The Wednesday Word ~ 09 July, 2025 A.D.

Is Jesus Enough to Keep You 

from Worrying? Part II

 by D G Miles McKee

 

” Be careful (anxious) for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4:6-7 

What a wonderful scripture.  It’s a pity that we often don’t apply it to ourselves.  At times, many of us can experience an epidemic of worry and anxiety.  But if you have a moment, listen to this.  The word ‘careful’ in this verse is also translated “worry.” That means we are distinctly told not to worry about anything.

 

The word which is translated worry comes from the Old English word ‘wyrgan’ which refers to how a wild dog or a wolf will kill or injure its prey by biting and shaking the throat. It also means to strangle. ‘Strangle!’ That’s what worry does to our faith.

But consider the Lord Jesus, He could have worried about the Pharisees or Herod or the Sadducees or Judas Iscariot. He could have worried about any number of things, but instead He prayed about everything and worried about nothing. Think of the buildup to Calvary. He knew what He was going to face on the cross, but He prayed saying, “not My will, but Thine be done.” 

The letter to the Philippians is one of the most practical letters in the New Testament.  Our verse says, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God …. (Philippians 4:6-7). 

 By the way, that’s as good a picture of Christ’s prayer life as we will ever get.

However, most of us will admit that we worry. We know it’s wrong, even sinful, but we do it anyway.  May we be encouraged to change our ways.  Instead of fretting, let’s,

Worry about nothing.

Pray about everything.

Be thankful for anything. 

 

Look again at Philippians 4:6.

Question: How much are we to worry about?  

 Answer “Nothing.” 

 Nothing is probably the most exclusive word in the English language … it excludes everything. We are to worry about nothing (NO THING).  The reason we are to worry about nothing is because we are to pray, like Jesus, about everything.

Years ago, a widow asked the great preacher G. Campbell Morgan, “Do you think we ought to pray about the little things in our lives?” And Dr. Morgan, replied, “Madam, can you mention anything in your life that is a big thing to God?”
 

The Lord wants us to bring all to Him. 

The opposite of NOTHING is EVERYTHING.  As believers, we need to get in the habit of bringing everything to Him in believing prayer. Just as nothing means no thing, so everything means every thing.

When Paul says that a Christian is not to worry, he is not saying we need to ignore reality. Paul doesn’t say we are to pretend difficulties and challenges don’t exist. Instead, we need to move the things we worry about into the realm of believing prayer.

A man couldn’t sleep one night. He rolled and tossed, until his wife finally asked him, “What is the matter? Why can’t you sleep?” He said, “I owe the tax man $20,000 and the bill is due, and I can’t pay it.” “Well,” his wife said, “Get up, get dressed, go and tell the tax man you can’t pay him. Then come back and go to sleep and let him stay awake.”

That’s the kind of thing Paul is saying in Philippians 4:6-7. When we tell the Lord everything, it becomes His problem.  We have the right as His children to go to Him in prayer and say, “This is something I can’t handle” and then turn everything over to Him. As Luther used to say; “Pray and let God worry!" 

 
Let´s say it again. As believers, we are to worry about nothing; pray about everything and be thankful for anything.
 

And that’s the Gospel Truth!