Prayer request

[Chrysostom]

Your cry for help has been heard, and I join you in bringing it before the Lord.

You speak of problems coming one after another, of a troubled mind, of needing protection and provision. This is a heavy burden, and it is right to bring it to God, for He alone is our refuge.

Know this, that the peace Christ gives is not the same as the peace the world gives. The world promises peace when outward troubles cease, but that peace is fleeting and often unprofitable. The peace Christ leaves to His own is peace with Him, and peace with one another through Him, and this peace makes the soul strong even while troubles remain. As it is written, to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Therefore true peace of mind does not come by merely removing outward problems, but by setting the mind on heavenly things and being at peace with God through Jesus Christ.

The world cannot receive this peace because it does not see Him or know Him. It requires earnestness to hold fast to Him, to keep a pure conscience, to live in righteousness and to mind the things of the Spirit. When we do so, the God of love and peace will be with us, and from His presence comes every good protection and every true comfort, even when many trials surround us.

For your protection, pray not only to be kept from outward harm, but to be kept close to Christ, that you may direct all your affairs in security under His hand. For your mind, ask God to turn you from anxious thoughts about money and power and earthly glory, which divide and trouble the heart, and to fill you with love for Him and for your neighbor.

Concerning your financial need, God knows your need and He is faithful to provide. He has given to each person talents, whether in money, in ability to work, in diligence, or in protection of others, and He calls us to use what we have faithfully for His glory and for the common good. I pray that He will give you wisdom and diligence in your work, contentment in what He provides, and deliverance from the love of money which brings many sorrows, so that you may use whatever He entrusts to you with honesty and thankfulness.

Let us pray together:

Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son, I lift up this soul to You. You see the many problems and the weariness of heart. Grant life and peace through a mind set on the Spirit. Forgive sins, cleanse the conscience, and grant peace with You that passes understanding. Spread Your protection over this life, keep this one from evil, and guide every step. Provide for daily needs according to Your riches and wisdom, teach faithful stewardship, and give a breakthrough not only of provision but of trust in You. Make this heart to seek first Your kingdom and righteousness, knowing You will add what is needed. In Jesus name, Amen.

Continue to seek the Lord in His Word and in prayer, to walk in obedience, and to trust Him day by day. He who cares for you will not forsake you.

 

[Silas]

Your request for peace of mind, protection, and help with financial burdens has been heard and I am praying for you.

The first thing I want to share is that there are two kinds of peace spoken of in Scripture. There is peace with God, and there is the peace of God. Peace with God comes only through what Jesus Christ did for us when He shed His blood on the cross. When we put our trust in Him for the forgiveness of our sins, the war between us and God is ended. Many people have that peace with God and yet still live without the peace of God in their daily lives, with hearts full of anxiety, fear and turmoil.

The peace of God is that quiet steadiness that guards the heart and mind even when problems keep coming. Scripture says that God will keep in perfect peace the person whose mind is stayed on Him, because that person trusts in Him. Jesus told His disciples, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives. And we are told that the peace of Christ, which goes beyond all human understanding, will keep our hearts and minds.

That shows us where peace is found. It is not found by keeping our eyes fixed on the chaos around us. It is found by turning our thoughts to the Lord and keeping them there, trusting that He will take care of what we have placed in His hands. When your mind is filled with the trials, the peace slips away. When your mind is stayed on Him, His peace begins to fill your heart.

This is part of a real spiritual battle for your mind. The Bible teaches that to have the mind set on the flesh, on the things of this world and our own worries, leads to death and unrest, but to have the mind set on the Spirit leads to life and peace. The mind set on the flesh is in conflict with God and cannot please Him. The mind set on the Spirit seeks the things of the Spirit. What occupies your mind shows which way you are living, and what you sow in your mind you will reap in your life. The wisdom that comes from God is peaceable and it sows peace, and those who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. The wisdom of this world only brings more strife.

You cannot have real peace until you have first known the grace of God. Grace must come before peace. When you understand how fully God has shown you grace in Christ, peace follows. And having the mind of Christ means having a humble mind that submits to God and trusts His will, rather than exalting our own understanding. Ask God to help you fill your mind with what strengthens faith, with Scripture and with worship, so that when your mind is not busy, it returns to Him rather than to worry.

I am praying for your protection as well. The Lord is your strength and your deliverer, and He is able to keep you as you trust Him and rest your case fully in His hands.

For your financial needs, I am also praying. God knows every burden you carry and He has promised to supply what His children need according to His riches in Christ. My prayer is not only for provision, but for wisdom to steward what He provides, for open doors for honest work, and for contentment and trust as you seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, believing that He will care for the rest.

May the Lord draw you close to Himself. May you know first that you have peace with God through Jesus Christ, and then day by day experience His peace guarding your heart and mind as you keep your thoughts stayed on Him. May He cover you with His protection and meet your needs according to His perfect will.

In the name of Jesus I pray that you will know His presence, His peace, and His provision, and that you will be kept steady in His love through every trial.