Secrets of the Abundant Life - Peace

Philippians 4: 6 – 8 (The Living Bible): Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.

There are plenty of things to worry about these days, but the good news is we don't have to waste one moment doing it. Paul says we will have God's peace if we will pray about everything instead of worrying about anything. God's peace will keep our thoughts and hearts quiet and at rest. It is a supernatural peace that is beyond understanding or explanation.
The Bible doesn't promise that nothing bad will ever happen to us, but it promises that God will walk with us through everything that does happen – and that nothing will happen to us outside of God's permission. Everything that happens in history passes through the filter of God's sovereignty.
So, our attitude can be, “No matter what happens, I can go through it because God is with me,” which sounds a lot like, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you are with me.”
Paul encourages us to tell God our needs, anxieties, concerns and worries, and to be thankful for his answers. This will strengthen our prayer life.
We are looking at secrets of the abundant life in this column series, and today we find how to have peace: pray about everything. Pray or worry – what will you choose to do today? You can sit around and worry about all sorts of evil, or you can place your worries in God's hands instead. You can sit back in quiet rest, knowing that God is in control and you are determined to trust him no matter what. You know that trials will come, but your life is built on a strong foundation and you are devoted to prayer instead of worry. Even when things happen that you cannot explain and do not understand, your faith is strong and peace is ever-present. Of course there are bumps and curves in the road, but you are moving forward. You realize that living the abundant life means having peace and you know how to get it.