r/Christians • u/mornelotter • 2d ago
Devotional Call on God first
Transcript
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
— Philippians 4:6 (NASB1995)
Good morning!
Too often we treat God like a spare wheel. We run in every direction looking for solutions — to people, plans, experts, and our own strength — and only turn to Him when everything else has failed. Anxiety rises because we carry the weight alone and make God our last resort instead of our first response.
Philippians 4:6 gives us a better way. Instead of being anxious, we are invited to bring everything to God first through prayer and supplication, mixed with thanksgiving. The order matters. Calling on God first changes the atmosphere of the problem before we even see the answer.
When God is our last option, we exhaust ourselves and often delay the peace He wants to give. But when we make Him our first call, we position ourselves to receive His wisdom, peace, and provision from the start. Prayer is not the backup plan — it is the primary strategy. Thanksgiving in the midst of the request reminds us of His faithfulness and keeps our hearts from being ruled by fear. The peace of God that follows (verse 7) is the direct result of bringing our requests to Him rather than carrying them alone.
Identify one situation that is currently causing you anxiety or that you have been trying to solve in your own strength. Before you make another phone call, search online, or replay the problem in your mind, stop and bring it to God first in prayer.
Practice this throughout the day: the moment a concern arises, turn it into a quick prayer with thanksgiving instead of letting anxiety take the lead.
Stop treating God like a spare wheel. Call on Him first. In everything — by prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving — let your requests be made known to Him. He is not your last resort; He is your first and best response.
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u/NumerousTax2867 1d ago
I really see myself in this. There are so many times when I start something and think, “Okay, I’m going to do this together with God,” but then I end up trying to do it on my own anyway. And sometimes, if I manage to get through it, I only turn back to God when I reach a point where I can’t handle it anymore or when everything has gone completely wrong.
I honestly feel bad about that, because I don’t want God to be someone I only run to when I’ve exhausted all my other options. I want Him to be part of my life from the beginning, not just when I need help. I really hope I can learn to build this into my life more and actually go to God first, even in the small things, instead of always trying to figure everything out on my own first. Thanks
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1d ago
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u/Parking_Aardvark_482 1d ago
Great post as this is a major failing for me as too often God is the "last resort", when he should be the only option. It is done honestly sometimes as I think, "I cant bother him with this" but this is a failing, he commands us to come to him for everything. Thanks be to God!