EPISODE 1009 – GOD DEALS WITH YOUR CORE CHALLENGE

“Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.” 

Philippians 4:6 (Amplified Bible)

Have you ever given attention to this verse of scripture?

What do you see as your biggest challenge?

Is it the circumstance you find yourself in or the state of your heart?

Get this, the enemy is not after your money, health, house, education, children and anything external.

The adversary is after your heart.

Paul’s instruction to the Philippians unveils what God is very concerned about concerning you.

The challenges you face can never be permanent.
Most matters which made you anxious at one time are things you may laugh over when you look back in time.

You can remember how anxious you were while going to write your first Basic Education Examination.

What about the times you were anxious and couldn’t even check your examination results?

Do you remember how you felt while going for the job interview? How does such a moment matter to you now?

Do you remember those tears because you felt you wouldn’t be able to have children?

How about the anxiety when you were looking forward to receiving a visa? 

Now, whether you received good news or not during those times, what do you really think was your challenge?

Get this, God doesn’t see the interview, examination, the debt, the unemployment, the dismissal, the rejection, the failure, the marriage dispute, the betrayals, the financial limitations, the business struggle, the delay of miracles etc, as your core challenge.

God is interested in the condition of your heart than the challenge confronting you.

Those challenges shall definitely pass away, but how they affect your heart shall remain forever and shall continue.

One great man, Robert Schuller said, “Tough times never last, but tough people do”

While the adversary knows those tough times you face will not last, he wants to use such times to weaken your heart. However, God wants you to take advantage of such moments to build yourself in His strength. God wants you to exercise yourself in faith.

So instead of God saying, “I will give you the money”, “I will give you the children”, “I will give you the success”, “I will give you the appointment”. He rather instructs the saints, saying, “Do not be anxious or worried about anything.”

Beloved, God doesn’t want you to worry or be anxious. The core challenge is the state of your heart. Being anxious weakens your heart.

Paul instructs the saints to pray and to continually make supplications (or petitions) of specific requests to God with thanksgiving. Take a look at the effect of the prayer:

See verse 7:

“And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].” Philippians 4:7 (Amplified Bible)

The greatest answer you need is the STATE OF PEACE amidst the challenges.

God is your loving Father. His plans for you are greater than your expectations. Being at peace guards your heart to patiently walk with God into His greater purposes for you.

Therefore, He first deals with the anxiety and worry. 
You cannot hear the Lord and not even be able to trust His direction when you are anxious. 

Anxiety and worry move you into faithlessness and doubt. 

God knows that when He is able to establish your heart in His peace, you can prevail over every challenge which comes your way.

No matter the challenge confronting you, let the PEACE OF GOD rule over your heart.

The enemy is not going to stop attacking your mind and heart. Even after you have dealt with your previous challenge, there is another challenge that is going to come your way. 

What the adversary wants is for you to live in worry, anxiety and sorrow. This is how he gets you distracted in the pursuit of destiny.

You walk in constant victory and are not moved by challenges when you allow His PEACE to permanently take over your heart.