Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Do you ever find yourself getting anxious? Has anyone ever called you a Nervous Nelly or a Sally Sad Sack? Okay so maybe not the last one but you get what I mean. Our world is surrounded by pressures and things vying for our attention that it can sometimes just feel overwhelming. To be honest, I still get kind of nervous about leading the middle schoolers. So much so that I normally don’t sleep too well Saturday night before having to teach on Sunday. In reality, I know many of you are going through things a lot bigger than that, where people, relationships, and careers are possibly on the line.
I think the question comes down to how do we find peace? I think of all the times I quoted verse 7 above praying over people’s circumstances and my own. However, I failed to realize that there are prerequisites to this peace. God says peace is found when you add Prayer + Petition + Thanksgiving. If I’m honest if there’s one of those I miss more often than the others, its thanksgiving. I often forget all the good things God has given me and instead become enamored with what is going wrong. Perhaps you can relate. Maybe these last few weeks of lent we change our focus from what we don’t have to what God has already done, trusting that He can handle our present circumstances. Perhaps in that we’ll find His peace.
God thank you. Thank you for you are. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for everything. God remind me how every breath I have is a blessing from you. I know how often I forget your work in my life. God you are amazing. Forgive me for not giving you the recognition you deserve. Lord help me to find your peace. Thank you, God.