I was looking at some news headlines this morning, and mixed into the usual political news, world news, and weather-related stories was a headline that caught my eye. The headline stated that the Bible App had released the most popular verse for 2019. I began to try and guess, and eventually read the article to find that the verse in question is Philippians 4:6. Paul wrote, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6 NASB)
So, what are your initial thoughts at seeing a Bible verse that is the most popular for the year? I had some immediate thoughts about it, and then my thoughts settled into the fact of how fantastic this is. The Bible App, according to the article has 400 million users. What if just half of those users read the verse, turned to God in prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving? What if a lot of those users didn’t know the Lord, but they turned to Him? The “what ifs” could change the world, couldn’t they? The world so many times tries to solve all of it’s problems by itself, without considering the will of God. Actually, many problem-solving attempts are made based on the fact that people (we can include ourselves in this) think that we know best.
Now, I did not go onto the Bible App to read the verse, but I opened it in my Bible to consider what to write for this blog. Of course, I said to myself, “well I always pray.” But, the word “supplication” was the one I focused on. More to the point, perhaps the Holy Spirit focused me on that word. Supplication is best defined as asking humbly. Am I humble in my approach to the Lord? Do I ask Him humbly for things when I pray? Do I humbly submit my will to His will when I pray? I may have some work to do on my prayer life. For those who know me, you probably are aware of how much I focus on prayer. This past year here at Grace Baptist I have preached numerous sermons on prayer. Each time I did so I know God was doing a work in me as I prepared my sermons. I am excited for the upcoming year as our church joins with churches throughout the world in the Converge Network for 21-days of prayer. Prayer is such a gift that the Lord has given each one of us.
How do I conclude this blog? Here is my observation. Philippians 4:6 is the most popular Bible verse of the year. Whatever the number is of how many people looked at it, add one more. Thank you, Lord. God bless each of you and may your prayer life grow as we end this year and begin 2020.