Tuesday, January 19

Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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.

A while back late on a stormy spring afternoon, I was driving in my car and heard a “severe weather” warning on the radio. The announcement indicated that a tornado had been spotted just a few miles from where we live and was headed in our general direction. The announcer even encouraged everyone living in our portion of the county to head to the basement - or to the most secure spot - in their homes. I was still 30 minutes or so from home and didn’t know if my wife, who was at home with three of our sons, would have heard the warning. So I called her on my cell phone and told her what I had heard on the radio and we agreed that she should probably take the boys into the basement until the storm lifted.

When I arrived home half an hour later, they were all in the basement – playing ping-pong and having fun – while listening to the weather reports. Shortly thereafter, the warning was lifted and we went about our normal evening routines. The boys joked about being disappointed they didn’t get to see a real, live tornado.

I’m sure that at dinner or bed-time we probably thanked God for the blessing of a home that provides shelter from bad weather. I know that I prayed a prayer of thanksgiving that the tornado didn’t turn in our direction. But, deep down, I always wonder how I would pray if the tornado did, in fact, come our way – or destroy our home?

We all want peace and security. We all pray that the storm will go in another direction. We all want our children to be safe. And we typically think of peace, security and safety in physical and material terms.

But notice the promise tucked away in this teaching on prayer!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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 mindsin Christ Jesus.

Paul encourages us to pray in and about everything. He is teaching us to pray with thanksgiving. He is reminding us that, as God’s children, we can ask him for anything. And then he gives us this remarkable promise: “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The promise of prayer is not that we will get everything we ask for! The promise is peace. And notice as well what parts of our lives God promises to guard – our “hearts and minds.” Not our homes. Not our stuff. Not even our physical health – but our hearts and our minds.

What does it mean to have the peace of God guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus?

It means that God chooses to protect the most important part of us first! The only part of me that was created to last forever – my soul – is what Paul here calls “heart and mind.” This is the part of me that Jesus died to forgive and save. This is the part of me that receives the great gift of eternal life – and that will live with him forever in heaven.

And this is the part of you that the peace of God protects – fills and sustains – when you pray. So why “Prayer @ Home?” Because God wants to bring peace to that part of your home that is most precious, the hearts and minds of the people who live there; Moms and Dads and babies and children and adolescents and young adults and even grandparents. If your personal situation is living alone, then he wants to bring his peace to your heart and mind as much as he does the family with five kids!

Make a renewed commitment today to the heart and mind transforming gift called prayer!

Pastor Brian Coffey