The Prescription for Peace

Gods Prescription Plan for Peace

Bible Passage: John 16:33, Philippians 4:6–7, Isaiah 26:3, Proverbs 19:11, Mt 8:23–27

Summary: This sermon explores the peace of God that is available to us amidst life’s storms, emphasizing that this peace ties directly to trusting in His plan and presence.

Application: In times of uncertainty and trouble, understanding how to access God's peace can help believers remain calm and assured. This message encourages the audience to deepen their relationship with God, enabling them to experience His peace during challenging moments.

Teaching: The sermon teaches that God's peace is not merely the absence of struggle but a profound assurance that transcends circumstances, rooted in faith and closeness to God.

How this passage could point to Christ: Throughout Scripture, Jesus exemplifies divine peace, particularly in His calming of the storm; He is the Prince of Peace who invites us to trust Him for tranquility amid life's chaos.

Big Idea: By drawing near to God and trusting His plans, we can experience the true peace of Christ, even in the most turbulent times of our lives.

Recommended Study: Consider studying the context of Philippians 4:6–7 to explore Paul's personal circumstances when writing, as well as examining the Hebrew nuances of peace in Isaiah 26:3. Use Logos to compare translations and their implications on the understanding of peace. Pay attention to any commentaries that explore the historical context of Jesus calming the storm in Mt 8:23-27 to enrich your insights.

Introduction (Revised and Connected to Theme):

Our son has TERRIBLE allergies. Like, the kind of allergies where he looks like he just lost a boxing match with a tree. Eyes red, face swollen, sneezing like it’s his job. As soon as the weather starts to break and you hear the birds chirping and smell that faint whiff of spring in the air—while most people are rejoicing, I’m already bracing myself... because I know what’s coming for my boy.

Thankfully, he has an amazing allergist who created a prescription plan just for him. He’s got an inhaler he uses every morning, Zyrtec to manage the symptoms, a nighttime medication to help him sleep, and my mom—doing the most Nana thing ever—even bought him an air purifier. Y’all, this boy has a whole allergy survival system. We don’t just hope he’ll be okay in spring—we prepare for it.

But one morning, we were rushing. You know those “get-out-the-door-now-or-you-gonna-be-late-and-lose-your-salvation” kind of mornings? Lunches were flying, kids were shoveling waffles, and in the chaos, I remembered—“Wait! Austin needs his medicine!” So I ran back inside, measured it out real quick, gave it to him, and off we went.

A few hours later, we get a call from the school. The teacher says, “Mr. Thompson, Austin just cannot stay awake in class today! He’s nodding off, won’t engage, seems completely out of it!” I was confused—he slept great the night before! But I told the teacher we’d look into it.

Well… when we got home, I saw the medicine cup sitting on the kitchen counter. Next to it, wasn’t the Zyrtec. It was his nighttime medicine. In my rush to help him, I gave him something that put him to sleep… and then expected him to function in school like everything was normal.

And that’s when it hit me.

How many of us are doing the same thing… to our souls?

In a world full of pressure, unrest, and anxiety—where everything is go-go-go, success is prized over stillness, and “who you are” matters less than “what you do”—people are reaching for something to bring peace. But just like I gave my son the wrong medicine, a lot of us are taking the wrong prescriptions for the pain we’re in.

We think another promotion will bring peace. We think another vacation will bring peace. We think numbing out with scrolling, bingeing, or busyness will bring peace.

But the problem is, the wrong medicine can’t fix the right problem.

Today, I want to talk to you about God’s Prescription Plan for Peace. Because the unrest you feel? The heaviness in your heart? There is a prescription for it—and it’s written by the Great Physician Himself.

So let’s open the Word, and see what He’s prescribed.

1. Preparation

John 16:33 ESV

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus takes such an interesting approach to encouragement here! Chapter 16 has 33 verses and If you read the entire chapter Jesus spends the VAST majority of this chapter telling the disciples about the terrible things that are going to happen!

He tells them things like:

you will be put out of the synagogues

people will try to kill you and think they’re doing it in service to God.

He also prepares them for the fact that He will be going away. But he promises that it’s a good thing because if he doesn’t leave the Advocate (The Holy Spirit) will not come to you.

He prepares them to mourn over his death but he promises that he will come back

And to someone who is reading this just on it’s face it can seem like Jesus is being a real debbie downer! Because to our minds and the way most people think it doesn’t make sense to tell someone a bunch of bad things when what you really want them to recive is a good one? This sounds like a pretty bad way to start an encouraging convefsation!

So after he says all of this stuff to the desciples, he ends the chapter in the most confusing way ever! and I promise you if you really want to have a different perspective on things you should read all of John 16 to get the full context. But after he says all the bad things that could happen he says in chapter 16 vers 33 soemthing that on it’s face does not make any sense. He says

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace.....”

So you have to ask yourself what Kind of peace starts with a warning?

The kind that does’t pretend, it prepares!

