Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all. 2 Thess. 3:16 (NLT)
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:17 (NIV)
O LORD, you will ordain peace for us, for you have indeed done for us all our works. Isa. 26:12 (ESV)
Dear heavenly Father, I praise, bless, and adore you for many reasons. Today, in particular, I rejoice in your commitment to give us peace—to center, settle, and encourage our hearts. You never pressure us just to ‘”get over it, buck up, and be strong”. You welcome us in our weakness, confusion, and frailties.
In Paul’s words, you promise peace “at all times and in every situation.” To know that you are with us and for us, to know that you love us and are in control of all things—that is what we need, more than anything else. So Father, here are some of the “every situations” for which we ask you to “ordain” a good measure of your peace.
Grant us peace, as we trust you with the hearts and futures of our children. No matter the age of our kids, we still want to write their stories. Forgive our unbelief; free us from our “meddling”; and grant us all season grace to love, accept, and encourage our daughters and sons.
Grant us peace, as we make important decisions. Some of us are facing career changes, church choices, economic challenges, and health issues. Free us from the foolish notion that there is only one right choice to make. Actually, there is only one right God to trust, and that is you. Lead us, as we lean on you, Father.
Lastly, grant us peace, as we live in some broken stories for which Jesus’ return, alone, will bring the resolve. Whether it’s a world at war, or wars in our hearts, may the promise of consummate peace prove to be sufficient peace until that Day. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ strong and tender name.
