I recently read Philippians 4:6-7 in a devotional. The NLT said it this way, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
As I read this familiar verse, a few key phrases jumped out at me.
To begin with, look at the first words…“don’t worry about anything.” Easier said than done, right? I don’t know about you, but I can be a worrier. I worry about how certain situations are going to play out, how people are going to respond to what I say or do, or what the future looks like. And what does Paul implore his readers to do instead of worrying? Pray! God wants me to take my worry and lay it at His feet. What is more, I need to bring my laundry list of requests and questions to Him.
Secondly, it says I need to have a heart of thankfulness for all He has done for me. Don’t miss that. We should not only pour out our worry-filled hearts to Him, but at the same time, keep a thankful heart. This will bring us God’s peace.
The next thing that stood out to me was the matter-of-fact way Paul said we will experience God’s peace. It’s not presented as a “may or may not” scenario. He says you WILL experience God’s peace. The Holy Spirit-inspired words of Paul are something we can (and should) hang our hats on.
Finally, there is the promise that Jesus Himself, the Prince of Peace, will guard our hearts and minds. What a great promise — thank you, Lord!
My Takeaway
We can experience the unexplainable peace of God by going before the Prince of Peace. We need to communicate with Jesus — He’s absolutely ready, available, willing, and eager to share His peace (Himself) with us. We have access to that peace. The step we must take is to, “tell God what we need, and thank Him for all He has done” (prayer and thanksgiving).
Praying to believe and walking in that promise,
Posted in A Word from the Pastor