This document provides commentary on Philippians 4:6-7. It discusses what it means not to worry and instead bring everything to God in prayer with a thankful heart. It defines worry as rumination without action, while concern is solution-oriented. True prayer involves adoration, supplication, and thanksgiving. When we pray this way, allowing God's love, wisdom and power to guard our hearts and minds, we experience the peace of God that surpasses understanding.

1. Philippians 4:6
FATHERS DAY
June 17, 2012
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi USA

2. Wiersbe's Expository
Outlines on the New
Testament. Copyright ©
1992 by Chariot Victor
Publishing, an imprint of
Cook Communication Min.

3. *Barclay's Daily Study Bible
(NT)
*J. Vernon McGee's
Thru The Bible
*Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Bible Commentary

4. The MacArthur New
Testament Commentary,
Copyright © Moody Press
and John MacArthur, Jr.,
1983-2007.

5. Philippians 4:6-7
6 “Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer
and supplication with
thanksgiving let your
requests be made known

6. unto God.
7 And the peace of God,
which surpasses all
comprehension, will guard
your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:6-7

7. The Bible term "be anxious"
means literally:
"to be torn apart."

9. When the thoughts in our
mind and feelings in our
heart pull in different
directions, “we are torn
apart” and we tend to
worry. What is worry?

10. Worry is ruminating about
an issue that is plaguing us
without actually making
substantive progress in
addressing the issue. Worry
is a waste of time.

11. Concern, however, is
solution oriented.
*Concern focuses on solving
the problem, addressing the
issue.

12. Concern comes up with
options, sets priorities, and
draws conclusions.
God expects us to be
responsible and take care of
the things over which we are

13. responsible or have
influence.
That is concern.
And we should be
concerned about those
things.

14. “There is a great difference
between worry and
concern. A worried person
sees a problem, and a
concerned person solves a
problem.” Harold Stephens

15. Concern leads to action,
worry leads to depression.

16. Our English word "worry"
comes from a word that
means "to strangle” and it
certainly does strangle us
emotionally, physically and
spiritually.

19. The mind thinks about
problems, and these
feelings weigh down the
heart, creating a vicious
cycle that wrecks our
emotional & physical states.

20. Our minds tell us we should
not fret, but we often
cannot control the anxiety
in our hearts!
We have to break this circle
of worry before we can

21. enjoy peace.
What causes worry?
Wrong thinking and wrong
attitudes toward people,
circumstances, or things.

22. Notice here in chapter 4
that Paul has no worry
about people (vv. 1-5),
circumstances (vv. 10-13), or
the material things of life
(vv. 14-19).

23. Paul gives us God's four-fold
remedy for worry:
1. Harmony
2. Joy
3. Contentment
4. God-confidence

24. Remedy for Worry
1) harmony in the fellowship
2) joy in the Lord
3) contentment in
circumstances and
4) confident trust in God

25. These are the first steps on
the path to spiritual
stability (standing firm).

26. Philippians 4:6-7
“Be anxious for nothing but
in everything by prayer and
supplication with
thanksgiving…”

27. Paul seems to be making a
play upon two indefinite
pronouns: nothing and
everything.
"Worry about nothing; pray
about everything."

28. In verse 4 we were given one
of the new commandments
from God: Rejoice!
4 “Rejoice in the Lord
always; again I will say,
rejoice!”

29. *Now in verse 6 is another
commandment: Don’t worry
do pray (about everything).
* “Nothing” is the most
exclusive word in the
English language.

30. It leaves out everything.
*But the reason we are to
worry about nothing is
because we are to pray
about everything.

31. *This means that we are to
talk to the Lord about
everything in our lives.
*Nothing should be left out.
*Can you mention anything
in your life that is big to God?

32. *When we say that we take
our big problems to God,
what do we mean?

37. When a wheel comes off
your wagon, it may look like
an impossible problem to
you, but He will always hear
and answer your cry.

39. *None of our problems are
difficult for Him.
*But what we call “little
things”, He wants us to
bring those to Him also.

