Anything-Everything

 

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. 

(Philippians 4:6-7 NIV)

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; 

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

(1 Thes. 5:16-18 NIV)

Sometimes the most "cheerful" words in the Bible are the hardest to live out.  In these two passages Paul is reminding us that God is in control and that he wants us to come to him in prayer no matter what.  No problem, right?

But, really?  Don't be anxious about anything?  There's so much in our crazy world that can lead to anxiety.  But God says to use prayer and thanksgiving - in EVERY situation - to ask for God's help. "Every situation" means "every situation."   In every situation we come to our faithful God asking in faith, sharing our thanks for what God has done, is doing, and will do, and trusting that he responds - in EVERY situation.  Even when we can't see the response yet. 

Then Paul tells us to "rejoice always." Really?!?  "Always??"  That's, like, all the time and in all circumstances.  Sometimes there doesn't seem to be much to rejoice about.  Life on this earth - especially if lived without God - can seem overwhelming, terrible, and hopeless.  But when we live life in relationship with God we can always find at least one thing to be thankful about.  Did you wake up breathing today?  Did the sun come up (even if behind the clouds)?  Do you have electricity?  Often when we find one thing with which to give thanks, we then realize how many other things are also worth thanks.  

I do not believe that our rotten circumstances are necessarily God's will for us. If Jesus wants to give us the abundant life (John 10:10) then "abundance" includes love, joy, peace, hope, grace, and so much more.  Rotten circumstances are, ultimately, the result of the enemy of our souls, stealing, killing, destroying lives, relationships, resources, etc.  While I believe God allows this to happen (for what reasons I don't usually know or understand), I do not believe that this is what God intended for us.  

Can God use rotten circumstances to refine and improve our character and our understanding of who God is?  Absolutely.  But just because God can work all things together for good for those who love him, doesn't mean he wants us to have trials, death, and destruction.  God's purpose for us - God's will for our lives - is to know his love, joy, hope, grace, mercy, and peace. 

No matter the circumstances I believe that God wants to give us his Peace.  That "shalom" is beyond everything we could understand without God.  And it guards our hearts and our minds - our spirits, our words, our deeds, our thoughts, our hopes - because of Christ Jesus.  God's Peace gives us Hope in the midst of rotten circumstances.

Is not being anxious but rejoicing always, praying continually, and giving thanks in all circumstances easier said than done?  Yes. But it's still do-able.  And, like anything we practice, the more we do it the easier it becomes.  

For anything, in everything, bring it to God. 

Father God,

Thank you that in all things - not "for" all things - but "in" all things - we can rejoice in you, your faithfulness, your provision, your grace, and so much more.  Thank you that by the Blood of Christ you have made a way for us to draw near to you.  Thank you that we can bring all our hurts, struggles, anxieties, and confusion to you and that you will hear us when we pray.  Holy Spirit, help us to saturate each day in prayer, offering our faith-filled requests to you with overflowing gratitude.  Help us to tell you each detail of our lives, knowing that your perfect plan for us is a life lived within the grace of Jesus Christ, so that your joy is our continual feast .  Help us to remember that you can work all things together for our good - for an abundant life - and that your wonderful peace that transcends our understanding will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus our Lord. Help us in everything and for anything to bring it to you. In Jesus's name we pray, Amen. 

"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, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ." (Philippians 4:6-7 TPT)


"Let joy be your continual feast. Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thes. 5:16-18 TPT)

"A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!" (John 10:10 TPT)

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28 NIV)

February 6, 2021 Prayer - For State leaders and influencers

Wonder-Working God,

    Thank you that in all seasons you are God alone; you are on your throne and you are continually working toward the fulfillment of your plans.  We rejoice today for all you are and all that you do within us, our communities, and the greater world.  We give thanks in all circumstances because we know you can use all things together for your good.  Thank you for the civic leaders you have placed in authority in this state.  When we agree with their policies and actions it is easy to thank you for them, but when we don't agree, it is more difficult.  Give us hearts to pray unceasingly, no matter what party affiliation or what ideology they espouse. 

