Peace Rules
Ever been anxious about something? Anxiousness is really a vague cloud of worry over something you can't do anything about, or even positively name: it is a cloud of fogginess! Fear wrapped in a desire to control something that you cannot control.
Yesterday a thought was pestering me something fierce. A vulnerable nerve was exposed and being teased with an action. At first, I started playing with the idea, but just like a little child being teased with something he/she cannot have, it started to get all frustrated, flustered and worked up.
I began to pray through it, and even called a friend to check my thoughts out with her. It is great to have Jesus-loving friends who love you enough to remind you you are weak and about to do something stupid if you give in to it! I did not actually speak to her but left a message, just asking for prayer.
After hanging up, I went about my day which involved some hard hot work in the yard. It's great therapy, plus my dad was here for the weekend. He is like three men in one: I just follow behind and pick up branches, rake up leaves and hauled them all to the curb. Keeping up with him is hard work! So, I jumped on my part of the work and started mowing the grass. Mowing is GREAT for meditating: As I prayed, the Spirit helped me flip my thoughts over to some age-old verses I had stashed away. Memorization comes in handy when fighting the enemy!
The first one that came to mind was 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. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I focused in on "the peace of God... will guard your hearts and your minds..." My mind, with the Help of the Spirit, pulled up another verse:
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,... Colossians 3:17
I mused over that phrase, "Let the peace of Christ rule..."
I turned it into a prayer, "Lord, Let Your Peace rule my heart and mind."
As I gave way to His Reign, doing the right thing by His Empowerment, resisting the temptation to do something that would only bring more distress to my heart and mind, His Peace reigned... further strengthening me to do the right thing. The festering, irritated, worked up vulnerable nerve in my soul began to quiet down. The teasing temptations began to disappear.
I followed the Peace! Then He reminded me of Another Verse I just love: Isaiah 32:17
The fruit of that righteousness will be peace;
its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.
That will happen as we do the right thing, by His Power, "The FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS" .... and sense we WEAR HIS RIGHTEOUS ROBES (because we are In Christ, we have all that He has!) He gives us Divine Weapons to Demolish the enemy's attempts to steal, kill and destroy what is rightfully ours! I believe that the temptation of the flesh, world, and the enemy gets so intertwined in our being that we forget that we have some authority over all this: that would be the Name and Power of Jesus Christ! His Peace Ruling in My heart is what He wants to do every single moment.
I just wanted to testify to His Power! His Word Is sharper than a two-edged sword and we don't have to be beat up by the enemies of our souls. It is a battle, that is for sure; but as long as we know that... (and we HAVE been warned in Scripture), we also know how to fight.
And then we can live in Quiet Confidence Forever - that would include today!
I am going to wear this new experience around heavily in the next few days. I feel like He taught me how to let His Peace rule.
It's a good question to ask: Am I letting the Peace of Christ Rule in my heart?
There is a "letting" on my part... and then he can and does and will Rule on His part. It kind of works in tangent like that...
So, Let Peace Rule: It's Yours in Christ Jesus!
Yesterday a thought was pestering me something fierce. A vulnerable nerve was exposed and being teased with an action. At first, I started playing with the idea, but just like a little child being teased with something he/she cannot have, it started to get all frustrated, flustered and worked up.
I began to pray through it, and even called a friend to check my thoughts out with her. It is great to have Jesus-loving friends who love you enough to remind you you are weak and about to do something stupid if you give in to it! I did not actually speak to her but left a message, just asking for prayer.
After hanging up, I went about my day which involved some hard hot work in the yard. It's great therapy, plus my dad was here for the weekend. He is like three men in one: I just follow behind and pick up branches, rake up leaves and hauled them all to the curb. Keeping up with him is hard work! So, I jumped on my part of the work and started mowing the grass. Mowing is GREAT for meditating: As I prayed, the Spirit helped me flip my thoughts over to some age-old verses I had stashed away. Memorization comes in handy when fighting the enemy!
The first one that came to mind was 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. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I focused in on "the peace of God... will guard your hearts and your minds..." My mind, with the Help of the Spirit, pulled up another verse:
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,... Colossians 3:17
I mused over that phrase, "Let the peace of Christ rule..."
I turned it into a prayer, "Lord, Let Your Peace rule my heart and mind."
As I gave way to His Reign, doing the right thing by His Empowerment, resisting the temptation to do something that would only bring more distress to my heart and mind, His Peace reigned... further strengthening me to do the right thing. The festering, irritated, worked up vulnerable nerve in my soul began to quiet down. The teasing temptations began to disappear.
I followed the Peace! Then He reminded me of Another Verse I just love: Isaiah 32:17
The fruit of that righteousness will be peace;
its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.
That will happen as we do the right thing, by His Power, "The FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS" .... and sense we WEAR HIS RIGHTEOUS ROBES (because we are In Christ, we have all that He has!) He gives us Divine Weapons to Demolish the enemy's attempts to steal, kill and destroy what is rightfully ours! I believe that the temptation of the flesh, world, and the enemy gets so intertwined in our being that we forget that we have some authority over all this: that would be the Name and Power of Jesus Christ! His Peace Ruling in My heart is what He wants to do every single moment.
I just wanted to testify to His Power! His Word Is sharper than a two-edged sword and we don't have to be beat up by the enemies of our souls. It is a battle, that is for sure; but as long as we know that... (and we HAVE been warned in Scripture), we also know how to fight.
And then we can live in Quiet Confidence Forever - that would include today!
I am going to wear this new experience around heavily in the next few days. I feel like He taught me how to let His Peace rule.
It's a good question to ask: Am I letting the Peace of Christ Rule in my heart?
There is a "letting" on my part... and then he can and does and will Rule on His part. It kind of works in tangent like that...
So, Let Peace Rule: It's Yours in Christ Jesus!
Comments
Blessings,
Carrie