A Sense of Peace

 

It was just 9 years and 2 months ago when I received the diagnosis of breast cancer. I don’t think that anything can prepare you for that kind of news. It’s a real punch in the gut and you can’t help but lose a sense of peace.

Is your faith standing trial?

It takes a lot of faith to trust God’s will for your life, much like Job, who lost absolutely everything in his life, even his wife and children. It’s hard to imagine that when most of us would feel like life wasn’t worth living anymore, Job remained strong in his faith. But, like most human beings, Job did reach a point of questioning and blaming God.

I had decided early on in my treatment that no matter what happened, I wanted the level of Christian maturity & grace to be able to plant my feet firmly in God’s promises. Oh! He has many promises, indeed!

Our faith will always be tested throughout our life time. The question is, will we still praise God in our “wilderness” just as much as when we are on the mountain top? 

 

Faith under fire

When faced with a diagnosis, it is normal to think about our own death and this is when Romans 8 spoke clearly to me. God has promised that nothing can separate us from His love.  This is when I began to experience a sense of peace. 

 

[Rom 8:38-39 NLT]

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow--not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love.

39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below--indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

[Jhn 16:33 NLT]

33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

 

 What steals your sense of peace?

 

The Bible tells us of many other ways we can lose peace in our lives. Think about those times of stubbornness, foolishness and unforgiveness. How many times can you get your peace back by just saying “I’m sorry”?

Even our past can keep us chained and we can lose peace if we hang on to those things that weigh us down. It steals our joy and peace; just like worrying about tomorrow robs our joy of today.

Our attitudes, emotions and relationships with one another greatly affects our sense of peace. Romans 12 is a guide in learning God’s will for our lives and how to live in peace with one another.

 

Pray for a peace that will settle your troubled heart 

In God’s presence, there is a security and tranquility that removes all burdens. 

[Phl 4:6-7 NLT]

6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

7 Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Peace that Passes ALL understanding 

As my faith matured, even the fear of dying released its grip.  A supernatural and divine peace that can only be found in Jesus Christ washed over me.  Heaven is my home! 

[1Co 15:55 ESV]

55 "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"

 

It was during this journey that I would tell others, "You have to walk thru it to get to the other side".  This just means either you will get through the situation or you will come to your final destination. With God’s Holy peace, you will be able to press on in any storm and endure until the end.

[Jhn 14:27 NIV]

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Peace be with you, my friend ~

The Fragrance of Prayer

 

Prayer is one of the greatest privileges that we have! It is a precious opportunity to express our love to and for God; to have the honor to praise His name and to tell Him “thank you”.  Prayer strengthens your personal relationship with our Father, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

The Bible tells us that as God’s children, our prayers are like a sweet fragrance [incense] to God.  

 

[Rev 5:8 NKJV]

8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

 

The golden incense-altar was the altar of prayer and the altar of burnt-offering was the altar of atonement and consecration.  God gave detailed instructions for the altar in the tabernacle [Exodus 30] and gave very specific spices for the incense.  We are told that aromas hold specific meanings for God, both pleasing and those that makes Him recoil.

 

[2Co 2:15-16 NKJV]

15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

16 To the one [we are] the aroma of death [leading] to death, and to the other the aroma of life [leading] to life. And who [is] sufficient for these things?

 

Christ himself is the fragrance and it is through His righteousness that His fragrance covers our prayers straight to the throne room of God.

 

[Eph 5:2 ESV]

2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

 

Jesus also encourages us to pray in unity. This is a beautiful harmony of voices that reach God’s throne. Just think, He treasures all of our prayers and keeps them forever.  Prayer is so powerful because Jesus tells us that He is among us while we pray!

  

[Mat 18:19-20 NLT]

19 "I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.

20 For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them."

 

Jesus gave us instruction and the perfect template (pattern) to help us communicate with our Creator. He certainly doesn’t want us to repeat ritualistic words or to speak mindlessly, but He does want us to pray specifically and boldly.

 

[Mat 6:5-15 NIV]

5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Important factors

Just what are the key factors that are important as you speak to your Heavenly Father?

 

9 "This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, - How beautiful to give a declaration of praise, acknowledging that God is Holy and to be revered. He is Lord of heaven and earth. He is our Creator and our Heavenly Father. His name is never to be taken lightly. How often have we put God inside a box to fit Him inside our minimal understanding of who He is? 

 

10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. – Pray for His will to rule and reign in our world. His power and presence will enter our lives here on earth as He wills it in heaven. There is a very distinct connection between earth and the heavenly realm.

 

11 Give us today our daily bread. – This declaration of dependence upon God as our provider acknowledges that everything we need is provided by His gracious hand.

