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…WE RECEIVE WHAT WE TRULY NEED.
The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — PHILIPPIANS 4:5b-7
My son George just turned five, and for his birthday what he wanted most of all was a toy Dodge Charger. I’m not sure why he’s become obsessed with Dodge Chargers. First it was garbage trucks, then it was vacuums, now this. Go figure. We now spend every car trip scanning the roads for Chargers. It’s a good day when we see a few. So for his birthday, he wanted a toy Charger more than anything.
And while we don’t all want toy Dodge Chargers, we do all want something. Whether it’s health, or for our kids to be alright, or for political infighting to end, we all have desires. And so we pray. God, cure me of cancer. Lord, protect my daughter in college. Father, bring peace to our country. Sometimes God gives us what we ask for (George did get a toy Dodge Charger for his birthday). But sometimes He doesn’t. We don’t know why, but ultimately it’s up to Him. And who are we to contest?
And while that can sometimes be discouraging, what we learn from scripture is that our prayer lives bring us much more than the thing we ask for. When we come to our Father in Heaven with our requests, He actually gives us something greater than anything we could ask for. Paul says, “let your requests be made known to God…” and in turn you will be given… the peace of God!
At first thought, that might be disappointing. That’s not what we asked for. I wanted a Dodge Charger, and you gave me peace? Can I trade it for what I want, please?
But think about it. What is at the heart of what you are asking for? Say you are asking God to heal you of cancer. Why are you praying that? Because you’re scared of dying. Or maybe you’re praying for protection for your daughter going off to college. Why are you praying that? Because you are scared she might get hurt or into trouble. Or maybe you’re praying for the country to be healed of its political wounds. Why are you praying for that? Because you’re worried the country is being torn apart.
You see what God is offering you? While not exactly what you think you want, peace is in fact the exact answer to the real problem in your heart. You’re afraid, you’re worried, you’re unsure. And so you pray to God asking for these things. And because He is good, He responds with the very thing you actually need—His peace, which surpasses all understanding and protects us from evil.
With the peace of God, that cancer no longer seems to be a big threat. With the peace of God, our children’s future isn’t something that we need to worry about. With the peace of God, the unrest in our country isn’t cause for alarm.
Friends, the Lord is at hand. Let’s go to Him in prayer together, making our requests known to Him, so that He might fill us with His peace, which is ultimately what we need most right now.
I invite you to join us this Sunday at 6pm for our monthly Prayer Gathering.
Matthew Lautz, Director of Worship Arts