Last week we looked at establishing God’s authority in our lives and circumstances. I shared my testimony of having peace during a hurricane and taking authority over the storm. The pace, stress, and insecurity of modern life and physical and psychological ills can affect our peace. Peace is not situational. Experiencing peace is not found by changing our lives, other people, or our circumstances. We must come to the place of trusting in God and resting in the character of God to experience His peace.
Let’s look at how Jesus was the peace, Shalom, during a storm.
On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was; other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” Mark 4:35 – 41
Jesus is called the Prince of Peace or Sar Shalom (Isaiah 9:6-7). According to Wikipedia (en.m.wikepedia.org), Shalom is the Hebrew word meaning peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare, and tranquility. The New Testament Greek words for peace mean the same things.
We usually think of peace as mentally calm, freedom from disturbance, serenity, quiet, and tranquility, but Jesus gives us much more than that. He doesn’t just provide us with peace; He is our peace! We must first have peace with God through Jesus before we can have peace in our lives (Romans 5:1; Colossians 1:20). The chastisement for our peace was upon Jesus on the cross (Isaiah 53:4-5). God loves you, and He wants you to live in peace with Him and receive eternal life and live forever with Him (John 3:16).
If you would like to experience the love of God and to have peace with Him through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, pray this suggested prayer out loud right now. You can also pray in your own words. Remember, it is not words or prayer alone that will save you. Prayer is a way to reach out to the Lord and must be done in faith (completely trusting in Him to save you). Christ will save you if you pray these or similar words in faith.
Heavenly Father,
Your Word says that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. I ask You to forgive me for my sins. I repent and turn from them and turn to You. I am calling on You and ask Jesus to come into my heart and be Lord over my life. I believe that Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for me. I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead, and He is alive today. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me the Holy Spirit to live inside of me. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and Your healing power in my life. I now belong to You. Help me to live for You and obey You all the days of my life.
In the name of Jesus, Amen.
If you just received Jesus as your Savior, then I welcome you into the Family of God! For more about how to grow in Christ, see: https://alexiscarucci.com/welcome-to-gods-family/
The fruit of the Spirit includes peace (Galatians 5:22-23). His peace comes on the inside of us when we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and the Holy Spirit dwells within us (Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 3:16). Our external circumstances shouldn’t affect our internal peace because He is in us! He is our peace amid the storms we encounter in life.
We could be fearful, anxious, or worried about many things in life that can affect our peace, i.e., failure, lack, poverty, robbery, rape, terrorism, COVID, suffering, sickness, and disease, etc. We may fear that God won’t come through with what He promised or what we need. But God is loving, good, and faithful. We must not align with or allow fear, anxiety, or worry in our lives.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.2 Timothy 1:7
Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. Psalm 56:3
Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus.Philippians 4:6-7
He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established; he will not be afraid until he sees his desire upon his enemies.Psalm 112:7-8
In righteousness, you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you. Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake. No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the LORD. Isaiah 54:13 – 15, 17
There are so many more verses in the Bible where we are told not to fear or be afraid. I want to encourage you to check them out for yourself and store them in your arsenal to declare against the enemy when fear, worry, or anxiety try to place their grip on you.
Peace from God gives us authority from God so we can command fear, anxiety, and worry to leave in Jesus’ name and for Shalom to come. Authority is not something we do but what we walk in. Satan wants us to operate in fear and unbelief instead of peace and faith and trust in Jesus. Remember that Jesus gave us authority over all the power of the enemy. Satan can’t do anything to us apart from fear because Satan doesn’t have a connection without fear!
“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10: 19
We need to govern our own peace by taking authority in our homes, workplaces, and wherever we go. When in my home or I come into a place where anger, arguing, and strife are present, I take authority over the enemy and atmosphere. Remember, we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). The enemy is often at work using people and circumstances to draw us into a battle with him and away from God.
Satan wants to get us to walk in the flesh instead of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16; Romans 8:5-11). When we come out of peace, we are walking in the flesh and not in the Spirit. We are to crucify the flesh and submit it to God (Galatians 5:24; James 4:7). We can’t cast out our flesh, but we can take authority over the enemy when he is at work in our lives and circumstances.
I ask the Holy Spirit how to confront what I am experiencing. He often tells me to declare God’s Word about the situation, bind and rebuke the enemy in the name of Jesus, plead the blood of Jesus over the situation, building or house, and release the Lord’s glory and His peace. The kingdom of God operates by faith and is voice-activated.
Jesus gives us His peace. The gospel is the Gospel of Peace that we can share with others (Romans 10:15). The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).
Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.” “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:1, 27
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”John 16:33
“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” Number 6:24 – 26
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Living the Abundant Life 