acknowledge all that God is, it fills us with faith that He will act on our behalf.  We are not praying out of desperation but out of confidence and gratitude because of who God is.  We recall what He has done before in our own lives and know that He can do it again.  We go to the Word and read about Gideon and his army of 300 (Judges 6-8), Joshua and the walls of Jericho (Joshua 6), Elijah versus the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:20-40), Jesus and his ministry destroying the works of the devil (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), the early church and the miraculous acts of the apostles (Acts).  We strengthen ourselves in the Lord our God!  He is the same God now for us as He was then for them!

“Keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind.  And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always.” (Phil. 4:8 TPT).  These are the things we are to fill our minds with.  We must choose to fill our minds with these things.  Sometimes when we feel anxious or worried it might be good to ask ourselves what we have been filling our minds with?  Not necessarily that we have been filling our minds with worry, but have we been feeding on things that are just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, praiseworthy?  The New King James Version translation says to meditate on these things.  You know that old saying, “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop”?  The more time we spend filling our minds with the things of God the less room there will be for worry and fear to work.  If we will choose to meditate on these things, “the God of peace will be with you in all things.” (Phil. 4:9 TPT).  Personally, I have three go-to options I give myself for this: Jesus, praise, and the Word.

Do you remember that old worship song, “turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace”?  Well, that is exactly what I do.  I just close my eyes and I think of Jesus, standing right in front of me.  I try to focus on his face, on his compassion, his love, his kindness.  Sometimes I talk to him, sometimes he talks to me.  I have taken to turning my attention to Jesus when I go to sleep at night.  If you have trouble sleeping, try that.  Not only will you go to sleep in perfect peace, but it sets you up for some pretty cool dreams.  Other times I will just turn on worship music.  I am a worshiper.  When I get to heaven you will find me front and center with all the worshipers just praising Jesus.  There are so many great worship songs that are written right out of scripture, so it makes them that much more powerful.  This helps me to stay in constant prayer and thankfulness because I’m singing to Him songs that speak of His goodness, His power, and His love.  And the Word; now I don’t always have a lot of time to sit down and read.  But I have all day to listen.  I use a Bible App on my phone and just absorb whatever I can while I work, clean, do the laundry, drive, etc.  If you ever don’t know what to start with, Psalms pretty much touches every emotion or struggle you can face and offers encouragement in all of them.  Proverbs is great for gaining wisdom.  The gospels are always good because its all about Jesus.  I like Genesis myself, the beginning of it all.  This isn’t so much about studying (which we should set aside time for), but just to fill our minds with more of God, with truth, and it feeds and nourishes our spirit. 

 This is how Paul was able to say “I’m trained in the secret of overcoming all things, whether in fullness or in hunger.  And I find that the strength of Christ’s explosive power infuses me to conquer every difficulty.” (Phil. 4:12-13 TPT).  We are not at the mercy of our circumstances.  But we do have to choose to partner with God in what we say, what we think, and what we do so that Christ’s strength can empower us to overcome and conquer.  “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” (2 Cor. 10-4-6 NKJV).  What are our weapons?  Just going from what we have covered here: the Word of God, prayer, praise, thankfulness, faith, and obedience.  And Paul says with confidence, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19 NKJV).  Notice he says according to His riches in glory.  His riches are limitless, His resources are limitless, He can do more than we could ever think or imagine (Ephesians 3:20 NIV), so if we can imagine it, it is not impossible for our God.

Let’s pray.

Father, we just acknowledge Your greatness; that you are the Creator of all things, God over all the heavens and the earth with the highest authority and most supreme power.  Nothing is impossible for You.  We thank you for your Word that you have given us to instruct us, inspire us, encourage us, and to help us to know You.  We thank you for your goodness that has followed us, for your blessings over our lives, for the destiny that you have given to each and every one of us.  You have equipped us with all that we need to fulfill everything you have purposed in our lives.  Sometimes we may get knocked down and discouraged but you have given us the tools to stay connected to You so that we can get back up and keep moving forward.  In our weakness we get to walk in Your strength.  In our weariness we find rest in you.  In the midst of chaos and disorder we can have perfect peace.  In all things we will rejoice, we will be cheerful with joyous celebration, because you are our Father, our Savior, our Keeper, our Defender; You are our God.  Amen.