“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!  I have overcome the world.” –John 16:33)

Jesus often used words in ways that no one else would use them. For instance, in today’s passage He puts together “peace” and “trouble.” We would never put the two together. If we are having trouble, we think that our peace has gone. But Jesus has a much clearer perspective than our typical frantic thought processes.

Jesus knew that as long as we live in this world, there will always be trouble. It might be on an individual basis: our illnesses, relationships, finances, and so forth. Or it might be on a national platform: war, economic crisis, natural disasters, etc. It doesn’t matter who you are or in what nation you live, you will have trouble.

The good news is that peace is possible in the midst of this trouble. This peace is not found in avoiding trouble, but in embracing the Prince of Peace. The peace Jesus speaks of is found in Him and is literally a commodity given to those who follow Him. It is intended to mark His followers. His disciples will be those who have experienced His peace in their own lives and who seek to bring it to the nation in which they live.

Prayer Points

• Ask the Lord to fill you with His peace.
• Pray that you will be a person who brings the peace of Christ into the lives of others.
• Pray that the church in America will live in such a way that the peace of Christ comes into the councils of our nation.

Prayer

Forgive me, Lord, when I walk in anxiety and stress, failing to allow Your peace to rule in my life. Breathe Your peace into my heart. Help me to bring that peace with me into every situation I face. Lord, may Your peace so pervade Your church in America that it begins to mark us as a nation. We understand that we live in a time of troubles. You told us it would be that way. Help us in a miraculous way to experience Your peace in the midst of trouble.  

Taken from Desperate for Change: 40 Days of Prayer for America by Dave Butts (c) 2012 PrayerShop Publishing.