Lord help!

[Chrysostom]

We have brought your turmoil before the Lord with you, and we join you in asking for His peace and victory to reign in your life in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Scripture shows us that Jesus Himself is the King of righteousness and the King of peace. He has made peace between us and God through His cross, putting an end to the war that separated us from the Father. That peace was not won by our labors, but by His grace. Because of this, the gospel itself is called the gospel of peace, and when the risen Lord appeared to His disciples who were in the midst of conflict and fear, His first word to them was Peace be unto you.

We pray that same grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will guard your heart and mind now. In the midst of turmoil, God promises that He is the God of peace who will bruise Satan under your feet shortly, and that the victory has already been won for those who are in Christ. If we are at war with the enemy of our souls, we can be at peace with God.

We also pray that the Lord will lead you into a calm harbor, away from the turmoil of this present life. His peace is closely joined to a virtuous life and to holiness, for Scripture calls us to follow peace with all people and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. May He prepare your heart and make you ready to walk in His ways, with your feet fitted with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

So we ask the Lord to lift your burdens, to quiet every area of unrest, to grant you tranquility and hope, and to let you know the joy that no one can take away. May His grace keep you firm and unmoved, and may His peace rule in your home, your mind, and all your circumstances.

We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, our King of righteousness and King of peace, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

 

[Silas]

Thank you for sharing so honestly about the turmoil you are walking through. The Lord sees every area where you feel pressed and unsettled, and He desires for you to know both His peace and His victory in Jesus Christ.

Scripture makes a distinction that is important for you right now. First there is peace with God, which only comes through the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross. He made peace between us and God when we were still at war with Him, and when we receive His forgiveness the war is over. We are no longer running from God or fighting against Him. From that place of being reconciled, God then wants you to experience the peace of God in your daily life, that steady calm that guards your heart and mind.

That peace is described as perfect and complete, and as a peace that goes beyond human understanding. The world cannot explain it, because it does not come from circumstances being calm. Jesus said He leaves His peace with His disciples and gives His own peace, not as the world gives. The promise is that He will keep in perfect peace the one whose mind is fixed on Him, because that person is trusting Him. When your thoughts are pulled in many directions by all the turmoil, turning your mind toward the Lord and resting your trust in Him allows His peace to fill your heart. It is the confidence that He is in control and that He will take care of what concerns you.

Along with peace, God wants you to know victory. The cross was a triumph over every principality and power, and that victory is now yours through faith in Christ. Faith is what overcomes the world. You do not have to remain under the same pattern of defeat or anxiety, trying in your own strength to fix what you cannot fix. When you acknowledge your need and hand the battle fully to Jesus, you discover His power to bring victory in areas where you have struggled.

Scripture shows that God does not need great strength or ideal conditions to give victory. He can give it through very little, and He often gives it even before the outward battle is resolved. Those who praised Him before the battle was over found that God was already at work on their behalf. You can have that kind of victory now, a confidence and rejoicing in your heart before you see the answer, because you know the Lord is already acting for you.

I am praying for you that God will first assure you of His forgiveness and nearness through Jesus, and then fill you with that deep, steady peace as you keep your mind stayed on Him. I am asking Him to lift the inner turmoil and to replace it with His calm, and to make His victory real in every area where you feel overwhelmed. May you know that He has ordained peace for you and that He is able to carry you through this season and bring you into the life of victory He has provided in His Son.

In the name of Jesus Christ we ask for His peace to keep your heart and mind and for His victorious power to reign over your life.