Prayer that Increases Faith
Philippians 4:6
Don’t worry about anything, but in everything through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
This verse is very familiar among Christians and reminds us to pray, rather than worry. Indeed, worry will accomplish nothing and serves only to bring doubt and fill you with fear, which is never from God. We are to trade worry for prayer, which is communication with God.
Paul’s instruction here is to present our petition with thanksgiving. This is really the secret to praying. When we come before God with a pressing matter, we should present our requests to Him while thanking Him for the things He has already done in our lives. Thank Him for giving us every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus. Thank Him that we may come boldly before His throne of grace for everything we need because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Thank Him for the places and ways He has moved in the past, and thank Him for what He is going to do in your present situation. When we pray with thanksgiving, we find faith rising up from within and filling us with a hopeful expectation of good. Instead of filling us with doubt and fear as worry does, thanksgiving fills us with faith that God will move on our behalf once again. Our trying circumstances come to increase our faith, and praying with thanksgiving is key.
If you have a pressing matter at hand today, trade worry for prayer, and make your requests known to God with thanksgiving. As C.S. Lewis once explained, through his own communication with God he learned that prayer does not change God’s mind on a matter. On the contrary, prayer changed him. When we pray with thanksgiving, it releases faith in our hearts to believe God to move on our behalf once again. God’s plan for you is to increase your faith, and He will move on your behalf in a manner that will do just that.
Have a blessed day!