Tag: Prayer

Finding Peace

In a world full of anxiety and unrest, we all long for peace. But where can we find real, lasting peace amidst the chaos? According to Scripture, true peace comes only from God through faith in Jesus Christ.

The “peace of God” described in Philippians 4:6-7 surpasses human understanding. It guards our hearts and minds when we bring our requests to God in prayer instead of being anxious. This supernatural peace comes from being in relationship with God. This is the peace you’re not only searching for, but you need.

Jesus Himself promised this peace to His followers in John 14:27 – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” The peace He gives is not like worldly peace that depends on circumstances. It comes from being united with Him by faith, even in troubled times. This peace is His gift to us.

To experience Christ’s peace, we must trust in God wholeheartedly, as Isaiah 26:3 describes. Fixing our minds on Him through scripture meditation, prayer, and worship nurtures an attitude of trust, resulting in “perfect peace.” Perfect peace only comes by us trusting in the One that lived perfectly.

Living in gratitude also enables us to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, as Paul instructs in Colossians 3:15. Thanking God for His presence and blessings keeps us centered on Him. It is also this peace that works its way out by us seeking to live in peace with those around us. It is this peace in our hearts that helps us to be more patient, more understanding, and seeks to motivate us to be the peacemakers He calls us to be.

Faith in Jesus Christ is the key to walking in true peace. When Jesus healed people in the Gospels, He often said, “Go in peace.” Their faith had made them well and filled them with peace. As Luke 1:79 says, God guides our feet into the “way of peace” when we walk by faith in Him. Through our faith in Jesus, we are restored to a right relationship with the Father, giving us peace with Him.

Even when facing tribulation, we can have peace in Christ, knowing He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Fixing our eyes on Jesus gives peace and courage to endure hardships.

No matter what you are going through, Jesus’ peace is available to you. Come to Him in faith, pray for His salvation, trust in His promises, and let gratitude guard your heart. Walk in faith, knowing He has already won the victory. You were created to live in His perfect peace.

Understanding Unanswered Prayer

Have you ever experienced a situation where you felt that your prayers were unanswered? How did it make you feel, and how did you respond?

We had a little bible study and discussion on this vary topic, and I wanted to share with you the notes here so maybe you might be encouraged in your own prayer life, even when your prayers seem unanswered.

What Does the Bible Say?

1. James 4:2-3 (ESV)

    “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”

  • What does this passage say about the reasons for unanswered prayer?
  • Discuss how motives and desires can affect the effectiveness of prayer.
  • What are some wrong motives people might have when praying, and how can we ensure our motives are aligned with God’s will?

2. Matthew 7:7-11 (ESV)

   “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

  • How does Jesus encourage us to approach God in prayer?
  • What assurance do we have regarding God’s response to our requests in this passage?

3. Psalm 66:18 (ESV).

     “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”

  • What does this verse suggest about the importance of a righteous life in relation to answered prayer?
  • What are some practical ways to maintain a righteous life and a close relationship with God, as Psalm 66:18 suggests, to enhance the effectiveness of your prayers?
  • How does repentance and maintaining a close relationship with God can impact our prayers?

4. 1 John 5:14-15 (ESV).

     “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

  • According to these verses, what is the key to having confidence in prayer?
  • How do you differentiate between prayers that align with God’s will and prayers that may not align with His plan?
  • Where have you seen prayers aligned with God’s will being answered?

5. Luke 18:1-8 (ESV) (the parable of the persistent widow).

    “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while, he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?'”

  • What does this parable teach us about persistence in prayer?
  • How should this parable influence our approach to unanswered prayer?
  • Think of an example from your life or from the Bible of a prayer that was initially unanswered but was later answered in God’s timing. How has that helped your faith in prayer?
  • How can the concept of persisting in prayer, as seen in the parable of the persistent widow, be applied to your life when facing unanswered prayer?

Conclusion:

We need to approach unanswered prayer with the perspective of seeking God’s will, maintaining a righteous life, and persisting in prayer. 

God’s timing and wisdom are beyond our comprehension, and He always works for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

We have to continue in faithful prayer, trusting that God hears and responds according to His perfect plan.