I’m going to be honest with you: I’m struggling these days to find peace.
Since the outbreak of the COVID pandemic in 2020, I feel like the world has been experiencing a domino-style effect of one global crisis after another — from cataclysmic natural disasters, increased awareness of racial and social injustice, horrific wars in Europe and the Middle East, to recent heated debates on gender identity.
My mind has been constantly striving to process and make sense of it all: and frankly, combined with the personal fears and worries that cast a shadow on my personal life, I am mentally exhausted.
I need a minute to catch my breath and find rest from the cacophony of information and expectations of the world.
I need the peace of God.
And if you’re anything like me, you need it as well.
Paul describes in Philippians 4:7 that the peace of God transcends all understanding. His peace surpasses our human attempts to achieve tranquility — may it be having a marathon Netflix session, excess partying and drinking, or going down the rabbit hole of drugs and other forms of addiction.
The peace that God offers us is a supernatural peace that cannot be rationalized by human logic.
So, how do we experience this peace?
The Context of Philippians 4:7
Before we can experience God’s supernatural peace that Paul writes in Philippians 4:7, we must first understand the context behind this Scripture.
Philippians 4 is the concluding chapter of Paul’s epistle to the Church at Philippi, a community of Christians he dearly loves and admires. Paul’s final words to the Church are filled with exhortations on how the Philippians can live a God-centred life of peace and contentment.
Philippians 4:7 is often recognized in conjunction with Philippians 4:6: by praying as Paul instructs in verse 6, the Philippians, and by extension all believers, will experience the peace of God that defines in verse 7.
The Meaning of Philippians 4:7
So, what does Philippians 4:7 actually mean? Let’s break this Scripture down into three parts:
1. “And the peace of God.” The peace that God offers us is His own peace. In John 14:27, we experience how Jesus offers us this same peace.
2. “Which transcends all understanding.” Our human comprehension of peace is dependent on our current emotional state or how we define the severity of our circumstances.
However, God’s peace is supernatural and divine in nature: it surpasses our earthly experience of calmness and is, therefore, beyond our understanding.
3. “Will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Jesus Christ predicted that we would experience trouble in this world (John 16:33). However, through His peace, we can protect our hearts and minds from worry, stress, and anxiety in the midst of any trial.
How Can We Experience the Peace of God in Philippians 4:7?
The following are eight ways that we can experience God’s peace as depicted in Philippians 4:7:
1. Pray: As I mentioned earlier, Philippians 4:6 instructs us that the way to attain God’s peace is by presenting our requests to Him through prayer and petition. 1 Peter 5:7 confirms that we should cast our anxieties on Him.
God wants to be in an intimate relationship with us: prayer time with our Lord and Creator promotes this bond.
2. Be thankful: Philippians 4:6 also states that we should be thankful when we present our prayer requests to God. Similarly, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 reminds us to be thankful at all times.
By keeping a gratitude journal, you can record all the times that God has been good to you and refer to them when troubling circumstances threaten to rob you of your peace.
3. Find solace in His Word: The Bible is filled with God's promises to love, provide, protect, and bless us.
Set aside time at the beginning of your day to read God’s Word and be encouraged that His promises are for you. Some of my favorite scriptures of God’s promises are Hebrews 13:5, Numbers 23:19, Deuteronomy 31:6, Isaiah 41:10, and Jeremiah 29:11.
4. Stay focused on God: Regular reading of the Bible will additionally direct your eyes upward toward God instead of being blinded by the confusion and upheaval of your current circumstances (Isaiah 26:3).
5. Enjoy today’s blessings: Being worried about tomorrow robs us of the joy of enjoying the blessings that God gives us today (Matthew 6:34).
Be thankful for what God has given you thus far. Look for His extraordinary goodness in the ordinary that surrounds you: God has helped you up until this point, and He will continue to help you in the days to come.
6. Worship: This has been a game-changer for me. Spending time singing worship songs and giving God praise has dramatically shifted my mindset: from being in a state of permanent anxiety, stress, and chaos, I am achieving a state of mental clarity, inner stillness, and, dare I say it — hope for the future.
I call this “worship warfare” because it is sending a message to the enemy that God has the final say over my situation, not him!
Whatever genre of worship music you like, sing the texts aloud. By doing so, you are not only audibly hearing God’s promises and encouraging yourself, but you are also making a warful declaration to those spiritual forces intent on robbing you of your peace.
7. God is always working: Since the topic of worship is fresh on my mind, allow me to encourage you with some adapted lyrics from one of my favorite worship songs, “Waymaker,” from the original artist Sinach:
Even when l don’t see it, You’re working; even when l don’t feel it, You’re working, You never stop, You never stop working, You never stop, You never stop working.
Admit it, reading those lyrics just then filled you up with a burst of peace, right?
8. Trust God, do good: While you are trusting God to work in your situation, help someone else in theirs. Taking the focus off your own troubles will not only distract you, but it is also an act of spiritual obedience that God honors (Psalm 37:3).
A Prayer for God’s Peace
If you are in desperate need of God’s peace, let me pray for you:
Father God, I lift up my brother or sister in Christ who is reading this article today. Father, I don’t know what is stealing their peace, what is keeping them awake at night with worry, or what they are crying out to you for — but You do.
Lord, thank You that You hear their pleas and You see their tears. I declare and decree that right now, in the name of Jesus, You are filling their hearts and minds with Your perfect peace.
We know that Your peace is something that we do not comprehend with our human understanding; however, we do know that it is ours to receive through the blood of Jesus Christ. Thank You for this precious gift.
And while we rest in You, thank You for working in our situation. Even when we don’t see it, even when we don’t feel it, we know You are preparing a tomorrow that will be for our good, to Your glory.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Friends, if you are in dire need of God’s peace, such as I am, my prayers are with you that you experience it.
Let me encourage you (and myself) that regardless of how our situation looks, God always makes a way and that His ways always work for our good (Romans 8:28). When He starts a good work, He always completes it (Philippians 1:6).
So, hold on, keep your eyes on Jesus, and rest in the peace of God, while He works in your situation. God bless you!
For further reading:
Does God Always Promise Us Peace?
What Is the Difference Between Peace with God and Peace of God?
What Is the Peace That Surpasses All Understanding?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/pixdeluxe
Madeline Kalu is an Australian Christian writer and the co-founder of Jacob’s Ladder Blog and The Proverbs 31 Home. She is also the co-author of the “My Year of Miracles 2024” journal, which encourages a daily reflection on the miracles that God performs in our lives throughout 2024. Madeline lives in Germany with her husband Solomon and the family’s two cats, who were rescued from the Ukrainian war zone.