    Today we pray for each person in elected government - from the township officials, to the county officials, to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General and others at the state level - to be men and women of righteousness, men and women after your own heart, seeking to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.  We pray that their ideas, policies, and actions would be pleasing to you, that the counsel they seek would be your godly wisdom, and that any weapon formed against your Will, your Truth, and your Way would not prosper.    We pray for roadblocks, barricades, and financial stoppages to be poured out on those in government who seek to enslave people to government, instill fear, cause economic hardship, release chaos, or otherwise further their power.  Instead, we bind, in the name of Jesus, any bad idea or policy that is not of you, and we proclaim NO MORE to those spirits of darkness.

    We pray for strength, courage, strategy and prevailing power for those godly men and women who are standing up to the powers of darkness in our state government.  May the state legislators, elected officials, lawyers, staff, and others who are fighting for Truth and Godliness have tough skin, grit, and stamina as they ask questions and press in for breakthrough.  May the hold of evil and wickedness - in government and in structures that influence government - be broken and shaken loose so that this state can be freed from the aggressive and pressuring forces of darkness.  In Jesus's name we bind them and proclaim NO MORE to these powers of darkness.  

    Give godly leaders and influencers strategies to counter the attacks of the enemy of our souls.  Help your people to reflect our God of Heaven and to take the higher road to implement a strategic plan that would benefit our state for the near future and for the long term. Give them courage and wisdom to fight this battle.  Cause their hearts to be turned toward you and their eyes not to turn to the right to the left from your Goodness.  Give them great financial outpouring to counter those financing the enemy's ideas.  May the organizations working to fight for truth and righteousness have an OVERFLOW of donations, including big donors that want to invest because you have prepared them to influence "For such a time as this."  You own all the financial kingdoms and resources, so we pray you would pour out resources to fund righteousness and dry up the resources that fund wickedness.  In Jesus's name we bind the financial resources of wickedness and declare that NO MORE will you have power in our state. 

    Today we specifically pray for the election in the state Republican Party.  We do not put our hope in any particular party or person, but we know that you call us to choose righteousness and holiness and godliness.  So, we pray that these elections would cause righteous men and women to be elected into office that would work toward your Justice, Mercy, and Godliness.  Thank you that even now in our state Republican Party you would be cleaning house, undoing bad choices, unwinding generational curses, rebuilding good foundations, reforming poor thinking, and redeeming the many years of prosperity the locusts of evil influence have stolen.  Reform and remake this influential group of people so that their hearts, ideas, platform, and deeds are according to your Will and Ways.  We pray that Holy Spirit will guide all decisions made today and we bind any spirit of evil that seeks to disrupt your guidance.  We say NO MORE to a spirit of chaos and dysfunction that traps this group of people.  

    We continue to stand in the gap for our state, partnering with you so that you can do here on earth what you need and yearn to do.  We pray that miracles will abound in this state - that even non-believers will say, "This has to be God! I want to know Him more!"  Break the power of the wicked and uphold the righteous!  Pour out your wisdom, discernment, courage, and Spirit on the leaders in state government, we pray in Jesus's name.  Amen!!

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 ESV)

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28 ESV)

"It is He who changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and [greater] knowledge to those who have understanding!" (Daniel 2:21 AMP)

"'No weapon formed against you shall prosper,

And every tongue which rises against you in judgment

You shall condemn.

This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,

And their righteousness is from Me,'

Says the Lord." (Isaiah 54:17 NKJV)

"The law of the Lord is perfect,

   reviving the soul;

the testimony of the Lord is sure,

    making wise the simple;

the precepts of the Lord are right,

    rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the Lord is pure,

    enlightening the eyes;

the fear of the Lord is clean,

    enduring forever;

the rules of the Lord are true,

    and righteous altogether." (Psalm 119:7-9 ESV)

"And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left." (2 Chronicles 34:2 ESV)

"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:19 ESV)

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,

The crawling locust,
The consuming locust,
And the chewing locust,
My great army which I sent among you.
26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
And praise the name of the Lord your God,
Who has dealt wondrously with you;
And My people shall never be put to shame.
27 Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel:
I am the Lord your God
And there is no other.
My people shall never be put to shame." (Joel 2:25-27 NKJV)

"For the power of the wicked will be broken,
    but the Lord upholds the righteous." (Psalm 37:17 NIV)

h/t Amy Hawkins, MI Prayer Warriors 2/4/21 & 2/5/21