Pauline Reflections 17 - 7th February 2009

Do not worry about anything; but in everything with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which, surpasses all human thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 

Worries are so much part of our lives today, especially with the credit crunch bringing about the fear of the unknown and the future implications to our crumbling economy. Such worries can only upset us and waste so much of our time and energy. Paul in the first verse of this passage tells us bluntly using an imperative “Do not worry about anything”. Our faith in Christ affects how we face the problems of life. People who have no faith usually respond to life’s problems with worries whereas people of faith respond to worries with prayer. Paul reminds us that prayer is the key to overcoming worries. 

For Paul, prayer is not just reading a shopping list of our needs before God. It must include thanksgiving, thanking God for the blessing of life and the gift of our faith. Paul tells us to be thankful in prayer in season and out of season, especially counting the blessings of the past. As humans we stand in need of Gods grace. Our prayer of supplication should always seek reconciliation with God and neighbour, forgiveness for the past, blessings for the present - while entrusting our future to God's providence. 

Paul in verse 7 talks about the fruit of such prayerful experience. “And the peace of God which surpasses all human thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”. This kind of peace is truly Gods gift to us, a peace that does not rest in material things, a peace we share with each other at Mass during the sign of peace - the peace of Christ that comes through prayer. 

George Mueller once said: “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety”.

 
Prayer 

 Lord Jesus, help me to trust in you and worry less about my problems and the challenges in my life: make me realise that you are always there for me. Amen.