Tuesday 25 March 2014

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL: THE PEACE OF GOD

Memorise:
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7


Read:
Philippians 4:4-8

4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EZEKIEL 19 - 20 and PSALM 69:22-36
Message
There is nothing tangible that can be achieved in an organisation, family or mind without a peaceful atmosphere. This is why when the world was characterised with chaos in Genesis 1:1-3, the first thing God did was to restore peace to the chaotic world. I pray that the peace of God will be your portion today in Jesus’ Name. There are factors that can guarantee peace in the life of an individual, particularly a child of God. One of them is contentment. 1 Timothy 6:6&10 says that:
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
Many people lack peace because they are not contented with what they have. They dabble into some nefarious activities in search of the material things of this world which lead to stress related diseases. We must beware not to run after the material things of this world which do not bring satisfaction, or those things that attract undue responsibilities, or those things that hurt when they have flown away. Also, avoid the abuse of things which bring discomfort like piles or stomach aches and other illnesses to your body (Proverbs 25:16). How do you cultivate contentment? Contentment is developed when you endeavour to enjoy the present blessings of God in your life and give Him glory for such benefits (Ecclesiastes 5:18-19, Psalm 103:1-5).
“Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
Philippians 4:5-6

Other truths about having peace are revealed in this passage: One of such truths is that, to have the peace of God, you have to be moderate in your lifestyle without hypocrisy. Another is: do not be anxious for anything, or else you will lose your God-given peace. How then do you survive in a competitive world where the essential things of life are scarce? The next truth answers this: make your request known to God. He is Jehovah-Jireh, the Great Provider. He will meet you at the point of your needs. It is when we obey what the Holy Spirit admonishes us to do here that the peace of God will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. I pray for you that the peace of God will come mightily upon your troubled body, soul and spirit today in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer Point:
Pray for the peace of God to reign in your entire life, family, church and nation today.