40. "There is nothing too great
for God's power; and
nothing too small for his
Fatherly care.”
William Barclay

42. God’s phone #Jeremiah 33:3
3“Call to Me and I will
answer you, and I will tell
you great and mighty
things, which you do not
know.”

43. As believers we need to get
in the habit of bringing
everything to Him in prayer
-- nothing excluded.
“Pray without ceasing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:17

44. Seven basic principles for
developing and maintaining
spiritual stability emerge
from Philippians chapter 4:
1)cultivating harmony in the
church fellowship,

45. 2)maintaining a spirit of joy,
3)learning to be content,
4)resting on a confident
faith in the Lord,
5)reacting to problems with
thankful prayer,

46. 6)thinking on godly virtues,
7)obeying God's standard.

47. REACTING TO PROBLEMS
WITH THANKFUL PRAYER
“but in everything by prayer
and supplication with
thanksgiving let your
requests be made known…”

49. *Spiritually stable people
constantly react to trials
with thankful prayer.
*Such prayer is the antidote
to worry and the cure for
anxiety.

50. *The three synonyms used
in v6: prayer,
supplication, and
requests –
all refer to specific, direct
offerings of petition to God.

51. Philippians 4:6a
6 “Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer
and supplication with
thanksgiving let your
requests be made known…”

52. The assumption of the text
is that believers will cry out
to God when we have a
need or a problem, not with
doubting, questioning, or
even blaming God, but with

53. thanksgiving.
“Devote yourselves to
prayer, keeping alert in it
with an attitude of
thanksgiving;”
Colossians 4:2

54. Instead of having a spirit of
rebellion against what God
allows, believers are to
trustingly “cast all our
anxiety on Him, because He
cares for us" (1 Peter 5:7).

56. When we pray, we must
always remember three
things:
2) the love of God
3) the wisdom of God
4) the power of God

57. •
The love of God always
desires what is best for
us.
•
The wisdom of God
always knows what is
best for us.

58. 3) The power of God can
always bring to pass
that which is best for us.

59. He who prays with a perfect
trust in the
love,
wisdom and
power of God
will find God's peace.

60. Believers should always be
thankful for:
God’s love (Rom 5:5)
God's power
(Ps 62:11; Rev 4:11), and for
God’s promises (2 Cor 1:20).

63. “The future is as bright as
the promises of God.”
William Carey

65. *God's promises support
the wisdom of gratitude.
*He has promised that no
trial believers face will be
too difficult for them to
handle (1 Cor 10:13).

66. 1 Corinthians 10:13
13 “No temptation has
overtaken you but such as is
common to man; and God is
faithful, who will not allow
you to be tempted beyond

67. what you are able, but with
the temptation will provide
the way of escape also, so
that you will be able to
endure it.”
1 Corinthians 10:13

68. *He has also promised to
use everything that happens
in believers' lives for our
ultimate good (Rom 8:28).
*Even suffering leads to our
ultimate good. 1 Peter 5:10

69. 10 After you have suffered
for a little while, the God of
all grace, Who called you to
His eternal glory in Christ,
will Himself perfect, confirm,
strengthen and establish you.

70. People become worried,
anxious, and fearful because
they do not trust in:
God's love,
God’s wisdom, or
God’s power.

71. *They fear that God is not
loving enough, wise
enough, or strong enough
to prevent disaster.

73. *It may be that this sinful
doubt is because their
knowledge of Him is faulty,
or that sin in their lives has
crippled their faith.

74. *Thankful prayer brings
release from fear and worry,
because it affirms God's
sovereign control over every
circumstance, and that His
purpose is the believer's

75. good (Rom 8:28).
“God causes all things to
work together for our good”

76. Worry is tension between
the mind and heart.
The peace of God will guard
(garrison) our hearts and
minds if we but meet the
conditions He gives.

77. Not just praying, but right
praying.
The Bible nowhere says that
any kind of praying will
bring peace to our hearts.
What is right praying?

78. It begins with adoration, for
this is what the word
"prayer" means in v. 6.
This is love, enjoying the
presence of God, honoring
Him in worship.

79. Rushing into His presence
and begging for peace of
mind will never get results.
We must bow before Him in
worship and let Him search
our hearts and minds.

