One reason I like reading through the Bible every year is that I’m reintroduced to promises I forget. I need the reminders I find in scripture. This wonderful passage framed my morning:

The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I love the encouragement to lay everything before the Lord. To bring petitions—formal requests—to God. To appeal for what’s on my heart, by putting it all down and telling God about it. Then ask for peace of heart and mind. The best part? The Lord is near. When I’m stressed and anxious, I need that reminder.

There’s no promise here that God will answer my prayers immediately and to my satisfaction. Rather, the promise points to the presence of God in my life—simply remarkable.

I bow to the mysterious at work. This type of prayer may not cure all anxieties I face, but engaging in it (practicing prayer as a discipline) allows me to glimpse the character of the Lord who remains ever close.

Paul’s words encourage me to pray with detail and depth, with audacity, knowing God is near. Then I wait for the guardian of peace to reveal his presence to my heart and mind and soul.

Philippians 4 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Christian Widell