Philippians 4:6-7 is Paul's answer to anxiety: "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Philippians 4:6). In the King James Version, careful means full of care, that is, anxious or worried. Instead of carrying worry, believers are to bring every need to God in prayer, with thanks. The promise follows: "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). Paul does not promise that every request will be granted as asked, but that God's peace will stand guard over the heart.
Paul wrote Philippians from prison, probably in Rome, not knowing whether he would be released or executed (Philippians 1:20-23). That makes his words about anxiety more than advice from a comfortable life. The letter is full of joy, and chapter 4 brings it to a point: rejoice in the Lord, let your gentleness be seen, do not be anxious, pray about everything, think on what is good. This page explains Philippians 4:6-7 in context, with the verses around it and the Old Testament promises behind it. For more verses on this theme, see Bible verses about anxiety and Bible verses about worrying. For the verse that follows a few lines later, see Philippians 4:13 meaning.
Rejoice: the Lord is at hand (Philippians 4:4-5)
1. Philippians 4:4
"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice."
The road to Philippians 4:6-7 starts with joy: Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Paul repeats the command because he knows how hard it is. Notice the words in the Lord. He does not say rejoice in your circumstances, which may be painful, but in the Lord, who does not change. Joy here is not a mood you manufacture. It is a choice to remember who God is and what He has done in Christ, which makes room for peace instead of worry. See Bible verses about joy.
2. Acts 16:25
"And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them."
Paul practiced what he wrote. When he first brought the gospel to Philippi, he and Silas were beaten and locked in the inner prison with their feet in stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. The Philippian believers who first read this letter knew the story; the jailer may have been among them. When Paul tells them to rejoice and pray instead of worrying, he is not speaking theory. He did it in the dark, in pain, in chains.
3. Philippians 4:5
"Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand."
Let your moderation be known unto all men. Moderation in the KJV means gentleness, a reasonable, patient spirit that does not demand its own way. Anxious people often become harsh and controlling. Then Paul gives the reason we can be gentle: The Lord is at hand. This can mean the Lord is near in presence, close to every believer, and also that His return is near. Either way, we do not have to grasp at control. Someone stronger is close by. See Bible verses about gentleness.
4. Psalms 145:18
"The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth."
Paul's words echo the Psalms: The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. God is not far off, waiting for us to become calm before we may come. He is near to those who call on Him honestly, worries and all. That is the foundation of Philippians 4:6. We can bring everything to God because He is close enough to hear and kind enough to care. Prayer is not shouting into the void but speaking to Someone at hand.
Be careful for nothing (Philippians 4:6)
5. Philippians 4:6
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
Be careful for nothing. To be careful in 1611 English meant to be full of care, worried or anxious. Paul does not say ignore your problems; he says in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Prayer is general talking with God; supplication is specific, earnest asking. With thanksgiving matters: remembering what God has already done steadies the heart while we wait for what we ask. Nothing is too small or too large for this verse: every thing. See Bible verses about prayer.
6. 1 Peter 5:7
"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."
Peter says the same thing with a vivid word picture: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. To cast is to throw, as you would throw a heavy load onto a cart or a donkey's back. The reason we can throw our cares on God is personal: he careth for you. God's care is not general goodwill toward the world. It is attention to you. Anxiety says no one is carrying this but me. Peter and Paul both answer: hand it over, because God is willing to carry it.
7. Matthew 6:34
"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
Jesus taught the same lesson in the Sermon on the Mount: Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. In the KJV, take no thought means do not be anxious. Much of our worry lives in tomorrow, in things that have not happened and may never happen. Jesus brings us back to today: Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Each day has enough trouble of its own, and God gives grace for each day as it comes. See Bible verses about overthinking.
8. Psalms 55:22
"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."
David wrote Psalm 55 when a close friend betrayed him and his heart was sore pained within him. Yet he could write: Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee. The promise is not that the burden will disappear at once, but that God will hold us up under it. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Peter likely had this verse in mind in 1 Peter 5:7. Philippians 4:6 gives the method: casting our burden happens through specific prayer with thanksgiving.
The peace of God shall keep your hearts (Philippians 4:7-9)
9. Philippians 4:7
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The word keep is a military term: to guard, as soldiers guard a city. Philippi was a Roman colony with retired soldiers; readers knew what a garrison looked like. God's peace stands guard at the gate of the heart and mind. It passeth all understanding: it does not depend on understanding how things will work out, and often comes before any answer does. It is found through Christ Jesus. See Bible verses about peace.
10. Isaiah 26:3
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."
Isaiah gives the Old Testament form of this promise: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. In Hebrew, perfect peace is shalom shalom, peace doubled. The mind that is stayed, or leaning, on God is kept in that peace. Philippians 4:7 speaks of hearts and minds kept by God's peace; Isaiah shows that peace and trust grow together. Where we fix our minds matters, which leads straight to Philippians 4:8.
11. Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
After prayer comes a change of focus: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely. Anxious minds tend to replay what is frightening, uncertain or untrue. Paul gives a list to steer the mind toward what is good and real. If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. This is not denial. It is choosing what we dwell on, with God's word as the measure of what is true. See Bible verses about the mind.
12. Philippians 4:9
"Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."
Paul closes the passage with action: Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do. Peace is not only something we feel; it grows as we live out what we have been taught. And the promise rises a step: in verse 7 it was the peace of God, now it is the God of peace shall be with you. We are given not only His peace but His presence. That is the heart of Philippians 4:6-7: not a technique for calm, but a Person who is near.
A short prayer
Lord, You know the things I am anxious about today. I bring them to You now, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving for all You have already done. I cast my care upon You, because You care for me. Let Your peace, which passes all understanding, guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. Help me to fix my thoughts on what is true, honest, just, pure and lovely. And thank You that You, the God of peace, are with me. Amen.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of Philippians 4:6-7?
Philippians 4:6-7 means that believers do not have to carry anxiety alone. Instead of worrying, we are to bring every need to God through prayer and specific requests, with thanksgiving. The result is that God's peace, which goes beyond human understanding, guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The promise is peace and God's presence, not that every request will be answered exactly as we ask.
What does be careful for nothing mean in the KJV?
In 1611 English, careful meant full of care, that is, anxious or worried. So be careful for nothing means do not be anxious about anything. It does not mean be careless or reckless. Newer translations put it as be anxious for nothing or do not be anxious about anything. The KJV uses the same sense in Luke 10:41, where Jesus tells Martha she is careful and troubled about many things.
Is it a sin to have anxiety?
Feeling anxious is part of life in a fallen world, and the Bible shows faithful people, including Paul (2 Corinthians 11:28) and Jesus in Gethsemane, under great distress. Philippians 4:6-7 is an invitation, not a condemnation: bring your anxiety to God. Ongoing anxiety can also have medical causes, and seeing a doctor or counselor is not a lack of faith. If you are in crisis, in the US call or text 988.
What is the peace that passeth all understanding?
It is the peace of God described in Philippians 4:7: a calm and settled heart that comes from God, not from circumstances. It passes all understanding because it does not depend on knowing how things will turn out, and it often goes beyond what we can explain. Paul says it keeps, or guards, the heart and mind, and that it is found through Christ Jesus.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Anxiety · Worrying · Peace · Prayer · Mental health · Philippians 4:13 meaning · Matthew 11:28-30 meaning · Isaiah 41:10 KJV
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