The Peace that Passes Understanding

NOTE: For the rest of November, I will share Thanksgiving moments written by other authors.
Today's devotional was written by Susan Merritt.
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Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7

This passage is one of hope, reminding us that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds. However, that peace is contingent upon our obedience to a couple of commands.

The first is to rejoice. We know this is important because it’s mentioned twice. God often repeats Himself in Scripture to emphasize a point. We can also know that God enables us to rejoice since He commands us to do so.

Second, we are to be anxious for nothing. This seems difficult in and of itself, but God graciously explains how we can be anxious for nothing. So how can we be anxious for nothing? By praying with thanksgiving while rejoicing, we let our requests be known to God. Rejoicing and thanksgiving go hand in hand and precede the peace of God that guards our hearts and minds.

This Scripture reminds me of my granddaughter, who struggled greatly with extreme anxiety. My daughter created for her what she called a “Brave Book” to take with her when needed. In this book were pages of photos of her friends and family, along with written prayers that she could pray over others. She included several Scriptures, and one was this Scripture quoted above in Philippians 4. When my granddaughter felt anxious, she would read this book from cover to cover. Her mom’s rule was that she could pray for anyone or anything, but not for herself during the anxiety attack. She also had to include praise and thanksgiving when she prayed. This helped her to focus on the Lord, and every time, God’s peace would flood her heart. She brought that book to my house, and I witnessed this little miracle for myself.

So, let’s rejoice in the Lord with thanksgiving this season, focusing on the goodness of God and experiencing the peace that surpasses all understanding.

Prayer:

Father,
          We rejoice in You! Thank You for all You have done for us. Thank You that You are always present to bring us comfort and peace in times of trial as we turn our hearts in thanksgiving to You. In Jesus' Name. Amen

In God’s Presence - Thanksgiving Devotional #6

Written by Rachel Schmoyer. Pastor's wife and mother of 4, she finds simple truths in complex parts of Scripture through her Read the Hard Parts blog and speaking ministry.
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Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6 NIV

Thanksgiving is an invitation into God’s presence. On Thanksgiving Day, we are reminded of God’s presence through prayer and by enumerating our blessings. When my grandfather was living, he was the designated person to pray a hearty prayer before our meal. Now my husband usually does it since he is a pastor. But the beautiful thing is that God invites us into His presence with thanksgiving all year long. 

The Psalmist knew the importance of thanksgiving when entering the temple for worship. Psalm 95:2 says “Come into His presence with thanksgiving.” In Philippians 4:6, Paul encourages us “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” In this verse, thanksgiving is not just the attitude we are supposed to have when we ask God for our needs, but it is the answer to anxiety in every situation.

Giving thanks in God’s presence is a daily thing. We can do this in a number of ways:
Start each prayer with thanking God for what He has already done for us before we ask for what we need.
Write down our thanks to God to keep us in the habit of it. (I have some friends who have a thankfulness journal and they write down one thing they are thankful for every day.)
Pray a prayer of thanksgiving before you eat every meal. Many of us grew up with this habit, but if you have fallen out of the habit, restart today.

May this Thanksgiving [Season] remind you to bring thanksgiving into God’s presence all year long.
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Prayer:

Father,

           We pray as King David prayed, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."  Give us grateful hearts, O God! In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen 
(Psalm 139:23-24)