Prayer and Bible Band

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Background Reading:  

Colossians 3:15: Ephesians 4:3; Romans 15:13; 33; 2 Thessalonians 3:16;

 

Devotional Reading:

Hebrews 13:20

 

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Central Verse

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:7, KJV

 

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”   Philippians 4:7, NIV

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Key Terms

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Temporary - lasting for a limited time: not permanent. Circumstances - a condition, fact, or event accompanying, conditioning, or determining another: the way things happen to be.

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Surpasses – to become better, greater, or stronger than to go beyond: to transcend the reach, capacity, or powers of.

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Introduction

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To live in this world, believers need to have the peace of God working in their lives, because in this world there is very little peace. The peace the believers need is only found in God through Jesus Christ.  The world will rob the believer of all their peace if they don’t rely on God who is the source of peace in a troubled world.  Peter says that grace and peace be given and multiplied.  He knew that whatever a believer had to face, it he has enough grace and peace, he will be able to hold on and make it.  Peace is freedom from disturbance: it means tranquility.  When a person has no lasting comfort or freedom in their lives, they must realize that something is missing.  We are told that there are at least three types of peace that will benefit the life of a believer.  Psychological peace, comfort within, Relational peace, harmony among humanity, and Spiritual peace, which is between God and man.  Only the God of Peace can make a person perfect in all three areas of his life. To do His will working in them, causing them to be well pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ.

 

Discussion

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God gives a peace that will last, He gives a peace that surpasses all understanding.  A peace that will keep a believer calm despite storms that rage around him, in his home, his neighborhood, or even his country. He must learn to seek the presence of the God who gave to the world the Prince of Peace, Jesus.  The believer must allow Jesus to rule his life, he cannot find peace trying to rule his own life, nor the lives of others.   God’s peace must be allowed to flow through every aspect of the believer’s life, his family, as well as his home.  This can only happen when the believer allows the peace of God to dwell in his thoughts.  True peace can only come when the believer holds God’s Word up to what worries him.  Learn to fight anxiety with the powerful Word of God.  For there will be times when the believer is overwhelmed with his challenges.  There are times when stress will come and wear him down, but he cannot let consistent anxieties be in control.  He must let the calming peace of God that He so freely offers to his children. Believers can only turn the world upside down when they embrace peace within their own lives.  For their faith, boldness, and understanding of their assignment rest upon the Word and promise that God will keep them in perfect peace when his mind is stayed on God.

 

Many times, while facing dark days the believer becomes weary and loses his sense of direction.  But the Word of the Lord encourages the believer to not become weary as he does the work of God.  He must be very careful that he doesn’t allow weariness to rob him of his peace.  Remember the God of peace will one day bruise Satan under your feet, because the grace of God is with you.  Believers, let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

 

Sometimes it seems that the peace that is needed is just out of reach, and the believer becomes restless, can’t sleep at night, is discontent, and lacking in purpose and direction. But remember Jesus said the peace | give to you. The Word said, may the God of Peace be with you (Romans 15:33).  Paul encourages the believers to hold on to the things that they had learned, heard, and received from him, do it and the God of peace would be with them (Philippians 4:9).

 

The world’s peace is different from God’s peace.  Worldly peace is temporary and dependent upon circumstances, but God’s peace offers a permanent solution, which is salvation through Jesus and His presence in the believer’s life.  Since this peace comes from God, the believer must not allow the enemy to steal what God has made available to him.

 

Conclusion

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There are times when the believer is having a space of brokenness, and he needs the intimacy that comes only through spending time in God’s Word. This happens when he spends time in prayer, communicating with the Father and His Son, and letting the peace of God mend him piece by piece.

 

God’s peace can mend the brokenhearted if the believer allows it.  Know that God’s peace will never

fail the believer.  It will keep him, cover, and protect him, whatever he may come up against.  Ungodly circumstances cannot stop the peace of God because God promises perfect peace through His Son, Jesus.  God’s peace deals with the heart, soul, and mind of the believer.  God always goes to the heart of the matter.  The Biblical concept of peace causes the believer to look at life realistically.  Knowing that life does not exclude him from trouble and is unrelated to circumstances.  For it does not deal

with external forces, but relies on the Word and the promises of God, backed up by the perfect peace of Jesus Christ. Paul encourages the believer to follow after peace with all men and make sure that he embraces holiness, for without holiness, he cannot see God.

 

Questions

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1.  How can a believer receive the peace that surpasses understanding?

2.  How do circumstances relate to the peace of a believer?

 

 

Essential Thought

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Let the peace that surpasses understanding keep your heart and soul.

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