Sermon Summary: Philippians 4:6-7 by Fr. Suriel Hanna

The following is a written summary of a sermon initially delivered by Fr. Suriel Hanna.

“Pray about everything, worry about nothing.” - Fr. Suriel Hanna

• Philippians 4:6-7 - “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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”.

  • St. Paul reminds us of God’s presence in our life.

• We are living beings and God is living in our hearts.

• Our relationship between God and ourselves is a personal one and thus, He has a special place for us in His heart.

• We are created in God’s image and likeness.

• We have been given the gift of life and we have the duty to walk with Him on a daily basis.

• In every tribulation we face, God is with us every step of the way, ready to help.

• Anxiety is synonymous to fear, uncertainty and worry.

  • When we are anxious, we tend to worry about making decisions, which ultimately debilitates us.

  • Being anxious can affect us spiritually and physically.

    • Spiritually: we start to doubt God’s presence.

    • Physically: we become incapable of making decisions, we assume a state of hesitancy but God did not create us for that.

“Trust in His timing, rely on His promises, wait for His answers, and believe in His miracles, rejoice in his goodness and relax in His presence.”

• Joshua 1:9 - “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go”.

  • You and God are running in this journey called life, and despite the fact that you might come across rough patches, or harsh terrain, Christ will support you regardless.

  • Learn to rely on God in all your adversaries.

• “In everything by prayer and supplication” —> prayer is communication between you and your heavenly Father (the limited connected to the unlimited).

  • Ask and you shall receive. (compare Matthew 7:7-8)

  • Wait on the Lord and He shall answer you in due time.

    • God will respond in one of three ways:

      • 1. Yes, I’ll grant it for you.

      • 2. It’s not its time.

      • 3. I have something better in mind.

• God tells us to be patient.

  • “Make your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

• Academic input + divine intervention = holistic success.

• The Lord never falls short with His children, we just need to talk to God on a daily basis and ask for directions in all aspects of your life.

• Often we want answers and solutions immediately, however the answer to our request may not be the right one. therefore we need to be patient so that God guides us according to His will.

  • The Lord sees us, hears us and feels for us.

  • When God pushes you to the edge of difficulty, trust in Him fully because 2 things can happen either he will catch you when you fall, or he will teach you how to fly.

1. How do we know if we’re doing things for God or to please our parents?

• To understand if we’re pleasing God, God has given us our parents and in the commandments, we are called to honour our mother and father.

• When you wear your parents as your crown, everything you do will bring forth success.

2. How are we able to distinguish between our will and God’s will?

• Pray about everything!

• Prayer aligns God’s will with your will.

• Don’t hesitate! For it is a sign of a lack of faith.

• Have faith in God and in making the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.

• Keep going and don’t stop! We weren’t created to be stagnant.

3. How do we maintain our trust in God amid these drastic changes (COVID)?

• We need to be assured that God is always one step ahead of us.

• These changes are only temporary and a short fragment of our life.

• It takes a lot of courage to study in different environments.

• Joshua 1:9 - “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go”.

  • Wait in anticipation for the next step of the Lord.

  • You have seen how the Lord works so look forward to the next stage and chapter of your life.

  • Every step of your life has a lesson!