The Peace Of God

Stress has been identified as one of the great killers of our day. It causes physical problems such as high blood pressure, headaches and ulcers, as well as emotional problems like depression, irritability and burnout.

Illustration: CNN’s What Matters section December 18, 2021

The reality of the pandemic is settling in. So is America's anxiety

Analysis by Zachary B. Wolf, CNN

Transition To Body- Paul Joyfully Addresses the Philippians‘ anxiety issue

Body

Prayer Is Anxiety’s Antidote- v6

Philippians 4:6 ESV

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Illustration: Journey: Stress Less In No Time

Day 2/10

Having a grateful heart can help you build resilience. That's your ability to "bounce back" from hardships and to manage stress. With more resilience, you can be more productive and less stressed.

Gratitude isn't about denying troubles. It's about focusing on what's good in your life.

The U.S. Army uses resiliency training to prepare soldiers for the traumatic events that can be part of their jobs. It helps reduce depression and PTSD.

To become resilient takes practice. Start today by naming what you're grateful for.

Tell a friend about what you’re grateful for.

What a friend we have in Jesus

Take it to Jesus in prayer

Paul Prayed for the Philippians

Philippians 1:3–7 ESV

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

The Philippians Prayed for Paul

Philippians 1:19–21 ESV

for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Now the Philippians need to Pray for Themselves

Philippians 1:28 ESV

and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.

Philippians 3:1 ESV

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

Philippians 4:1 ESV

Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

By Prayer

talk to God

Have a little talk with Jesus- the LORD is at hand?

Philippians 4:4–5 ESV

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;

at hand- in close proximity, spatially near, close to

Anxious- to be apprehensive, have anxiety, be anxious, be (unduly- excessively, overly) concerned

By supplication

urgent request to meet a need

With Thanksgiving

the expression or content of gratitude, the rendering of thanks, thanksgiving

What are thankful for today?

Let your requests be known to God

Peace Is Prayer’s Outcome - v7

Philippians 4:7 ESV

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Divine Peace

Comes from God, not man

Transcendent Peace

Excellent & cannot fully be understood I.e. makes no sense in the flesh

Heart & Mind Guarding Peace (in Christ)

“Guard” is a military term, implying that peace stands on duty to keep out anything that brings care and anxiety. For these reasons, prayerful people are peaceful people.

Heart- feelings and emotions

peace of Christ controls us

Mind- what we think, our thinking

the faculty of processing thought, mind, understanding

Transition To Close- Guard In Christ

Illustration: To the American People: Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think on these things, there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world.

Presidential message, December 25, 1927

Calvin Coolidge

—Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States and apparent Christmas scholar

Illustration: “Peace on earth will come to stay, when we live Christmas every day.” by Helen Steiner Rice

Isaiah 26:2–4 ESV

2 Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. 3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

Galatians 5:22–24 ESV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Close- God of Peace

Philippians 4:9 ESV

9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Ephesians 2:14–18 ESV

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Luke 2:14 ESV

14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

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