The Advent Adventure- 14 Days to Christmas: Peace that Guards Your Soul
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“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.”
Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
Wow – we are only two weeks away from Christmas! I hope this Advent Adventure has encouraged you in your preparation for Christmas as it has me. We are learning much from the old tradition of the Advent Calendar. Our first week was on Hope, and this week, we are focusing our thoughts on Peace. Just as hope has a name, Jesus Christ, we are learning that peace is a person, Jesus Christ! God doesn’t just give us something called hope or peace – HE IS OUR HOPE AND PEACE! I love that, don’t you? Christianity, apart from any religion in the world, is a personal, intimate, dynamic, and vital relationship with our Creator and Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ! He came not only to save us from our sins but to sustain us and recreate us in the very image and likeness of God Himself, reproducing His character in our lives by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Yesterday, in our journey together, we discovered the wonderful and liberating truth that when we make peace with God, we can make peace with our past. We can leave regrets and lay hold of redemption, forgiveness of sin, and freedom from guilt and shame! No longer carrying the weight of our sin, we are free to be all that God wants us to be and bring Him glory in everything we do and say and think! His peace liberates us from our past failures and guards our hearts and minds! That’s what Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT) promises us. Read it out loud to your soul with me right now: “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.”
How comforting is it to you that His peace will GUARD your heart and mind as you live in Christ Jesus? You can toss the worries of life! Adios! They don’t have to control your thoughts anymore! You can tell God every need in your life, all the while thanking Him for all He has done! THEN YOU WILL EXPERIENCE GOD’S PEACE! Here’s the key – When you have made peace with God (Romans 5:1) because of what Jesus Christ has done on the cross, then you can experience the peace of God guarding your heart and mind against anything the world, the flesh, or the devil can throw at you! You have God guarding you!
The other day, I felt overwhelmed by the worries of this life and the demands of my schedule. In a moment of prayer with God, I wrote this in my prayer journal,
“Oh Father, keep my gaze ever on You even in the business of these days. I give you my worries and cares of this life, fleeting as it is, to focus my mind’s attention and my heart’s affection on You. Thank You that You are not just in the quiet place of solitude and stillness; You are also in the storm, the rush, and demands of my life. You are there where I need You most, working with me, in me, and through me to accomplish Your good purpose. Your Spirit energizes me and engineers all the circumstances of my life so that ALL THINGS work together for the good of those called according to Your purpose. So I commit yet another day to You that You have given to me.”
Take a moment now to write down your prayer using the promise of Philippians 4:6-7 as your guide. Experience His peace guarding your soul!
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.