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"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
— Philippians 4:19

This verse is often quoted as a reassurance that God will supply everything we need.

And I believe that.

But when I read those words, one question comes to mind: What do we actually mean by "all our need"?

Yes, I need to be able to pay my bills. I need food. I need a roof over my head.

Those are the things we usually think about when we talk about our needs. But what about other things?

Don't we need to live in a politically stable and reasonably safe country?

Don't we need a strong and vibrant church to support us spiritually?

Don't we need our families to know Jesus?

Don't we need peace in the Middle East?

Don't we need wise and godly leadership in our businesses, our churches and our countries?

Are these needs, or are they simply things we would like God to give us?

And that got me thinking - how seriously do we pray for these things?

Do we pray for peace in the Middle East with the same earnestness with which we pray for our daily bread? Do we pray for our political leaders, business leaders and spiritual leaders with the same intensity with which we pray for our own circumstances?

Because when Paul wrote these words, he wasn't writing them in a vacuum. The Philippians had supported him generously and sacrificially, even while they themselves were facing hardship and persecution.

And Paul tells them: "And my God shall supply all your need..."

Their need wasn't simply about food on the table. Their circumstances were much bigger than that.

So maybe the question isn't whether God is willing to supply all our needs. Maybe the question is: What do we consider to be our needs?

And perhaps, if we took God's Word seriously, our prayer list would look very different.

We might spend less time asking God to make my life comfortable, and more time asking Him to provide what His people and His world need.

Because perhaps "all" really is much bigger than we think.

 

Mark Deavall