Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 ESV
As a person who realizes the power, gravity, impact, and weight of words used well, there are few things in life that give me greater angst than a blank piece of paper. So the irony that I would be “assigned” the above verses as the topic of my devotional for the upcoming Bible reading is not lost on me. I must confess that I have actually written this devotional three times before (no, the third time was not a charm), but I never had peace that it was ever quite finished. The first time I wrote the devotional was immediately upon returning from the Holy Lands where I walked in the footsteps of Jesus and felt God’s overwhelming love for me like never before. The second was as I sat on a twin bed with tear-stained cheeks at Camp Gilead for the NP Women’s Retreat, Make Room, after finally surrendering to God the hidden part of my heart that believed Satan’s lie that I wasn’t worthy to be loved. The third time was from the waiting room at Advent Hospital in the wee hours of the morning while joyously anticipating the delivery of my first, long-awaited, and much prayed for grandchild.
It wasn’t my perfectionism that kept me from submitting the other drafts, but it was more a sense that God wanted me to not just hide these verses in my heart, but to keep them at the forefront of my mind. As much as my soon-to-be 60 year old self wants to resist change, I do know that God is trying to do a new thing in me. Admittedly I am a “Martha,” but am finding more and more these days that God is putting me in situations (just like the hospital waiting room) where there is no action I can physically take or task I can complete that will influence the outcome. Prayer is the ONLY thing I can do, the ONLY action I can take.
These verses were penned by Paul as he sat in a prison cell in Rome. He was no stranger to uncertainty, living his life on edge while faithfully proclaiming the gospel and life-saving power of Christ amidst great opposition and persecution. He had every reason honestly to be paralyzed by fear, but he wasn’t because his anxiety through prayer had been replaced by the peace of God which surpasses all understanding.
Heavenly Father, in a world full of uncertainty and chaos, help me to be more like Paul and less like me. I am so thankful for 24/7 access to You through prayer. Help me to see anxiety for what it is (my body’s response to overwhelming things that I am not meant to carry alone) so that it has no power over me and may it always prompt me to turn to You in prayer. Transform my mind, fears, and concerns and bring them into alignment with Your perfect will for my life. Amen.
Written By: Pam Bos