“Do not worry about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.”
~Philippians 4:6-7 (NRSV).
Faith speaks a language all its own.
What verse 7 above is telling us, is that we don’t always need to think and therefore act, feeling good or bad for what we’ve done or not done. We can, alternatively, act in accordance with the will of God and find, in that, that which transcends our own understanding. We don’t understand this; we’re not supposed to.
Anesthetised from Hurt
A good way of illustrating what we’re discussing is the experience of being in a hurtful situation, yet not feeling hurt.
This is a level of understanding that this love — a protected variety — is possible.
This sort of love can neither hurt, nor be hurt.
God can and does make it possible that we’d know the hurt that was destined for us, but we’d not feel it in a hurtful way. We therefore deal with it maturely.
This is a strange reality that we can only assign as miraculous. We know that we should’ve felt hurt, but we weren’t.
Blessing Beyond Dreams – Delivering Real Power
This power we now speak of is an utterly safe power.
It’s a power that provides both trust and respect, for we no longer have the ability to hurt people or be hurt in this mindset and heart-frame.
Suddenly the power of God is unveiled in our mortal being, and such understanding is revered by believers and nonbelievers alike. The power of God requires no effort on our part; indeed, we’re quickly getting out of the way so as not to interrupt the flow of what seems magical.
We’re changed and transformed in this. Once we were hurt by these sorts of things; now, no longer, so long as we stay in this strain of blessing — the prayer language of the Lord.
Establishing the Connection – Prayer and The Lord is Near
Experience beyond understanding is merely one manifestation of the connection between the language of prayer and the fact that the Lord is near.
The earlier verse 5 suggests this, beyond allusions to Jesus’ coming.
As we engage in more prayer, for the purposes of thanksgiving, request, plea and petition, we’re actually urging the Holy Spirit to climb on in, within. It shouldn’t be any surprise, then, to suddenly note the transformations occurring within us, which are beyond our explanation.
Let’s never underestimate the power of prayer! It’s the power for love and understanding.
© 2011 S. J. Wickham.
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