14-Sep-2024 – There is a way to be at peace.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:6-7
In this world, living a peaceful life is a blessing and a precious thing. There are many circumstances around us that try to take away our peace—whether in our personal lives, careers, or social settings. But God has opened the best way for us to find peace: making our requests known to Him through prayer and thanksgiving.
Let’s consider an example of someone filing their tax returns. They might feel tense because they don’t fully understand the requirements. What would they do? They’d approach an auditor for advice. Now, focus on this person’s mindset. Before finding an auditor, they’re anxious, but once they do, a portion of their tension is relieved because they trust the auditor can help. As the auditor shows them the way and helps with the calculations, they begin to understand the situation, and eventually, they feel settled.
In this example, if we focus only on the person’s behavior and mental state, we see that before delegating the important task to the auditor, they were worried. But once the task was handed over, they could feel more at ease and finally experience peace.
Now, let’s consider another example of a person facing a difficult situation at work with a superior. No matter what they do, their superior constantly finds faults and shouts at them, causing discouragement. This person, however, has a friend who helps them handle the situation. For the next task, the friend advises them to include the boss of the superior in their updates and explain the task in detail—what was asked, how they accomplished it, and why they made certain decisions. The superior’s boss finds the information very useful and directly appreciates the effort in an email. Now, the superior no longer has a reason to belittle the person. How relieved do you think this person would be? They’d finally be at peace, right?
In our lives, there are many things we cannot handle on our own to achieve peace in a given situation. That’s why God has provided the safest and best way for us: delegating the responsibility of planning and guidance to Him through prayer for everything in our lives. How can we do that? Through prayer and supplication. Does God not already know about your situation?
God knows everything about you—your past, your future, and your present. But God honors our free will. Like a loving father, He always waits for us to initiate the request. This shows that we trust Him and feel free to approach Him. If we don’t go to Him and ask, it means we aren’t comfortable asking for help. However, sometimes God intervenes even without our asking, because we are His children. Our safety is of utmost importance to Him.
Once we ask Him in prayer, God’s work is manifested. His nature of reviving things that were dead and creating something new from nothing will be revealed in your life. And everything will fall into place in its time, for your peace. So, take hold of the way God has provided for your peace.
Prayer
Dear loving Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and grace. Thank You for reminding us that prayer and supplication are a way for us to attain peace in this chaotic world. Teach me to pray and entrust the planning to You, and help me to execute according to Your will. I pray in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen!
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