Philippians 4:6,7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 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.”

I find a great deal of comfort and wisdom in this passage, about how and why to pray, but I also find it interesting that it says that God’s peace will “guard” your hearts and minds. Using this word implies that our Hearts and Minds need to be protected from something. I think what God’s peace is protecting our hearts and minds from, is temptation; The many varieties of temptation that draw us away.

Some other Bible versions use the expression “keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

So by praying, asking for what we need and thanking God for what he has done, we will experience God’s Peace that protects us from temptation, and keeps us connected to Jesus Christ. This lets us do what the verse starts with…Not worry.

Dear Lord, Thank you for this promise of your peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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As Christians we want to do God’s will, and be guided by the Holy Spirit in our actions and decisions. Although we may try to listen, it is not always easy to hear God and know what He wants us to do.

Paul gives us some help in figuring this out, in Galatians 5:22 where he writes, “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

So we know if our thoughts, decisions, and actions lead us to these characteristics, we are heading in the right direction.

Dear Lord, thank you for the guidance you provide us in the bible, and give us the strength to follow your will to produce these “fruit of the Spirit.” In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Do you ever wonder why some people are open to the message of Jesus Christ, but others are completely closed to it?

The people in the Bible who opened themselves up to Jesus were those that had some personal problem like an illness, or a loved one that was ill. Some others recognized their bad moral background and recognized they needed forgiveness. Some others came to Jesus, and listened to him because they felt something missing in their lives that they could not fill on their own. Is it any different today?

Those that rejected Jesus were those that put their confidence in themselves and didn’t believe they needed him, like the rich man in Mark 10:17-22 who put his faith in his possessions, or the Pharisees who put their confidence in their expert knowledge of the scriptures or their good works.

It seems that the differentiator in determining whether someone is open to the Good News is their level of belief that they need something beyond their own control.

In Matthew 9:12, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” for I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Dear Lord, we all need you, whether we believe it or not. We need you for our lives here on earth, and most importantly for our lives beyond the Earth. Help us find the opportunities to provide your Good News at the right time for those who are really looking for you, whether they know it or not. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Is there someone and someplace that just makes you happy even thinking about. For example, walking on the beach with your spouse, playing games around the table with your children, playing with your grandchildren, spending time with your friends,, or even playing with your dog or cat. Just being around them brings you a feeling of joy.

In a similar way, Psalm 16:11 says about God, “… in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” When we can truly experience God’s presence in our lives, we can feel the peace and joy that He promises. In order to get closer to God’s presence, we do like James writes in 4:8 “Draw closer to God and he will draw closer to you.”

Dear Lord help us do those things that draw us closer to you, reading your word and putting it into practice, that we may experience the fullness of joy you promise. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

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