Anxious For Nothing Session 5
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
- Philippians 4:4-8 ESV
Meditate On These Things
Satan loves to fill our minds with comparisons. He wants to fill our heads with a swarm of anxious and negative thoughts. But the good news is that while there are many things in life over which we have no control, we get to choose what we think about. We get to select our own thought patterns.
Romans 8:6 tells us that "For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace." To paraphrase, this verse reads: "Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life."
-We live in a technology-driven society, with smartphones, laptops, and tablets at our fingertips. How has technology influenced your thought patterns?
-Read Romans 12:1-2, 2 Corinthians 10:5 and Ephesians 6:14. What are some ways we can live out these commandments in our everyday life so that our thoughts are not dominated by anxiety?
-Read John 15:1-8. One of the best ways we can think on things that are true, noble, right, pure lovely, admirable, and excellent is by attaching ourselves to the One who embodies truth, nobility, righteousness, purity, ove, and all things good and excellent. Who or what do you find yourself abiding in more than Christ?
-Jesus says, "If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit" in John 15:5. Our goal is not to bear fruit but to stay attached to Christ. What is the difference between the two? What is the consequence of focusing on bearing fruit instead of fousing on staying attached to Christ? How have you seen this unfold in your own faith journey?
Does the burden you wrote down the first week still burden you, o rhas God replace them with His peace? Be truthful with yourself, and rememer it's all right if the anxieties still weigh you down. God is still at work within you and will accomplish His good purposes in His time.
Here are a few suggestions on how to pray for yourself or your friends:
-PRAY that Philippians 4:4-8 will embed in your hearts
-PRAY that you will respond to Paul's call in this passage - rejoicing in the Lord always, remembering God's nearness, letting all their requests be made knownt o God, and meditating on the goodness and truth of God.
-PRAY against the enemy's schemes to rob you of the truth you learned throughout this study.
-PRAY that the peace of God will rule over your hearts and minds