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 your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
In our prayer time with the Lord, there was meant to be an exchange. We come with our burdens, our heavy yokes, our anxiety, our worry, our stress, our frustrations, our failures, and we give them to God by prayer and petition.
Then we shift into gratitude, praise, and thanksgiving. This shift allows us to let go and receive all that He has for us in that moment. Many times we’ll feel God’s love; we’ll sense that He is with us and for us. There may be a release of joy that wells up from inside of us. But most often the thing that comes and wraps us like a blanket is the peace of God.
God’s peace transcends all understanding. It doesn’t make sense that we should be feeling such a calm and a peace in the midst of these storms of life, and yet that is exactly what we experience in God’s Presence.
Like a fresh coat of paint, God’s peace doesn’t just change the color of our heart and mind from dark to light, but it also seals, protects and guards our hearts and minds for the rest of the day. It protects us from the natural weathering that can happen to our emotions and our thought-life.
The Greek word here translated into the word “guard” refers to a military sentinel or guard. Another way of saying it is that God’s peace is militant. Sometimes we think of peace as a fluffy, white blanket. The connotation here is much stronger than a fluffy, white blanket. Picture instead a stern, special ops soldier assigned to be your body guard in a war zone. That is what the peace of God does as we get harassed by the anxieties of the world. It aggressively guards our hearts and minds.
Jesus said:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
Fire and Light 