Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7
Our lives are surrounded by and often filled with turmoil and uncertainty.
Everyone and everything is trying to dictate who we are, what we do, where we do it and ultimately who we become.
Life is filled with moments and even cycles of storms and disarray.
There are some people who even manufacture the storms in their lives.
Not only does God was us to find peace, He ultimately wants us to live in peace in every aspect of our lives.
5 Keys to Living in Peace
1. Rejoice in the Lord always.
This is not only done when things are going well.
We are told to rejoice always – at all times.
You can tell a lot about a person’s character and relationship with God by how they act in the midst of difficulty or trial.
Job rejoiced in the Lord at all times and in all situations and received back double what had been taken from him.
2. Let your gentleness/patience be evident.
It is not necessary for everyone to know when you are going through difficulty.
There are far too many people who love the attention they get from the trials they are going through. This is not the same as standing together through difficulty.
What a powerful testimony it is when people see that you are gentle, patient and trusting in God when things are not at their best.
3. Do not be anxious about anything.
Don’t allow the weight of your circumstances to become heavy upon you.
It isn’t beneficial to constantly be in crisis mode. Some people generate this when it isn’t there and are constantly in the state of freaking out.
Genuinely ask for prayer and help from someone you trust and not simply as a way to get attention.
Let God be God and quit getting ahead of Him.
Read Mark 4:35-41
“Don’t you care?” This is a classic question posed by a person in the midst of turmoil who hasn’t learned they can trust the Lord.
A major misconception is that if people don’t respond to our situation with the same level of frustration, turmoil or concern then they obviously don’t understand or care. The disciples assumed that since Jesus was sleeping through the storm He didn’t care about them or their situation.
4. Cultivate a life of prayer.
In life we have not because we ask not. (James 1)
a. Petition/Request
Open and honest request or entreaty made to someone in authority.
Sign of submission to the authority and decision of the one you are petitioning. This means that you are asking for help or an answer and you will accept the one that is given.
“Rabbi, we are in a storm. We need your help.”
b. Thanksgiving
An attitude of gratitude.
A thankful heart is found in a humble individual – one that doesn’t feel as though he/she automatically deserves what they get.
“Rabbi, you have saved us from so many things. Please help us again.”
c. Present
Make your petitions and/or requests known unto God.
Many people say, “But God already knows what I need.” While that is true, the Bible still tells us that God is waiting to hear from us.
Presenting your requests to God is effective when you are honest and totally yourself before God.
5. Know the One to Whom you are praying.
Even after Jesus calmed the storm, the disciples questioned Who He really was.
How will we ever have peace in the storm if we are always questioning who is in the boat with us?
There are times when God will use a storm in our lives to reveal a new side of Himself that we had previously not known or been exposed to.
“Present your requests to GOD”.
• We are not talking to a man.
• We are not talking to a beginner or a rookie.
• We are not talking to a created being.
• We must remember that we are created in His image and not the other way around.
• God is God and He is bigger than any challenge that we will ever face.
And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesu
