August 16 Prayer (Philippians 4:19 devotional)

Can I be super transparent with you? This morning I was not focused on peace. It felt like peace was the furthest thing from me. I was focused on getting things done, not having enough time, what I would start with, my life choices, and why I thought it would be a good idea to learn how to be an entrepreneur in five different fields (craziness).

I almost felt like a chicken running around with no head. Even sitting down to focus on eating breakfast was a challenge, how was I supposed to be still long enough to do anything work-related?

So, I stopped and prayed. Not for peace, but for the ability to follow God in all that I do. Friends, He is so good.

As I was going through the chaos this morning I remembered that I needed to look up Philippians 4:9. At first it felt like another item on my checklist that needed to be completed, but as I sat down and read it, peace suddenly felt possible.

I started to think of how I was back in high school while meditating on Philippians 4:9. I giggle a bit because I remember how serious it was to get a car by a certain time, take specific classes, get the right first job, and the silliest of all- plan out my career and future before I graduated or else I would miss the chance.

Did anyone else feel that way? I thought I grew out of the person I was in high school, but I felt that same way this morning.

Today, the things I worried about in high school aren’t even near the top of my list of things that would stress me out. Honestly, they’re long forgotten because of the experiences I’ve gone through.

Though I may feel like I have to have my life together today, maybe the process of living by practicing what Jesus said and did is more important.

God is not unaware of my time, circumstances, and abilities. While I feel limited by time, He is unlimited in what He can do within even a moment. A big question I was asking myself this morning was, “What am I supposed to focus on?” Philippians gives us the answer: Jesus. 

• We are to put into practice what we’ve seen, heard, received, and learned from Jesus. How can we live more like Jesus today, than we did yesterday?
• What we’ve heard, seen, and learned from Jesus can all be found in the Bible. However, what are your thoughts on the following statement? Put what you’ve received from God into practice in your daily life. What are some things (either physical or spiritual) that you have received from God? How can you use these gifts to glorify Him?