12/22/2024
Yesterday we considered the effect that worry had on our bodies, minds, and souls, so today let’s delve deeper into the peace of God and the effect that prayer has on worry and stress. I am contemplating two of these thoughts this morning as I read Philippians 4 once again and read further into what Pastor E. M. Bounds has to say on this subject.
"Cares divide, distract, bewilder, and destroy unity and quietness of mind." - E. M. Bounds
but
"Prayer about everything can quiet every distraction, and lift every care from weary lives and from confused hearts." - E. M. Bounds
These observations coupled with Philippians 4:7 which speaks specifically about the peace of God through Christ should bring us comfort today. Today’s opening verse says this…
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:7 KJV
A peace which "passeth all understanding" can be looked at in two ways... It can simply be a peace of immense proportion, or it can be a peace which we feel at times when human logic dictates that we shouldn't feel peaceful. I believe that most of us would agree that it is both. The peace of God is an immense and all-consuming peace that defies human logic.
There have been times in my life when it felt like my entire world was crumbling and yet, at the zenith of that stress and worry, I was able to find a great and inexplicable peace in God through prayer. I was able to hand Him the reins of my runaway stagecoach and rest assured that He would avoid the cliff I had been rushing towards. This peace was overwhelming and defied conventional logic... Yet there it was, and in that moment the horses of worry and stress slowed and turned away from certain disaster. This peace, and salvation, surpasses not only our understanding but also our ability to accomplish alone. In prayer we petition God, and in doing so He hears our deepest longings and most desperate needs... then He gives us His peace as He stops the runaway stress of the moment and resolves our situation. Let’s return to Philippians 4 again to see how prayer counteracts our worries and gives us peace.
“do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7
This is the frame of mind in which we should read Bounds' thoughts, and our opening scripture. We should enter into prayer in our moments of great stress and worry so that we will have the clarity of thought that will lead us to seek the Lord’s help, and into His peace. Our God is so great and His peace is truly beyond all understanding. Jesus prayed every prayer for a reason and in the Garden of Gethsemane he was distraught, but in praying that evening we saw that he gained the strength necessary to calmly face Pilate, and His other accusers. Because of this particular attribute of prayer we see why scripture refers to Him as the Prince of Peace... How wonderful that Jesus brought more than peacefulness to the world... He brough a sense of internal peace to us individually.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6 KJV
Are we ready to pray with the expectation that our prayers will not only be heard and acted upon by the Lord, but that He will infuse us with His Peace as well? Are we ready to pray our own Gethsemane prayer, pick up our cross, and calmly follow Jesus to calvary? Are we prepared to accept the peace of God that He is extending to us?
Prayer:
Thank you, Father, for the peace we receive when we pray to you; a peace that comes from trusting that you hear us, and will help us through whatever troubles us. Father, in this Christmas season we thank you for sending your son to redeem us and serve as the perfect sacrifice for all sin, but we also thank you for His bringing peace into the world and into each of our lives. We thank you Lord for our ability to pray and receive not only salvation when we are lost, but your peace and joy which settles over our spirits and gives us comfort in the storms of our lives. You are our fortress in the battles of everyday living, our strong vessel in the seething seas of hardship, and a soft touch in times of immense sorrow. Father, we thank you for your protection, your guidance, and your loving embrace... you keep us always; you still our spirits, and you bring us peace and joy amidst life’s tribulations. We praise you without fail, even in the worst of times, for you are our safe harbor, and our strong tower in the face of every trouble... you are the essence of peace itself. And we give you thanks, worship you, and pray to you, every day for sharing your peace with us through each prayer we lift up to you, and for calming our anxieties that lead to worry. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who rules all of your creation in peace, and with grace. For this we say: Glory to God on the Highest!
Amen!
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Luke 2:13-14 KJV
“You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.”
Isaiah 26:3 ESV
“May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace!”
Psalm 29:11 ESV
Rich Forbes