Advent Day Twenty-Three

Philippians 4:6

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” 

Life is full of difficult situations, full of incredible challenges. It is easy to dwell and focus on the obstacles before us, but we are instructed to do differently. Rather than being anxious or worrying about a situation, we are called to pray and petition to God with thanksgiving. What the apostle Paul is saying here is that it is not only that we are communing and talking with God, but the attitude of the heart is also important. To come to God with a heart of thanksgiving is to come to Him with a heart full of gratitude. What does it look like to come to God with our prayers and petitions with a grateful heart?

In this Advent season, we are often reminded that Jesus was called Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” Though Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, it is clearly revealed to us that God is not some impersonal force that we have to offer sacrifices to keep happy. Jesus came as a gift to not only show us how life is to be lived, but to also lay down His life so that for all who trust in Him, He would be with Him forever. Jesus came to restore relationship, to bridge the chasm of sin and death that kept us from the love and intimacy of our loving Creator.

We can have grateful hearts no matter the circumstance because as Christians who profess their faith in Christ and what Jesus accomplished on the cross for us, we never have to live this life alone. Ever. The Spirit of Jesus makes His home in us and is always with us, no matter the circumstance or how our situations make us feel. Even when we are anxious, fearful, or feeling totally separated from God, our feelings are not more powerful than the truth. When our hearts can proclaim the truth that in Christ, we are never alone, we always have Jesus to be thankful for. 

So the next time we feel anxious or fearful or worry about our situation or circumstance, let us be grateful first in our heart for Christ who lived, died, and was resurrected so that we would always be together, no matter what. Let us petition and pray for our situation with a heart that acknowledges that Christ our Savior is with us, and how thankful we should always be for Jesus. He did what no one else could do, so that we would never again have to do anything alone. Praise be to Jesus, our Emmanuel, who is always with us!