Wednesday, April 9

by Ashlee Cuddy
"A Moment to Receive Peace"

Peace. We all experience times in our lives when we desperately seek peace. In these moments the belief of finding any sense of harmony, tranquility, or serenity seems like an unattainable notion. The amazing thing is that it is a gift that is given to us by God and can be accepted each day. We just fail to grab hold of it sometimes. Why? Because life is busy, the call from God to “be still” can seem daunting; on other days, an impossible task. So you must create a moment of your own for God.

One of the ways I experience the peace of Christ is during the mornings when I journal. I carve out time each day before the sun is up, before the world awakes to find my peace with God. If you want to hear what peace sounds like, step outside at 5:00 in the morning and take a deep breath. Even if you are not a morning person, try it once. For me it all started about two years ago when I was feeling incredibly stressed. I opened my Bible to Philippians 4: 6 and read, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” So I found an old notebook lying around and poured my heart out to God. I praised him for gifts and his provisions; I lifted others up in prayer and then with thanks listed all my worries. I read the verse again this time through verse 7, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Find the time to create your moment. Not a morning person? Maybe you are a night owl. Maybe it is in your car on the way to work or when taking your lunch break, after the baby goes down for a nap or before the kids get home from school. Whatever works for you. Create this time for you and God to receive his incredible gift of peace. In Matthew 7:7, the Bible reminds us how to find those things we are looking for: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Approach God with Christ-like faith, with persistence and intention, and he will bless you with a sense of calm that can only be described as his peace.


Lift in prayer today
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