Philippians - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis

instance (proseukea) means petition (for oneself) or intercession (for another) for assistance to
get through trying times. The second instance (deisis) means asking the Lord to take something
unpleasant or distressing away, a desperate cry for help! The third instance (aitema) means to
request something from the Lord related to a specific need.
REVELANT OPINIONS
Anxiety is an attempt to carry the burden of the future oneself; prayer is leaving it in the safe hands
of God. (G.B. Caird) This prohibition in the Imperative mood means that the Philippians were
worrying. (K. Wuest) An asyndeton is an example of rapid fire commands given in the Imperative
mood without any connecting words to link one command to the other. (G. W. Hawthorne) As those
who have been reminded that the Lord is near, the readers are urged to stop worrying about anything
… The negative (meden) with the present imperative (merimnate) assumes that the Philippians had
been anxious, and they are not urged to stop being so ... It refers to the anxious harassing care, that
unreasonable anxiety which arises in one who is full of cares, especially about the future, and thus
distracted in mind … Such a comprehensive admonition does not presuppose a superficial attitude to
the Philippians’ troubles; Paul’s own precarious situation in prison shows once again that he knew
about serious danger only too well and so could write with some feeling on the subject. (P. O’Brien)
“Being anxious” betrays a lack of trust in God’s care and is a species of unconscious blasphemy
against Him. (R. Martin)
On the positive side, they are exhorted in every situation to make their requests known to God in
prayer and petition with thanksgiving … This means in every situation, in every circumstance … By
bringing to Him their “aitemata” (petitions), which reflect every possible cause of anxiety, they are
laying out all their troubles before Him, or casting all their cares upon Him. In doing this the
Philippians acknowledge their total dependence upon God, and at the same time they are assured
that He knows their earnest desires. They have told Him of them ... By offering their petitions with a
thankful heart they will show that they are prepared to surrender themselves to God’s will whatever
the circumstances. (P. O’Brien) There is a difference between genuine care and false anxiety. A false
care is self-destructive. Christ taught that a believer should not worry about basic necessities of life
that the heavenly Father promised to provide, about things that cannot be changed, and about the
problems of tomorrow. Such worry is caused by a lack of faith and by a wrong set of values and
priorities. Such cares, like weeds, choke the application of God’s Word to one’s life and make one
insensitive to the imminent coming of Christ. False cares should be cast on the Lord because He
genuinely cares for His own. (R. Gromacki)
Prayer is talking with God, and the only prayer that God hears and answers is one that is made
through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who alone provides access to His presence. No prayer
offered to God apart from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ has ever reached God His heavenly Father ...
There are more passages in the Bible that tell when God will not answer prayer than there are
passages in which He promises to do it ... Our prayers are often in error, and we pray for things that
are not good for us. God does not promise to give us these things … Christians are troubled about
many things. You may be troubled about your work, your family, the future, money, sex, or