16 Dec Prince of Peace | Part 3 “Inner Peace: How to Get Peace Without Asking For It”
Life does not go the way we plan. Sometimes our expectations are the problem. We are given the gift of faith and the gift of suffering for His name sake. Paul is writing this from prison to the church in Philippi.
In this world we will have tribulation but God leaves us peace and He has overcome the world.
Expectations can sometimes be our biggest problem . Trouble does not get the final testimony in our lives.
Q. What is one thing that did not go as expected, after you came to Christ, and how did you respond to the situation?
STEP 2: ENJOY THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.
Rejoice in the Lord, the Lord is at hand. Jobs can get old, relationships change. These things are temporal, but the Lord does not change. We spend so much time on other things; working, eating, shopping, education etc. Personal leisure is the second most time spent in our day and on the very bottom is faith/religious practices.
Q. What do you spend most of your time on? How do you plan on enjoying more time with God?
STEP 3: ENGAGE EVERYTHING BY PRAYER.
The Greek definition of “anxious” = “to draw in different directions”.
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God..
Tim had done an illustration and was being pulled in different directions with a rope. Each rope was attached to one of the 7 things that make people anxious: Job, Health, Sleep, Money, Relationships, Nutrition, Media Overload (this is one we willingly step into). These things pull on our lives; in so many directions. They pull against each other. for example: when we don’t have good health, we don’t have good sleep and it then affects our job and eventually they all pull us apart.
IF WE OPEN THAT GIFT: Power to break free to the things that are pulling from us (Pastor Tim pulled a hedge-clipper and started cutting away the ropes).
Pray and surrender and give it to God. Pray using scripture for each of these things. You can either stress over it or give it to the Father.
Q. What is causing you to be pulled in many different directions?
(Leader: Together, help your group find some scriptures for each of the things that cause them anxiety)
When we pray for peace, it is not like a whimsical little angel, it is an angel that is a warrior that fights against our battles!
STEP 4: EXAMINE YOUR THOUGHTS.
You can’t skip steps 1-3 (First EXPECT trouble, then ENJOY His Presence, then ENGAGE in PRAYER, then step 4).
85% of what we worry/stress over actually never happens. We are the sum of our thoughts. Take every thought captive. We can’t stop thoughts from entering our minds, but we can stop a thought from staying. We need to be confident in our Father’s provision and we should not let any other thing get in the way.
Q. When certain thoughts enter your mind, do you allow them to stay there or do you take every bad thought captive? Why is this so difficult for us at times? Do you ever ‘want’ to keep that thought and why?
STEP 5: EMULATE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THE LORD.
Background: In Acts chapter 16 Paul and Silas were cast into prison after casting out a demon from a girl. While they were in prison they sang and rejoiced in the Lord. As they rejoiced, a mighty earthquake happened and the gates were opened and prisoners were set free. Because of this the prison guard asks what he should do to be saved. He accepts Jesus.
Paul emulated what our response has to be when we see internal peace come into our lives. How are we doing with the “people” that we are “following” . Follow people who rejoice and give thanks to the Lord in every situation.
Q. Are you following those that give thanks to the Lord in all situations? Are you giving thanks to the Lord in all situations and would others want to emulate you and why?
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