It's not that the word we use to address God at the beginning of a prayer is the issue, or that we must verbally put a recipient at the beginning. God knows who we are speaking to when we pray. It's not an issue of making sure the God we are addressing knows we're talking to Him, or following some ritual in order not to get it wrong and invalidate our right to talk to Him. It's a matter of the heart. It's about coming to God from a place of surrender, with an understanding that He is Father, Daddy, Master, Sovereign Lord of our life. He is ruler; we are subject. He is Father; we are child. He has all authority, and in this prayer I like that it begins with Lord rather than Father, because while He is both, and both show authority, Lord also acknowledges that He has the power to grant our petitions and change our hearts and lives.
This matters, because when we come to God, we can come with access of a child to Daddy, but always with the understanding that Daddy is Lord and King, with all right to rule us. We're not going to spiritually turn 18 and be able to disregard our Father and do whatever we want, to rule our own life, because He is more than our Father. He is our Lord. Accepting and understanding and submitting to that truth is the place where God's peace begins.
An instrument is a tool or implement with a purpose. We can not be a servant (tool) or an implement with a purpose of propagating God's peace if we do not possess that peace. We can not give away what we do not have. The precious peace that passes understanding and comes only from God is essential to every aspect of our life.
The first element of God's peace is peace with God. We are no longer at war with the King, because we have surrendered and become His subjects. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight (Colossians 1:21-22). Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).
Our peace with God is not contingent upon us and not because of us. It is because of the work of Jesus on the cross. Because of what Jesus did for us, we are no longer enemies of God. And that means that no matter how badly we may mess up we have not destroyed our peace with God. We didn't earn it, deserve it or establish it. Jesus did those things, and we do not have the power to overcome the work of Jesus and destroy that peace. We can have confidence that Jesus has purchased our peace with God, and that because of that peace, we can enter His throne room and bow the knee as His subject and know that He will treat us as a beloved child rather than the enemy we once were. It is peace with God that makes us able to declare Him our Lord.
Peace is more than just a cessation of war though. It is freedom from disturbance, quiet and tranquility. Think back to life separated from God. There really isn't anything that can lead to more disturbance and disquiet in our life. The bondage of addictions and selfishness, the struggle to manage and control and protect our self rule while the world spun more and more out of control around and within us, and the constant feeling of dissatisfaction and discontent was a miserable existence indeed. It could not be described as full of peace, even if there were moments of tranquility.
Through the freedom we have in Christ, we can live lives that are no longer filled with the struggle for control, for acceptance, to do what we can not do, and as slaves to things within and without that we hate. We know that regardless of our circumstances and situation, are relationship with God is secure and ultimately His purpose will be fulfilled. That gives us peace, a freedom from disturbance, soul quiet and mental tranquility that can not be shaken or stolen away. This is the peace we have available to access and is promised to us when we begin our relationship with God with surrendering to His lordship. In fact our times of distress where we have lost that peace as Christians can be tracked back to trying to do those things ourselves once more and in moments where we have taken back His right to rule our life and will.
What we have been freely given, we are to freely give away. Surrendering to God's purpose for our life, which includes being more like Jesus, who is the One who made out peace with God and from God possible, includes the willingness and the desire to be an instrument of passing that peace to others. Because of God's peace that is evident in my life, I can help others find that same peace, the peace that they so desperately need and long for, even if they haven't realized it. This is true for you too. To live and breath and walk in God's peace from a place of surrender to our Lord and to be an example of and a sign pointing to how to receive that peace is the desire of our heart when we pray, Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Let us make it our honest prayer today.
Peace Prayer of Saint Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.
If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.
No comments:
Post a Comment