 

12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. – We are indebted to God because He forgave our sins. We must willingly forgive those who have sinned against us. This is where we must ask for grace to do so.

 

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' – We have an enemy of our souls. As we go thru difficulties and times of temptation, we need divine deliverance. We have power over the evil one because Jesus paid an enormous price.

 

Some manuscripts include “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” – All that God is and all that God does lives forever. There has never been and never will be anything greater than God in all the universe.

 

Jesus continues by telling us:

 

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

 

Thankfully, when we do not know what to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us by searching our hearts and praying for us.

 

[Rom 8:26-27 NLT]

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will.

 

 

There is nothing that you can’t talk to God about. He is interested in every tiny thing going on in your life. You can pray your way through the day by allowing prayer to become like breathing.  Don’t worry if you pray in a whisper, out loud or silently. 

 

Just….pray ~

 

 

Resources:

The Power of a Praying Woman Bible – by Stormie Omartian

The BibleProject

Blue Letter Bible

 

The Power of Faith

There are many things that we already have “faith” in; such as a chair will keep you lifted up right off that floor and we have faith that it will continue to do so and not break apart. 

Faith is so much more and as we dive deeper into the heart of Christianity, we find the definition “Faith is a firm, cordial belief in the veracity of God, in all the declarations of His word; or a full and affectionate confidence in the certainty of those things which God has declared, and because He has declared them.” 

[Heb 11:1 NIV] 

1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

[2Co 5:7 NIV] 

7 For we live by faith, not by sight. 

People of this world have a hard time believing in God. If there were a good God, why is there so much suffering?”  Why didn’t God create a world without suffering? Well, He did! Man messed it up….God didn’t. 

The word “suffer” means to “stay under”. To suffer means to finish your goal even when you experience adversity. This is a very interesting concept – to “finish your goal” even thru suffering. 

You have to walk thru it to get to the other side. 

We demand to understand why everything happens in our lives but sometimes suffering can seem pretty random. There are a lot of mysteries hidden in God and He is not going to give you all the answers.

[1Co 13:12-13 NLT] 

 12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 13 Three things will last forever--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love. 

God doesn’t want to hear all the “whys”, but instead, He wants to hear “I trust you, God. Even when I don’t understand what is happening, I trust you to work it out for my good. I will keep my eyes on you.”

[Prov 3:5-6 NIV] 

 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 

As we learn to trust God, the power of our faith grows and we can see God’s will in our lives more clearly. The decisions and consequences we make daily will always be a teaching moment for God, whether we suffer the consequences, or turn and seek God’s will in our lives. When we place our trust in God and seek His will in our lives, we also learn a great deal about who we are in Christ. And when bad things happen, God doesn’t always get you out of it, but He will give you grace to get through it. 

[2Co 12:9 NIV] 

 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 

During hard times, you can either give in and give up, or you can allow your faith and trust in God to grow stronger. Our love and compassion for others takes on a whole new meaning when we face life issues. God will allow us to go thru things that He could deliver us from, just so He could use you to deliver other people from that same thing. Do not give up when it’s hard. 

Half of the scriptures are about God delivering us from suffering and not one of those says “when”. 

[Psa 34:19 NIV] 

 19 The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; 

Faith dispels fear and worry. Fear is a liar and it leads you to forget all that God has done in your life. Fear makes you think that you are all alone and the oppressive spirit of fear seems to be the dominate emotion of this day and age. The Bible tells us that fear is not just an emotion or feeling, but an actual spirit that manipulates and operates in many people’s lives [2 Timothy 1:7]. This is why you find so many people constantly worried. We need to be guarded so we do not allow fear to creep into our lives.

Anxiety and stress are both the children of fear and it destroys our bodies, our soul and our minds. The power of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that we do not need to fear. We have not been given a spirit of fear for our hope rests in Jesus Christ, our defender and our sustainer. He is sovereign and He is always in control. 

[Jhn 16:33 NIV] 

33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." 

We don’t know our future, but God is already there. 

As the world continues to groan and the nearness of Jesus’ return comes closer, others are looking at Christians. How are they responding? Remember how Paul’s faith touched others during his suffering in prison [Acts 16:25 ]. The world needs to see something other than cowards. They need to see people that will stand up and not run away from every hard place in life, but will say that in the midst of all their trouble, 

God is good & I trust Him & I love Him & He will bring me out of this & I will have victory in my life. 

[Rom 5:1-2 NIV] 

 1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 

God knows what you are going thru today. He knows your pain and every tear He holds in His hand. You just need to invite Him into your situation. 

 

Blessings to you my friend ~