True Sweetness: 9 Days to Growing in the Fruit of the SpiritSample

The Key to Peace

"Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God's peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 NCV

"Oh no!” she said out loud as she sat in the driver’s seat, empty-handed. Without her keys, she was stranded in her own driveway, along with the kids who carpooled with her to school. Instinctively, she pulled out her purse and dug through the contents, carefully searching for her keys in every corner. But with each passing minute, her panic only increased.

Agitated by stress and her surging blood pressure, she exited the car and tore through the house, checking every normal nook and cranny where she could have possibly placed them. “Vanished! They have just completely disappeared!” she concluded, exasperated by the interruption to their morning routine.

“What’s that in your back pocket?” came the question from behind her as her son peeked his head in the door to help her search. In disbelief, she reached around and felt the familiar key ring shape poking out of her pocket. With a sigh of relief and a word of thanks for the help, she headed back to the car to continue on her day.

Just like the mom, we often panic when we aren’t prepared for life’s curveballs—particularly the painful kind. We get all wound up trying to find the solution to our pressing problems so that we can work our way out of it. And when we can’t, we’re quick to despair. But God reminds us that we have the key to lasting peace in our “back pocket.” Freedom begins the moment we remember that God has gifted us with the power to pray right in the middle of our most stressful, difficult moments. God promises that He not only hears us, but will work everything out in our favor as we trust Him. When we release our fears and concerns before His throne, He floods our hearts with a deep peace that leads to praise.

Lord, prayer is powerful because You are a God who cares and acts on my behalf. Please forgive me for forgetting to call on You throughout my day. Please strengthen my prayers and fill me with Your divine peace. In Jesus's name. Amen.