Bible meditation <Philippians Chapter 4:6-7> "We should thank God before worry"

Verse 6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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.”

(Sorry my wrong grammar and poor English. Just try to comprehend my bottom line of thought)

I just  want to share my  thought that I have had in my mind.  

First of all, when I was reading chapter 4, I focused on verses 6-7. Paul encourages us to not anxious about anything. But instead of worrying, we have to pray for our requests with thanks giving.

I was wondering that why Paul said that we should ask God with thanksgiving. I mean, he could say, if you want to ask God, you should pray with desperation or he could say, you have to pray with all your passion. But, why he is telling us we should ask with thanks giving?

The reason why Give thank God seems like necessary when we want to ask God to have.

When I thought about it deeply, I realized that Thanksgiving should come first before worry or anxious about something.

What I mean by that is we should first give thanks to God in terms of our circumstances or present conditions before we ask him to fulfill.

For instance, I definitely need money every semester and every month. It is never enough to maintain my life with my tight income especially, when new semester comes, the tuition fee is really huge. I can’t afford it own my own without someone's helping. So, that is my struggle.

How can I not worry about it. It is not easy. But, according to what Paul mentioned in today’s bible scripture, we should search for the reasons to thank god. For example, I can thank God about allowing to study in America. It is miracle for me. Still a lot of friends they have a dream to study in America once. I got a great opportunity. And what’s more that our all four member of my family can stay in America without any problems.

In this sense, If we confess our thanksgiving things or a number of blessing that God given to me first, we can recognize from our heart that the pray points is our own desire or those are really needs to me.

And if we take a look, after verse 7, it is interesting.

Paul says that God will guard at heart. which means, we can have the peace of God in us. Paul did not say “but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God will provide everything. so, don’t worry” He did not say that. He just said “ He will guard you heart and you mind in Jesus Christ.  

What does Paul mean by that exactly? In fact, have a peace of mind is more important than we earning that our needs. What’s more important is if we stay in peace in Jesus Christ, I am sure, we can distinguish which I really appropriate to ask God or it is our just desire.

Mathew chapter 7:7 Jesus said, Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and door will be opened.

However, is Jesus truly mentioning whatever we can get everything according to our needs?

No, absolutely there are real conditions to we ask God.

If we read the James chapter 4:3.

Bible exactly teaches us why we cannot get it.

It says “when you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.  Bible exactly warning that do not ask with wrong motivation and if you are going to spend on your pleasure, you may not get it.

In other word, prayer points have to be match with God’s plan.

To be concluded my thought. According to Philippians Chapter 4 

Do I have anxious? Worry? Ask God with tanks giving.

And staying in peace in Jesus Christ is more important than asking God to have something.