“Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything
[every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with
thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.
And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace]
which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].”
Philippians 4:6-7 AMP
Grace Perspective:
The peace of God is a guard that Paul, the author of this passage, was intimately acquainted with. Paul endured beatings, being stoned, shipwrecked, left for dead, and being imprisoned several times for sharing the gospel of grace. He understood the destructive power of anxious thoughts and learned over time how prayer, with thanksgiving, can build a strong wall of protection around his heart and mind.
The word guard in this passage means to be protected by a military guard to prevent enemies from taking over. God’s peace is a strong protector against doubt, fear, and unbelief. The enemy of our soul seeks to keep us off-balance, sometimes sneakily attacking when we least expect it. However, we can choose to pray through every circumstance, thanking God for His presence in our lives, and the peace of God will be a gracious guard to our hearts and minds.
A Touch of Grace:
What guards do you have in place when you become anxious?
What circumstance are you facing today that God’s peace can stand guard over?
Grace Application:
God does not want us to live in turmoil caused by anxious thoughts of doubt, fear, and unbelief. Instead, he wants us to turn our hearts and minds towards Him when circumstances overwhelm us. I believe we all struggle with anxiety in some form or fashion and will continue to contend with it as long as we are in this fallen world.
Anxious thoughts can easily overwhelm our peace, filling our hearts with fear. Fearful thinking can creep up on us until we are suddenly imagining worst-case scenarios that make our hearts beat faster, sleep evade us, and make our stomachs churn. (Can you tell I’m familiar with this feeling)?
You know what I mean. For example, someone we love may be delayed coming home. If we don’t hear from them, our imagination can go into overdrive. If we don’t stop those thoughts from consuming us, we can quickly become consumed by thinking of all the horrible things that may have happened. The grim thoughts invade our minds, and our bodies respond with fear and trembling. The only way to stop this is by following Paul’s example of praying with thanksgiving.
Learning to take “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5) helps us to bring our hearts and minds in line with God’s truth. When our thoughts begin to spiral downward and out of control, we can turn from thinking of the “what ifs” to what God says is true. Prayer…a lifeline to God that will guard our hearts and minds with peace that passes all understanding. A peace that will expose lies and bring our thoughts in line with the truth.
Today, if anxious thoughts begin to consume you, turn to God in prayer, thanking Him for His steadfast love, mercy, and the peace that will graciously guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
Prayer:
Gracious Father, I come to You in the precious name of Jesus Christ, thankful for Your peace. Forgive me for not coming to you quickly when anxious thoughts begin to consume me. Holy Spirit help me to quickly turn to prayer with thanksgiving when I become overwhelmed. Lord, may truth fill my mind so that the peace that passes all understanding graciously guards my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Amen
**Today, as you read this, I pray each of you will know for sure you are in Christ Jesus. If you have any doubts, please call out to God so that all doubt is erased. Today is a good day to be assured of Salvation in Christ Jesus. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at graceisdawning@gmail.com**