Day 6 | January 6
DAY 6 | January 6, 2024 | MORE PEACE
Verse: Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ESV
More peace is found in the place of prayer. The peace of God precedes the answer to our prayer. When we make our requests known to Him, we can anticipate the peace of God to manifest in our life. Instead of worrying about a situation, we can commit it to prayer with thanksgiving. We may lack understanding of how God may bring the answer, but his peace will guard our heart and mind from anxiety, worry, and fear as the answer comes. The peace of God helps us grow in our faith walk.
To maintain the peace of God, we must be intentional on what we think about or focus on because our heart and mind are impacted by our thought life. Verse eight gives us the criteria and guidelines for proper thinking. “Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ESV.” Thinking negatively or about things contrary to what’s listed in verse 8 will have a negative impact in our lives. Peace, or lack of peace, is determined by our thought life, on where our thoughts are focused and where we place our trust.
PERFECT PEACE
“Isaiah 26:3-4 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock, ESV.” God keeps us in perfect peace when our mind is focused on Him. More peace is promised to those who stay focused on and trust in the Lord.
Peace is a state of undisturbed composure, absence of inner conflict or war. Peace is an absence of conflict or turmoil, it is freedom from disturbing or oppressive thoughts or emotions, and it is also harmony in personal relations. Peace covers a large spectrum that relates to both God and man.
Peace is something everyone needs and longs for in life. To live in peace is a desire that most people share in common. Making peace with God is our first priority. “Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ESV.”
Peace is a quality and a characteristic of the divine nature and has two major aspects to it, peace with God and the peace of God. Peace is something that God wants you to have in its fullest measure and has made it accessible to every human being through a right relationship with Him.
The absence of peace makes you vulnerable to be overcome by the trials of life. A heart that lacks peace is easily overcome by fear, doubt and anxiety. Jesus promised the believer peace in this life. “John 14:27, Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid, NKJV.”
My challenge for you today is to stay focused on the Lord and trust in Him, and receive the peace that God has for you, peace that surpasses all understanding, beyond what the intellect can comprehend. He makes peace available for us at all times and in every way by His manifest presence. “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16 ESV
TODAY’S PRAYER
Thank you, Heavenly Father for the peace you have promised us in your Word and its fulfillment in our lives. We choose to act in obedience to the instruction to not be anxious about anything, but to pray about everything. We also choose to think about and focus on the right kind of things, knowing that what we think about and focus on is critical to the having more peace in our lives.