I like what Jesus is teaching here. In this passage of scripture Jesus is teaching and demonstrting to us that true peace doesn’t come from escaping reality! But rather true peace comes from preparing for it!

And this is why so many people who want to believe in Jesus are getting lost! Because we are not preparing them for the reality of a life of faith. We are selling them on prosperty and wealth, on blessings and favor, and on incease and overflow without ever teaching them the reality of living a life of faith is that it will cost you EVERYTHING!

There will be times when you’ll have to stay up all night long praying for a child that doesn’t seem to want to get right, there will be times when you’ll be overlooked for promotions because you refuse to do things the wrong way, there will be times when you will wonder why it seems like everybody around me is getting something I want and I will be angry with god for not blessing me with what I have been praying for.

We are losing people because we have only prepared them to carry the crown but the truth of the matter is that to live this life of faith in Christ there will be times when you have to carry a cross.

Jesus says in verse 33 in the world you will have many trials and sorrys but take heart I have overcome the world!

You might ask well how do I prepare!? How can I possibly prepare for something and I don’t know when it’s coming. And Iwould submit to you that the answer is to make sure you are sticking to the only guide that has gone through every terrain! Jesus!

Illustration

Imagine you’re on a hike through the mountains. You’ve never been on this trail before. There are steep cliffs, wild animals, unpredictable weather, and moments where the path just seems to disappear. You're walking with your heart pounding, GPS failing, and the sun starting to set. Fear sets in—not because you’re weak, but because you’re uncertain.

Now imagine someone shows up who’s been hiking this trail for years. Knows every twist, every loose rock, every shortcut. They’ve climbed it in the rain, the dark, and the heat. And not only that—this guide doesn’t leave you. They walk with you step by step. When fear rises, they say, “I’ve been here. Follow me.” When the path disappears, they point, “That way.” When you’re tired, they say, “You can rest now—I know a spot.”

You still go through the hard terrain. You still feel the pressure of the climb. But your peace doesn’t come from the trail—it comes from the one guiding you through it.

THAT is the promsie of peace God is giving to us! When he says in this world you have trouble. not MIGHT. WILL!! But take heart, for I have overcome the world.

God is saying “I’m your guide! I have walked every valley, climbed every hill, faced every fear- and I overcame it! and now I will walk WITH YOU!”

You don’t beed peace that avoids problems, we need peace that OUTLASTS problems! And that only comes when your guide is greater than the ground you’re walking on. So yes life has troubles, yes life can get dark sometimes but true peace comes from preparing yourself for the journey and knowing that you have the right guide!

2. Prayer: Pathway to Peace

Philippians 4:6–7; Isaiah 26:3

The next dose in God’s prescription plan for peace is prayer. And I can understand at first how this might seem like something that is sort of a no brainer. You might be thinking “of course I have to pray!” But I think it is importatnt to look at the KIND of prayer that brings us peace!

Philippians 4:6-7 tells us about the kind of prayer we need. when we read it says

Philippians 4:6–7 ESV

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.

You could really stop a park at the very beginning of verse 6 where we read don’t worry about anying; pray about EVERYTHING. The kind of prayer that brings us peace is the kind that is constant! it is consistent! it is never ending! And this doesn’t mean that we need to be in the litearl posture of prayer all day long, what it means instead is that our LIVES need to lived in a posutre of prayer all day long! We ought to be living our lives in a way that is constantly conneccted to the source of peace!

That is because prayer is how we refill our peace! It's our spiritual medication that keeps the anxiety from taking over. And just like medicine, it works best if you take it regularly.

Have you ever accidentally finished taking your prescribed medicine and forgot to go to the pharmacy to refill it? The thing is, you will probably not feel too bad the next day, but if you go another day and another day and another day without refilling your medication eventually will start to feel those symptoms that sent you to the medicine in the first place start to creep back in. That’s because you stopped taking what was making you well!

Many of us are finding that we don’t have peace because we treat prayer the same way! We have no problem getting on our knees when we are going through rough times and hard patches but as soon as God delivers us from what we are going throuigh we stop taking our medicine! We get up from our knees and forget that prayer isn’t just something we should do when things are falling apart! It’s the thing that KEEPS things from falling apart in the first place!

In Isaiah 26:3 says this

Isaiah 26:3 (ESV): 3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Isaiah here speaks about PERFECT PEACE. Not the kind of peace that just shows up when the bills are paid or when the relationsip is going smooth. Not the kind of peace that shows up when you get the promotion or when you sign on the dotted line. The kind of peace God offers here is the kind of peace that keeps a smile on your face when chaos is breaking out around you! When we live our daily lives with a posture of prayer then peace becomes our default setting and not our emergency response!

When you life your life with a posture of prayer your mind stays anchored, your heart stays guarded and your peace stays FULL!

If we want peace that lasts then we need prayer that is consistent!

3. Presence

Mt 8:23–27

The last Item in God’s presciption plan for peace is the anchoring piece. It’s the piece that holds everything together! And I promise you if you land this idea....If you forget all the other things I mentioned today and just land THIS idea and priciple you will walk away with a better understanding of what actually brings about true peace. The last item on the prescription plan for peace is super simple but so hard for so many people to grasp! It’s simply Gods Presence!

