Through prayer and spiritual disciplines, we will find the pathway of peace.
Introduction
We are in a season where, to some, the word “peace” has no meaning other than a feeling or a choice of a false reality. Did you know that Jesus has promised us peace? He says, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” (Jn.14:27). We are in a time of wars, social unrest, political unrest, financial unrest, and just plain unrest. We aren’t sleeping well, many people are losing jobs, and there are school shootings and road rage shootings. The list goes on: How can we find peace in this time?
It is not easy, but we must place our foot on The Path of Peace. This is a way of life that we must choose over and over to allow Jesus to give us His peace. Through prayer and spiritual disciplines, we will find and stay on the pathway of peace.
Entering the Path (Phil. 4:4-6)
• Getting on the pathway of peace starts with prayer and supplication
• Paul gives three commands or instructions in vs. 4-6.
1. Rejoice in the Lord always (vs. 4).
2. Be known by our gentleness (5).
3. Be anxious for nothing (4)
• Paul repeated the command to rejoice immediately, emphasizing its importance. Our joy should be found in the Lord. When our joy is found in the Lord, it is unchanging.
• The circumstances of Paul’s life could not give him joy. Paul knew that no situation is beyond the Lord’s help. Christians can always rejoice in that if nothing else.
• The second command regarding gentleness is that we should be known by all men for our gentleness. Gentleness is also one of the fruits of the Spirit. Gentleness is known by how we treat others with our words, actions, and thoughts. Gentleness is selfless. You can’t be gentle and self-focused (vs. 5).
• In the third command, we are told to be anxious for nothing. Paul’s point is that we should take it to the Lord when things get rough and we feel anxious.
• The enemy wants to disrupt our relationship with the Lord. When we give anxiety a place in our heart (being stuck in anxiousness) it infects our ability to love.
• When we give into anxiety, we give it a place in our hearts, and the words and thoughts that come from a place of anxiety contradict what God says is true.
• Thankfully, we have been told how to fight this. We cannot even get on the pathway of peace without prayer and supplication.
• We are told that we do this by taking everything to God through prayer (glorifying God, humbling ourselves) and supplication (our needs and requests).
Staying on the Path (Phil. 4:8-9)
• We stay on the pathway through spiritual disciplines.
• Philippians 8 challenges us to consider our thought life. This is yet another tool and assault against being anxious.
• Every thought comes from either fear or love.
• In the beginning, God created, and His creation expresses His love.
• The enemy wants to separate us from creative expression, and he can do this through our thought life. He wants us to lose our identity because if we lose our identity, we will not know who God has created us to be.
• The enemy wants to separate us from our love relationship with God. He can do this through our thought life when we buy into lies that contradict what God says.
• The enemy wants us to lose track of our tools and authority in Christ.
• Paul gives us the tools to have a thought life focused on love rather than fear and truth rather than lies.
• He tells us to think on whatever is true (reliable, valid, trustworthy), honorable (worthy of respect), right (righteous, upright), pure (modest, blameless, innocent), lovely (grateful, friendly), of good repute (admirable, praiseworthy), and just in case he missed something he adds anything of excellence (moral goodness, a gracious act of God) or worthy of praise. He then reminds us to dwell (count over, again and again and again) on these things.
• Spiritual disciplines that help us stay on the path of peace: Worship, the Word of God, and Prayer. These three tools bring us back to center. It balances us and allows us to stay on the path of peace or find it when we have gotten off track.
1. Worship: It is hard to stay anxious when we are praising God (Psalm 100:1-5, Psalm 47:1, 6-7). The sound of the trumpet and the shouts of the people brought Jericho down (Josh 6:5).
2. Word of God: Weapon of truth and the sword of the Spirit (Heb. 4:12; Eph. 6:17), lights the way on the path (Psalms 119:105).
3. Prayer: Abiding presence (John 15:4-5); seek God for needs (James 1:5; Phil 4: 6-7). Prayer is part of the battle plan (Eph. 6:18).
A Sustaining Peace (Phil. 4:7)
• The three tools (Prayer, Word of God, and Worship) above were all used in military action, and then once again, we see another symbol of military- guard. The word guard speaks of a military action. This is something that the peace of God does for us; it is a peace that is on guard over our hearts and minds.
• This suggests that our hearts and minds can be a great battlefield. We have been given all the necessary tools and serve a God who gives us power and authority. If we are losing it’s because we are not picking up the tools at hand or we are laying them down.
• Peace is not the absence of trouble or pain; instead, it is the presence of God.
• When we have an active prayer life, it changes how we live our lives. Prayerlessness is costly. Prayerlessness creates lack (James 4:2-3). Prayerlessness creates a battle you don’t need to fight (Matt. 26:41).
• When we are in tune with God and allow Him to direct our lives, we can hear the gentle correction and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• This results in God guarding our hearts and minds with peace through Jesus.
• Peace is the abiding presence of God.
• Often, our lack of peace is in response to information we have received. Sometimes you have to ask yourself, “Where did I lose my peace?”
• Then, you may need to go back to that moment and repent for believing the lies over the truth of what God says.
• Romans 16:19-20 tells us to be wise in what is good and innocent of evil, and then it goes on to say that the God of peace will crush Satan under our feet.
• In other words, we have all the tools and authority to have the peace of God. Does it take discipline- yes. Does it take choosing a healthy relationship with God- yes.
• The Shema prayer (Duet. 6:4-9)
Conclusion
Paul invites us to use his life as an example. He said, “These things you have learned and received, and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of Peace will be with you (Phil 4:9). We have been given instructions to rejoice in the Lord, to be gentle, to be anxious for nothing and pray about everything. When we use the tools available to us we will have the peace of God. This peace has nothing to do with circumstances. So, though we are living in a world of wars, political polarization, and financial hardship, we can have the peace of God. We do not have to give in and give up. Through prayer and spiritual disciplines, we can stay on the pathway of peace.
Discussion Questions
- What place does prayer and supplication have in your life? Do you take your anxiety to the Lord__?
- We can stay on the pathway of peace through the tools we have been given: The Word, Worship, and Prayer. How do you use these tools__?
- We are told to take every thought captive (2 Cor 10:5) and we are also told in this passage that we should think on things that are excellent and praiseworthy. How are you doing in this area? What are you going to do about it__?