PEACE
Day-1
Peace Playlist
Peace is found in God. How many times have you heard, “I love going to the beach because it brings me so much peace? Or I can’t wait to travel to the mountains, because I need peace? I believe peace doesn’t come from the location but it is a gift that can only be found in God. When we go to our favorite places, a beach home, lake house, cabins, to the park, hiking or even to church, although these are great places to visit, they don’t necessarily provide you with peace. They do however, create the atmosphere for you to connect with the giver of peace. They allow you the space and opportunity to be STILL.
In his book “Stillness is the key” that I gladly “borrowed” (wink-wink) from my good sister Vallon. Ryan Holiday states, “It is in this stillness that we can be present and finally see truth. It is in this stillness that we can hear the voice inside us.” If we want to experience the peace that God wants us to have, we are going to have to be STILL, TRUST God FIRST and TRUST God FOR it. How do we build trust in God? I’m glad you asked. We build trust in God the same way we begin trusting our friends, our partners, our husbands and our wives. We build trust in God by deepening our relationship with God. When we deepen our relationship with God, we are able to rely and have faith in him to be there in the midst of storms and in the midst of chaos. Let me be clear, peace doesn’t mean the absence of chaos, but we find peace in believing that no matter what’s happening in my life, God will be present with me, God will protect me and God will provide for me. Today, focus on building trust in God by deepening your relationship with him.
Reflection Questions:
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How can you grow a deeper relationship with God?
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Where do you go do to be STILL?
Scripture: Romans 15:17
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer:
Lord, we thank you that you give us peace to walk through our storms. Please be with us as we continue to trust you and grow a deeper relationship with you. Amen
PEACE
Day-2
Peace Playlist
I can remember having to face a set of bullies at a summer camp when I was younger. I tried using all of my dad jokes like this one; What did the buffalo say to it's son when he left? Bison. This one still cracks me up. As you can imagine, that didn't make anyone chuckle but me. But as they began to say things like, "preach, preach he smells like bleach" and before they started to shove me around, I noticed my friends walking up behind them. I knew they'd come because the first time this happened they were there and made a promise to me that they would always have my back. When I turned my attention to my friends, I began to relax. I felt at ease. Similar to my friends protecting me from those bullies, God's peace does the exact same thing. The peace of God is our defense. Many times we don't experience God's peace because our attention has been held prisoner by our problems. God's peace is your protection. If you want to experience his peace, turn your attention away from whatever you are facing and turn your attention to God.
We sometimes forget, the same God that performed miracles in the Bible, is the same God that can and will perform miracles in your life today. When we are faced with problems, depression, loneliness and anxiety, we tend to allow those things to control us instead of praying and allowing God's peace to take control. We receive the peace of God by communicating with God. Do me a favor, pray when you feel anxious. Pray when you feel defeated. Pray when you feel alone. Pray when you are worried. Pray when you feel overwhelmed. Pray!
Love y'all!
Reflection Questions:
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How often do you pray?
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What can you do to spend more time communicating with God?
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What do you do when you feel overwhelmed?
Scripture: Philippians :4;7
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Prayer:
Lord, we will turn our attention to you when we are overwhelmed, afraid and worried. Help us to experience the peace you give us every single day. Amen
PEACE
Day-3
Peace Playlist
God's peace is for you. I'm not sure what you are currently facing right now and another idea or someone writing a devotion on peace may seem pointless because you are in need of something tangible. You may have student loans, credit card debts, a broken marriage, dating problems, you and your family are at odds, or like me, you maybe transitioning into a new career field and the transition is taking longer than expected. You are probably thinking, how will reading a few paragraphs on peace change my situation? The answer is simple, having the peace of God changes how you see what you are facing.
Having the peace of God doesn't mean the pain or your problems are obsolete or that they go away. It means that you have chosen to trust God first and trust God for it. Whenever you are faced with a problem, I want to encourage you to ask for God's peace.
God's promises which can be found in his word are unfailing and we are reminded of this in 2nd Corinthians 1:10. For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory. I believe God wants us to live a life filled with happiness, filled with joy and filled with his peace. I don't believe God wants us constantly living a life filled with suffering, pain and problems. The reality is, we do face problems. Some of us face them daily, others face them seasonally. However, God has given us access to something that will help us not simply get through our problems but grow through them and that something is his PEACE.
Love y'all!
Reflection Questions:
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What problems are you facing right now?
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Have you ask God for help?
Scripture: John :14;27
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you”
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for the peace you give me. Whenever I face a problem, I will trust you first and trust you for the answer. I love you. Amen