“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope in the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
Imagine your life with more peace.
Just stop. Do that.
Peace doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Time and time again, when we pay attention to the Scriptures. Today, we are going to pray for the fruit of peace.
St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians – “have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7.
Jesus offers peace. Peace be with you. The first thing Christ said to the Apostles after He had risen was “Peace be with you” – John 20:19. They are sitting behind locked doors, in bewilderment and fear. Locked away. And, Jesus suddenly appears before them within the locked doors, offering peace.
Jesus enters the room where the disciples were for fear, and He looks at them and says, “Peace.” Everything’s going crazy, and they were frightened. They didn’t know what was going on. They didn’t know what Jesus’ death meant. What about this ‘rumor’ that He is risen? They were freaked out then, He’s literally in their midst, and they can see His wounds on His hands and His feet, and He says to them, “Peace.” Then He breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Peace guards our heart—that when we’re frightened or we feel the weight of stress and anxiety, the Lord will guard our heart and bring us peace, or will guard our mind. So oftentimes our mind is just like a rabbit hole, and it goes to a dark place and begins to believe things that aren’t true, and just this cycle.
St. Paul says the peace of God will guard your heart and will guard your mind. What a beautiful image.
It’s the gift that the Lord wants to be able to give to us—the fruit of having a relationship with the Holy Spirit.
I pray today we may each encounter Jesus within the locks halls of our heart and soul. In our fears, worries, stresses and overwhelmed moment and in our bewilderment, confusion and doubt (like Thomas). And, in this encounter receive the Holy Spirit and receive the peace of God.