40 Days Pondering the Fruit of the Spirit
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days PONDERING the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
Day 33 | HOW TO RECEIVE THE PEACE OF GOD
40 Days PONDERING the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
Day 33 | HOW TO RECEIVE THE PEACE OF GOD
HOW TO RECEIVE THE PEACE OF GOD
Philippians 4:6-7
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (NKJV)
We live with much anxiety in our lives today. Turn on the news and what do you get? More things about which to worry. And if by some miracle everything in the world SEEMS to be going along smoothly, don’t worry; the news media will find something that “might happen; just you wait and see!”
Many in our world seem opposed to peace. Oh, they might say PEACE-PEACE… but all around you and I see many folks who are not happy unless they are stirring things up and getting people anxious and upset.
Paul writes these tremendous words for us for just such a time as this… when things are chaotic, upside-down, and seem ready to break apart at the seams. God’s wisdom – through the Apostle Paul – is simple: “Don’t worry about anything but instead … PRAY, cast your cares on Him” (1 Peter 5:7) and then (don’t miss this): “PRAY and add to it THANKSGIVING.”
Stop. What does that mean? It means to give THANKS to the same God to Whom we are lifting our requests.
And why do that in the same prayer? Because it shows FAITH to say THANK YOU LORD when you’ve just prayed a request. We are so generally UNTHANKFUL that – although our Lord is not keeping score – our blessings to thanks ratio is way out of whack. He blesses us WAY MORE than we realize or give Him the thanks HE deserves.
And then the promise for doing this: “God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (NLT)
Prayer: Lord, in the natural, this seems an unlikely formula for the PEACE I need. And yet, I need to do it YOUR WAY, not just how I feel. Help me, Lord, Amen.
Philippians 4:6-7
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (NKJV)
We live with much anxiety in our lives today. Turn on the news and what do you get? More things about which to worry. And if by some miracle everything in the world SEEMS to be going along smoothly, don’t worry; the news media will find something that “might happen; just you wait and see!”
Many in our world seem opposed to peace. Oh, they might say PEACE-PEACE… but all around you and I see many folks who are not happy unless they are stirring things up and getting people anxious and upset.
Paul writes these tremendous words for us for just such a time as this… when things are chaotic, upside-down, and seem ready to break apart at the seams. God’s wisdom – through the Apostle Paul – is simple: “Don’t worry about anything but instead … PRAY, cast your cares on Him” (1 Peter 5:7) and then (don’t miss this): “PRAY and add to it THANKSGIVING.”
Stop. What does that mean? It means to give THANKS to the same God to Whom we are lifting our requests.
And why do that in the same prayer? Because it shows FAITH to say THANK YOU LORD when you’ve just prayed a request. We are so generally UNTHANKFUL that – although our Lord is not keeping score – our blessings to thanks ratio is way out of whack. He blesses us WAY MORE than we realize or give Him the thanks HE deserves.
And then the promise for doing this: “God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (NLT)
Prayer: Lord, in the natural, this seems an unlikely formula for the PEACE I need. And yet, I need to do it YOUR WAY, not just how I feel. Help me, Lord, Amen.