Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6
If we want to have extraordinary prayer lives, we have to pray consistently and have a set time and place to meet with God every day, but we also have to pray specifically. The power is in the details, whether we are praising God, thanking Him, or making requests. After all, when you have conversations with someone you are close to, you share specific details about your life and what is on their mind.
The apostle Paul reminds us to pray specifically in Philippians 4:6. In this verse, Paul writes, “Don’t worry about anything.” This command is bold enough and strong enough to stop us in our tracks. According to Paul, Christ’s followers need to worry about nothing. Let that set in your mind. There is nothing that Paul permits readers to worry over. I do not know about you, but I can always find something to worry about, left to my own devices. Praise God that He tells us what to do when we feel worried. The rest of Philippians 6 says, “Instead (of worrying), pray about everything. Tell God what you need.” When Paul tells us to pray about everything in this verse, he also tells us to pray specifically. After all, praying about everything requires us to pray very specifically, telling Him everything in our hearts. Praying this way reminds us to trust God in every area of our lives.
When you pray, do you pray specifically or more broadly? For example, do your prayers look more like, “God carry me throughout my day,” Or “God, will you help me today in my project at work that I need more help with and in that difficult conversation that I need to have with my friend? Will you also help me have the wisdom to help my child who is struggling in school?” When we pray the second way, far more specific, we invite God into every aspect of our lives. We are abandoning an ordinary prayer life for one that is far more extraordinary.
Spend a few minutes praying specifically. First, praise God for who He is. Praise Him for being forgiving, kind, loving, and anything else that comes to mind. Next, thank Him for what He has done for you. Thank Him specifically for the good things He has given you, like family and friends, your home, or something good that happened this week. Finally, make requests to Him. Ask Him for help in any areas where you need help. Pray to God today, remembering that He hears you when you pray.
Philippians 4:1-9 (NLT)
"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.
2 Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. 3 And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you."
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