Guarded by His Peace - Carla D Burnette
My daughter called to say she was diagnosed with strep and thought she had COVID too. “Oh no! How can this be?” I thought. “What can I do? She is 13 hours away at college.” I told her I would pray. That was really all I could do, besides worry.
I felt the Lord directing me to ask my friends to pray for her too. So I posted my request on Facebook. I was greatly encouraged by the number of people who responded and were joining me in prayer.
The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV), “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (7) And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Let’s unpack the truths found in these two verses.
First, verse 6 tells us not to be anxious about anything. In today’s world with COVID and all the uncertainty, this is difficult. But this verse also tells us what to do when we are anxious.
Next, the latter part of verse 6 challenges us to present our requests with thanksgiving to God in every situation. Aren’t you thankful, we can come to God in every situation with our requests? What a privilege that He is there for us in our time of need. Note that we are to come before Him with thanksgiving when expressing our needs. We can be grateful for who our God is and what He has done. This includes thanking Him for His lovingkindness, for sending Jesus to liberate us from our sins, for His promise to never leave us, for His mercy and compassion, and for giving us peace. We have many reasons to be thankful.
Lastly, verse 7 informs us as a result of presenting our requests with thanksgiving, He fills us with His peace. This peace protects our hearts and minds from anxiety and worry. What a promise! Hold onto this promise! Think of a soldier guarding something valuable. He bravely prevents anyone from getting past him to steal what is precious. Like a soldier, peace serves as a protector of our hearts.
Another passage of Scripture which speaks of peace is Colossians 3:15a, which says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” Note the word “let”. This word implies we choose what rules in our hearts. May we allow God’s peace to rule in our hearts, instead of letting anxiety or worry control us. This doesn’t mean that we deny our feelings of worry and anxiety, but we express them to the Lord. Doing so opens the way for His peace to reign in our hearts.
In the situation with my daughter, I thanked the Lord that He loved her more than I did. Then I presented my request before Him. After praying, I was still concerned for her, but His peace calmed my anxious heart. I knew He was watching over her and would take care of her.
In addition to His peace, I found encouragement when I asked others to join me in prayer. Don’t be afraid to share your request with others. We are called to bear the burdens of one another as Galatians 6:2 (NIV) tells us, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
How can we bear each other’s burdens if we do not know what they are? A person may have an encouraging word to share with you when you make known your prayer request. But if you remain silent and don’t say anything, you may miss that encouragement. Plus, people feel honored when you ask them for help. They feel needed. It shows you trust them. When you share a need, others are comfortable to share their needs as well. Then together, we can bear each other’s burdens and be the body of Christ by supporting each other in love.
Back to my daughter’s situation…it turns out that she did have COVID. She called telling me, “Mom, the first day of quarantine was actually fun!”
“What? Are you serious? How is this possible?” I questioned.
She explained that COVID was spreading amongst her friends which is how she contracted the virus. Those with COVID were then placed in a separate dorm building. While in quarantine, she and her friends gathered together and played games in this dorm building. Despite feeling horrible, they made the most out of the situation. I was greatly relieved to hear this. I also thanked God for providing comfort to her amidst this negative situation.
What requests do you need to lay before the Lord? Remember to present them with thanksgiving and then His peace will guard your heart and mind. May we also be vulnerable and willingly share our needs with others, so they can come alongside us and offer support.
Father, thank You that we can come to You with our requests. That we do not have to be anxious about anything for You promise us Your peace will guard our hearts and minds. Today, we bring to you _________. Thank you for Your peace regarding this situation. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Share your requests by commenting below and let’s pray for one another.