80. Next comes supplication,
which means the earnest,
sincere desire of the heart.
True prayer comes from the
heart, not the lips.

81. What a joy it is to present
our requests to Him!
Hebrews 4:16
16 “Therefore let us draw
near with confidence to the
throne of grace, so that we

82. may receive mercy and find
grace to help in time of
need.”
Hebrews 4:16

83. Finally, there is appreciation
or thanksgiving ( Eph. 5:20
and Col. 3:15-17).

84. Colossians 3:15-17
15 “Let the peace of Christ
rule in your hearts, to
which indeed you were
called in one body; and be
thankful.

85. 16 Let the word of Christ
richly dwell within you, with
all wisdom teaching and
admonishing one another
with psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing with

86. thankfulness in your hearts
to God. 17 Whatever you do
in word or deed, do all in the
name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through Him
to God the Father. Col 3

88. It takes faith to thank Him
for uncomfortable
circumstances or for
requests not yet granted.

90. How God loves to hear His
children thank Him!
This is the way Daniel
prayed in Daniel 6:10.

92. Daniel 6:10
10 “Now when Daniel knew
that the document was
signed, he entered his house
(now in his roof chamber he
had windows open toward

93. Jerusalem); and he
continued kneeling on his
knees three times a day,
praying and giving thanks
before his God, as he had
been doing previously.”

95. No wonder he had such
peace in that lions' den!
*The lions did not want to
eat something with that
much backbone!

97. The result of believing
prayer is that the peace of
God will stand like a sentinel
on guard upon our hearts.

99. Philippians 4:7
7 “And the peace of God,
which surpasses all
understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.”

102. "Peace with God" is the
result of faith in Christ (
Rom. 5:1); "the peace of
God" and the presence of
"the God of peace" will
come when the believer

103. Practices:
right thinking,
right praying, and
right living.

104. Worry, worry, worry!
How many Christians lose
their joy and peace because
of worry?
In chapter 4, Paul tells us
that the secure mind—the

105. mind that is guarded by the
peace of God—frees us from
worry.
Of course, the believer who
does not have the single
mind from chapter 1,

106. the single mind of chapter 1
(1:27) –
“you are standing
firm in one spirit,
with one mind”

107. the submissive mind of
chapter 2 (2:3) – “with
humility of
mind, regard
one another”

108. and the spiritual mind of
chapter 3 (3:19) – “our
citizenship
is in Heaven”

109. can never have the secure
mind of chapter 4 (4:7) –
“the peace of God
shall guard your
minds”.

110. We must first live what Paul
describes in the previous
three chapters before we
can claim the promises and
provisions of this final
chapter.

111. As M. R. Vincent puts it:
"Peace is the fruit of
believing prayer."

112. The peace of God is so
precious that man's mind,
with all its skill and all its
knowledge, can never
produce it, it surpasses all
understanding!

114. The Scripture speaks of
other kinds of peace which
we can understand.
*There is world peace.
We have the assurance that
someday peace will cover

115. the earth as the waters
cover the sea.

116. It will come through the
person of Christ, the Prince
of Peace.

117. Also there is the peace that
comes when sins are
forgiven. Romans 5:1
"Therefore being justified by
faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus”

119. Then there is the peace that
is tranquility.
The Lord Jesus said, "Peace I
leave with you, my peace I
give unto you..."
(John 14:27).

121. That is a marvelous peace,
but it is not "the peace...
which passeth all
understanding."

122. But there is a peace that
sweeps over our souls at
certain times.
*If you look out at a sunset
beyond a great snowcapped
mountain and take in the

123. majesty of God's creation, a
peace comes over you that
"passeth all understanding."

124. And that same peace may
come when your heavenly
Father allows you to have
cancer and go to the
hospital frightened to
death, and then that night

125. when you commit it all to
Him and tell Him that you
want to know He is real;
He makes Himself real to
you and that peace that
"passeth all understanding"

126. floods your soul.
*You can only say that it is a
wonderful peace!

127. With the God of peace to
guide us and the peace of
God to guard us, what do
we have to be anxious
about?