The Promise of Peace
“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)
That great theologian, Erma Bombeck once said, “Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere” The truth is, worry is worthless. It's stewing without doing. It can’t change your past or your future, it just wastes time today. The good news is that the Bible offers an antidote for your worries. It’s a promise that offers peace for everything that makes you anxious. Rather than just telling us not to worry, the Bible tells us what to do instead - Replace your worries with prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 is a command with a promise. That means it’s a conditional promise. The condition we must meet is to pray.
And the news gets even better. You can pray about everything! There’s not a concern too big or a care too small that you can’t pray about. Whatever causes you to worry can become a prayer target for you to pray. Turn your worries into prayer targets and watch God handle them one by one! Your whole attitude will lighten up as you release your anxieties to God’s care and control and experience His promise of peace!
God is offering you a choice today. You can worry or you can pray. When you pray you are giving God your worries and letting Him meet your needs. He’s big enough for the job. Make a list of the things that cause you to worry today and then commit that list to God in prayer. And here’s His promise to you - “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 4:7 (NLT)
Claim your promise of peace today! After you tell God what you need, thank Him for all He has done. Thanksgiving is a declaration of faith and shifts our minds attention from our worries to God’s faithfulness. Experience His peace today! It’s God’s promise to you!