Let’s take a look at Matthew 8:23–27

Matthew 8:23–27 ESV

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

So as we set the stage we have seasoned fisherman, on a boat in the middle of the sea of galilee, surprised by a storm and annoyed with a sleeping Jesus. What a recipe for disaster!

Then Jesus who had to be annoyed by being awakened like this responds to their panic by asking them why they are afraid, questioning their faith, then rebuking the storm that IMMEDIATLY calms down!

If this was me......If I was Jesus and I was sleeping soundly in a boat I would have been remarkably upset with being awakened by someone else’s fear! But that is why I’m so glad that I’m not God! In this passage I believe Jesus rebukes the fisherman not because they woke him up, but because they forgot who was in the boat with them! Because here is the main focus of this last point......

True peace comes not from the absense of the storm, but from the presence of the savior!

Yes the storm is raging, and the winds were blowing. Yes the boat is probably rocking and and the waves are rolling over the side of the boat. But the truth of the matter is the disciples themselves could have stood up and told the storm to quiet down themselves, they could have waived their hands at the storm and yelled to the tops of their lungs, they could have started rowing to get away from the storm but none of those options would hav e provided a moment of peace! It was only when the master of the seas awoke and told the storm to calm down that peace overtook their storm!

Illustration:

A father and his young daughter were flying cross-country to visit family. It was her first time on a plane, and at first, she was fascinated—eyes wide, looking out the window, asking questions about the clouds and the wings.

But about an hour into the flight, the plane hit turbulence. Not the little bumps—the kind where the seatbelt signs flash, the cabin dips suddenly, and drinks start spilling.

The little girl’s smile disappeared. Her hands gripped the armrests. The plane rocked again, this time harder. A baby cried a few rows back. Passengers gasped.

But the father? He just reached over, held his daughter’s hand, looked her in the eyes, and said calmly, “I’m right here, sweetheart. I’ve flown through this before. You’re going to be okay.”

She looked at him—not at the turbulence, not at the seatbelt light, not at the other passengers—and slowly began to relax.

The storm didn’t stop. The bumps didn’t go away. But the fear did.

Not because she figured out what was happening. Not because the turbulence vanished. But because she trusted who was with her.

And that is what is happening here with the disciples! They weren’t wrong for noticing the storm.....the storm was real. The waves were real......The water crashing over the sides of the boat was real.....

But even though the storm was real......The Savior was already there. The Word made flesh—the One who created the sea—was in the storm with them. And yet… they still panicked. Because like us, they confused His stillness for absence.

There will be times when your life feels like that flight—shaky, unpredictable, like you’re not sure you’re going to make it.

But don’t let your heart be more focused on the turbulence than the truth: Jesus is in the boat.

He may be quiet, but He’s not absent. He may not have calmed it yet, but He’s already conquered it.

And the kind of peace that lasts—that heals—that holds you together in the middle of chaos—only comes from one thing: The presence of the Savior.

Close:

There was a woman who had been sick for a long time.

She had gone from doctor to doctor, searching for answers, trying every home remedy, every herbal tea, every trick in the book. And while some things helped a little, the symptoms always came back. Sleepless nights. Anxiety. Physical exhaustion. A heaviness in her chest she couldn’t explain.

Finally, she visited one last doctor—a specialist who ran some tests, took his time, and then looked her in the eye and said, “I know exactly what’s wrong, and I’m going to write you a prescription that will change everything.”

He handed her the script and said, “Follow this plan. Take it every day. Don’t skip a dose. And if you stick with it, your symptoms will not control your life anymore.”

She left that office encouraged—hopeful, even. She took the prescription home… but instead of getting it filled, she tucked it away in a drawer. Life got busy. Things came up. She meant to go to the pharmacy. But she never did.

And weeks later, she was right back where she started—sick, tired, anxious, and defeated.

Not because the doctor failed her. Not because healing wasn’t possible. But because she never took the prescription.

God has written a prescription for peace—and it’s been filled, paid for, and delivered… through Jesus.

He prepared us by telling us the truth about life in this world.

He prescribed prayer as the posture that keeps our hearts anchored.

And He gave us His presence—as close as your next breath.

The problem isn’t that peace isn’t available. The problem is that many of us are walking around with the prescription in our pocket but never taking it.

You don’t have to live with anxiety as your default. You don’t have to let the storm define you. You don’t have to wait for life to get perfect before you feel peace.

You just have to take the prescription.

Take the peace He prepared you for. Take the peace that comes through prayer. Take the peace that flows from His presence.

“God, we’re tired of trying to self-medicate. We’re tired of chasing peace in all the wrong places. So today, we say yes to Your prescription. Teach us to prepare, draw us into prayer, and let us rest in Your presence. In a world full of chaos, we choose the peace that surpasses all understanding… and we find it in You.”