'The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.' Psalms 29:11
I have been to the doctor with terrible symptoms and been give an injection and hey presto within a few minutes felt absolutely better and able to go home much different and completely free of the symptoms. However, I have also been to the doctor and come back from the doctor still feeling sick but holding medication in my hands to help me get better! I have also seen people go to the doctor with a few symptoms that they thought were minor only for them to get a diagnosis that required major surgery or some time in the hospital receiving treatment and then even after they have been released from the hospital still have to walk a journey of healing that takes a month or even years to be complete.
It can be the same with going before God in Prayer, Sometimes you get an instant result after praying, other times you have to walk a journey of waiting on God or going through a major process before you see the desired result.
I am a firm believer in prayer and for me prayer is not just a religious thing. It is not an activity we just try to do because everything else has failed, As believers, it should be our first port of call whether we are feeling defeated, victorious or unbothered by life. Prayer is not just some comforting words or activity that yields no result. For Me Prayer is alive and is always accompanied by results - However when God is dealing with matters of the heart there is often a Transformation Journey that I have seen God take me on. It is just like going for heart surgery, it can be a process. The matters of the heart journey I have experienced after praying is often characterised by the following:
Change of Heart as I give God his rightful place in my heart,
A change Perspective as God allows me to see the situation through his eyes
A gradual or instant change of circumstances which is often through a miracle showing me what God can do as I yield to his process.
That said you may be wondering how things changed after I prayed about the financial turbulence that I had been facing, that was shared in yesterdays Devotion.
The first thing that changed after praying was the presence of peace in my heart that consequentially changed the environment and atmosphere in my life. My mind and my heart moved from from tension and worry to peace and joy.
That peace did not come because there was suddenly more money to cover the whole month without a strain. The peace came because I invited God to reign in the heart of my matters. Drawing near to God in prayer drew God grew even closer to me and letting God sit on the throne of my heart brought peace because I surrendered all control(eventually) to God and he is the God that carries perfect peace. With God seated on the throne of my hearts he became the gatekeeper of the issues of life in particular the money issues. In light of the greatness of God the problems were insignificant and not as gigantic as previously conceived.
The bills were still there and the money not enough to cover the month but the Peace of God that prevailed literally removed the stress from my heart and mind. The word of God and Prayer brought me to a place that I was reminded that God is our ultimate source and that God is willing to Provide for us.
Often times we believe that peace comes only after the storm has died down. We think like the world has taught us to think and so we dream about how happy we will be when we eventually make more money, or get a better job, get married or have children. The peace of the world is centred around the abundance and the importance of the things that you have or want to have and so it is easily stolen when you do not have those things in the measure or standard that the world's view dictates or fail to obtain those things. However true and perfect peace is rooted in who you have in your heart and if you have God in your heart then valuable and true peace is yours.
I believe that the greatest peace that you can ever experience is the peace that you can carry in your heart while the storm is raging. Perfect peace is like the peace that Jesus had during that storm He and His disciples experienced on the boat. Such Peace did Jesus have in his Heart that he managed to sleep deeply while his disciples were in panic and worry. So great was his peace within his heart that when the disciples woke Jesus up he was able to minister Peace to them from his heart as he Spoke Peace to the storm- For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (luke 6:45)
Peace came because I turned to God in prayer for my finances just as the disciples turned to Jesus in the time of turbulent storms - I was assured by God's own calmness about the situation that I was in safe hand - God was not panicking because the situation was within his control.
Peace took root as I acknowledged God is my Provider whose resources are unlimited - God owns everything and he wants to share with us - God created everything so if we ever run out of resources he can create more
We became peaceful as we worked because realised that God has made us stewards of what he owns and stewards get to enjoy the fruit of what they have been made stewards of as they remain faithful in their stewardship
Scripture Reflection & Meditation
Read the story below from the bible about Jesus and the storm & reflect on how God can bring peace to your life
'As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”'
'A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. '
Reflection Question:
What is my heart full of?
Am i able to speak peace to my storms like Jesus did because my heart is filled with the word of God which brings Peace?
'Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. '
Reflection Question:
When I am troubled what keeps me from praying and presenting my situation before God?
Do I fully believe that Prayer works and that Prayer leads to peace in my situation?
' “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. '
Reflection Question?
Are you aware that Christ has given you the gift of peace of Mind and heart?
What can you do to move towards this gift that is rightfully yours and freely given for you to enjoy?
Prayer Time:
Lord Jesus I acknowledge that at times I am ignorant or forgetful of the magnitude of who you are and what you can do. Please Help me to lean in to who you are so that I can fully appreciate my need of you and your love for me. Today I pray that the Holy Spirit would fill my heart and bring peace to my mind and heart so that I can pronounce and experience peace on the outside as you birth that peace within me. Lord I declare that you are above my storms and that you are able to bring me to a place of Hope and transformation as I embrace your peace within me. Thank you God for your goodness, I receive your healing, your Love and your Peace through the mighty name of my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
Comments