REJOICE! PRAY! PRAISE! = PEACE

 

I gave a message on Sunday morning August 10th about WORRY. I just want you to know, sometimes the message is more for me than you. I think I need to revisit that message for MYSELF. I am in the midst of a battle right now with worry and I am taking some of my own advice and spending a lot of time in prayer about the things I am worried about. 

I trust in the Lord. I know that God will supply all the needs of both me and this church. He has a plan even when I don't see it. I TRUST HIM. BUT, even while I am typing this I had to stop and pray for God to forgive me for my LACK OF FAITH in the middle of my WORRY! I am thinking about Philippians 4:6-7.

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you. will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT)

It is pretty clear "DON'T WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING" and then it says this word:

INSTEAD.....

That word really stuck in my mind this morning. INSTEAD. You see, I have been worrying AND praying. But Paul's letter tells us to PRAY instead. He does not give us permission to worry AND add prayer alongside our stress and anxiety. He tells us to REPLACE WORRY WITH PRAYER. 

Don't do both!

That is where REAL FAITH BEGINS.

Paul's words are meant to be an encouragement for us: replace worry with prayer. Bring your needs before God and thank him for all he has done. Then we just need to open our hearts to him and his peace will flood our soul. 

As I was contemplating and reflecting on Philippians, my eyes slipped up to verse 4:

"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I way it again - rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4, NLT)

OK, OK, OK, I get it! LOL!

BE FILLED WITH JOY! PRAY! PRAISE GOD for his many BLESSINGS!

I don't think you can worry if you do those three things. So that is my formula for today. REJOICE! PRAY! PRAISE! and I can guarantee that formula will lead to a peace that is unexplainable. 

Heavenly Father, I come to you today rejoicing in you. I can look back on my life and see your wonderful hand taking the worries and anxieties I have faced, and POOF, they all disappear. I can look back and see so many wonderful answers to prayer. TODAY, I can look back and see the infinite joy and blessings you have granted. I praise you LORD and cannot wait to watch you work destroying the stress and anxieties of life. Thank you Lord for being ALWAYS being with me. AMEN!

YOUR CHALLENGE TODAY: REPLACE your fear, stress, and anxiety with REJOICING! PRAYER! and PRAISE! Don't hold on to the worry, release it to the one who holds the keys to life eternal! THEN you will experience his peace!

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If you haven't repented of your sin, accepted what Jesus did for you on the cross, dying for your sins, or if you have not committed your life to Jesus, TODAY could be that day. give your life to the Lord. 

"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." (Romans 10:9-10, ESV)

If you gave your life to Jesus today, text the word "faith" to (765)-896-4302 and we will follow up with material for you and join you in your walk of faith!