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 minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7  NIV

I talk often in this blog about having the peace that passes all understanding in your life.  If you have never had that kind of peace, let me tell you, you are really missing out.  Our scripture passage directs us to pray in every situation and with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  This week began the first session in our series on prayer in our Sunday School class.  Over the last few years, I have learned that in order for me to keep my peace, I must do a few things.

First and foremost, I stay prayed up.  By that I mean, that I do pray in every situation.  I pray when things are going well and thank God for those things going well.  I pray when things aren’t going well.  Prayer for me is an open chatline, not a 911 call.   I pray about everything.  If I have a busy day ahead, I pray for God to guard my time and help me to get everything done that I set out to accomplish.  I pray for others that are in need of God’s help.  A while back our pastor did a sermon on how to pray.  He reminded us that the Lord’s prayer, which is a model prayer that Jesus provided for his disciples, begins with adoration and praise.  We need to begin by praising God and showing our adoration for Him.  We need to thank Him for all the good He has done in our lives.  This shows that we are always mindful of the good things that God does for us each and every day.  Let’s face it, we don’t get out of bed each day without God’s help.  Even in times of trouble, we all have things that we can be thankful for.

The other reason I stay prayed up is because I know how it feels to only hear from someone when they need something.  Now let me say that I am as guilty of this as the next person.  This was especially true when I was working.  We get so busy in our every day lives that we fail to keep an open line of communication with friends and family.  When we do this, and we suddenly realize that we need something that this particular friend or family member can provide, then we throw in that desperate 911 call.  The “please help me, I have a huge problem” call.

The thing that we must keep in mind is that God is a loving father.  He is our heavenly Father who only wants good things for us.  He wants us to reside in His realm of protection, but He never forces us to do so.  We must make the choice to reside in the protection that God provides.  Having this protection, gives us peace.  So it all gets wrapped together in this beautiful package of protection which brings a peace that passes all understanding and unending joy.

So today, I encourage you to start by assessing your prayer life.  Is it nonexistent or seriously lacking?  There is no time like the present to fix it.  Whether you are struggling to decide if you believe in God, or are mad at Him for some tragedy you have gone through, or are a strong believer that has just neglected to stay in contact, pray today, this minute.  For starters remember who you are praying to.  You are praying to your heavenly Father who strongly desires a close relationship with you.  Have you ever been in a close relationship with someone without talking to that person often? Our prayer is us talking to God.  Reading our Bible is God talking to us through His Word. Keep an open line of communication.  Remember that He is the King of Kings.  He is the Creator of the universe.  He is the Lord of Lords.  He commands the heavenly hosts.  He is worthy of our praise and adoration.  But also remember that there is nothing He can’t do.  He is all powerful and if you have a problem, He can certainly handle it.  But never neglect to be thankful.  He loves us and is merciful.  He sent His son to die on the cross so that our sins could be washed away by His blood.  No matter what is going on in your life, you should be thankful for that.

If you want to be protected, if you want to have peace that passes all understanding, and unending joy, then begin with prayer.  Always remember that no matter what you have done, your heavenly Father loves you.  He wants you to come to Him for forgiveness and protection.  He wants to give you peace and joy.  Won’t you do that today?

Have a great day!