“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” ~Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

God’s Word reminds us to choose faith and thanksgiving over fear!  And then it PROMISES us that PEACE will come and guard our hearts and minds when we do.  Maybe you’ve heard that the Bible says, “Fear not” 365 times (one for each day of the year!)  Now, I’ve never counted them, but it’s clear to see that God’s best for us is NOT fear, anxiety and worry.  It’s certainly true that in this world, there are many things, most of which we cannot control, that have the potential to cause anxiety.  Avoiding those things can actually make our anxiety worse!  We can, by the power of the Holy Spirit, learn to release our anxiety, pray, tell God what we need, and thank Him for all He’s done. Great peace always comes when we do.  It can really help to have someone come alongside us and help us with this process.  Feel free to email Wendy Wilkins if you would like to explore it more. wendy.thegreatexchange@gmail.com

Monthly Prayer Focus:  Pray that our church family would be characterized by peace, not fear.  Pray that in a world where there is much to be anxious about, we would be drawn by the Holy Spirit to pray about everything and tell God boldly what we need.  Pray that we would be people who are quick to thank God for all He has done and praise Him for His Sovereign control over everything.  Pray that people would be drawn to Jesus as they see peace in our hearts and lives.