Peace

This is Hans Schile from the Finishing Well Podcast.

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And now, here's James. Thanks, Ravi. You know, you're right that anxiety is a huge topic for so many today. And it's understandable given these uncertain times, but that's just the thing. You know, life has always been uncertain, whether we've known it or not. We're just as fragile as we've always been. And that's why a relationship with God matters so much, because He alone is the one thing that does not change, and when we have a relationship with Him through Jesus, we have this hope.

We always have something to look forward to. So as we start with an emphasis on peace today, we need to go to a very special promise Jesus made. Here it is. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. So do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.

Wow. That's John 14 27, right? I love that verse.

Me too, because it says so much, you know. One, it points out that the satisfaction that the world gives comes and goes, but that His peace never changes. And the more we know His peace, the less we'll be troubled and the less afraid we'll be.

Oh, that sums it up perfect. So James, I mean, let's talk about how to know His peace better in our lives, because that's where we really need to just get through the day. Yeah, it is.

It really is. And to start, to receive Jesus' peace, of course we have to receive Him. We can't receive Him as a means to an end.

That's not a relationship, you know. I want you because I want peace. But we have to meet God on His terms, and that starts with our admitting that He is God and that we're not, and that we really need the forgiveness that He offers us through His cross and the new life that He wants to give us. Now, that makes me think of that verse in Romans 5-1 that says we have peace with God when we come to Him by faith in Jesus.

Yeah, that's it. And that's where it starts. The Bible tells us that He Himself is our peace in Ephesians. And while we may know that, we need to be reminded of it. So what I'd like to do now is talk about one of the best ways we can do that through prayer, especially praying the prayers of God's Word, and also some verses that aren't prayers, but that we can easily turn into one. And we can start with the one we mentioned earlier, peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Try saying that quietly to yourself, and imagine that Jesus is saying it to you, because He is, really. And then simply pray, I receive you, I receive your peace. And by receiving Him, we mean turning from anything that is less than what God wants for us, any sin or self-will in our lives, and asking Him to replace it with Himself and His peace. We can think about the worries on our hearts as well, and receive Jesus over them, and just sit before Him quietly and let His peace enter into us and bless us and wash over us.

There's nothing like it. Oh, I love that. It's so important.

Really, that's a great place to start. Well, one of the things we don't want to miss is the tenderness of this relationship, how deeply it goes through His Spirit. Because, you know, sometimes I think people talk about having a relationship with Jesus, and they mention it almost in, you know, solely theological terms, as if they're kind of emotionally removed from that. And it's not that our faith is a matter of emotions, but it goes so deeply that it touches them. So just think of the peace that you had when you were a child.

If you had a loving parent, and you could run to them with your troubles, and they knew just what to do, it's that way with God, only better. So here's another verse, Isaiah 26-3, and this is a prayer right out of Scripture. You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you. You know, you can pray that anytime, anywhere, as a way of fixing your thoughts on Him and just trusting Him more. Oh, that's excellent.

I mean, I can imagine doing that at your desk or in the car, and really, before you go to sleep at night or get up in the morning, anywhere, really. Yeah, yeah, and here's another great one for at night. From Psalm 4-8, in peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, will keep me safe. And here's another, it's another verse that we can turn into a prayer, something Peter says in the beginning of his letter in 2 Peter, chapter 1, verse 2, may God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. So that's his prayer for the people he's writing to, and we can make it a prayer for ourselves. Lord, give me more and more grace and peace as I grow in understanding of who you are. That's so helpful and kind of exciting, you know, for God to be that much, you're his favorite, you know? And I have that feeling some of this is going to be in that book, isn't it?

Well, that's classified, but absolutely. So you want another one? Yeah, lay it on me, man.

All right, we're going back to the 60s. Peace out, bro. But let's go to this one, another prayer, this one from Paul, and we can pray it for ourselves as well, 2 Thessalonians 3.16. Now, may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you. Oh, you are my Obi-Wan Kenobi, you know, with that one. You're my only hope. Thank you, Padawan.

But seriously, just think about it. Pray it this way. Oh, Lord of peace, give me your peace at all times in every way, and oh, be with me, Lord. I love that. I absolutely love that. Yeah, me too, because there really is no peace like the peace Jesus gives, right?

Nothing even comes close. I mean, he really does meet our deepest need. Yeah, that's just it. I mean, where would we be without him? And the cool thing about praying like this is that we've only crossed the border here. There's a vast, undiscovered country of promises from God's word that we can pray for ourselves. And there are promises and prayers and pleas.

I mean, there's so much there. Spurgeon used to say that God's promises were like checks that you could cash that you knew were always good because the Bank of Heaven never fails and never closes. So Robbie, would you finish up with a prayer about all this?

Oh, absolutely. Jesus, thank you. Thank you for this reminder. And Lord, I pray that you would, through your spirit, bring it to our hearts when we need it. When we start to feel anxious, we can remember these verses and remember the word that you gave us that pours over our spirit to give us that peace. And I ask for your spirit in all this. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen? Amen. You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website, jamesbanks.org, or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray.