As believers, peace is our right. Why do we fight so hard to maintain it? Here are seven suggestions that will allow us to grab our peace and hold onto it!

Jesus Gave Every Believer Peace
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid (John 14:27, NLT).

We Can Experience A Supernatural Peace
Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with a peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel (Philippians 4:7, CEV).

God Told Us How To Maintain Our Peace
You [God] will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (Isaiah 26:3, NLT). 

Last year, I had a health challenge that was brought on from overwork and stress. I didn’t realize that I was allowing other people’s problems and my own anxiety to undermine my health. Thank God for Jesus! As I lay in my bed, meditating on Jesus, He told me quite plainly, “You must stop worrying.” Then He told me the top two things that I was worried about, which had undermined my health.

I began to study the Word of God on worry and anxiety, and discovered that worry is a sin because it is a sign that – 
1) We have stopped trusting in God and we have abandoned our faith.
2) We have stopped listening to God. God always directs our steps and provides for us if He can get our attention.
3) We are worried because we are trusting in ourselves or in other humans. 

Here’s What God Said To Do Instead Of Worrying
Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God (Philippians 4:6, CEV).

Cast all your anxiety on him [the Lord] because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:9, NIV). 

Right now, millions of people are home alone, isolated, and suffering from anxiety. The news on television is filled with adverse fearful reports regarding the world health outlook, politics, and the economy. Thousands have lost loved ones to death or are battling to regain their health. The world is experiencing a severe crisis. None the less, God has given us a way to restore and to maintain our peace and our sanity.    

Here are seven (7) practical suggestions that I shared with a close friend recently, to regain our peace of mind and to maintain it.

1) STAND ON THE WORD – Isaiah 26:3 above promises us peace if we will keep our minds fixed on God.  Fixed is the key word! Memorize this scripture. Meditate on this scripture. If you are tempted with anxiety, repeat Isaiah 26:3 in your mind during the day. Say to yourself, “My mind is fixed on Jesus and I have perfect peace!” Do it. Trust me, when you say this in faith, it resets your thinking process. Make standing on God’s Word a way of life.

2) BOMBARD YOUR BRAIN WITH TRUTH – The enemy (Satan) gets into our heads because there is space. If there is no room for him, he can’t get in. Leave no place for the devil! Bombard your brain with the Word of God 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. How do we do this?  

I do it by leveraging technology. From the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep, I’m listening to the Bible (on audio) or a Christian book (on audio) or a sermon (on audio). For even more joy, include praise and worship music. Learn to use Kindle Books, Audible Books, and YouTube on your cellular phone. It’s easy, even for seniors. If you have a low-cost kindle device, it will read Christian books and Bibles to you! Wake up listening to the Bible, fall asleep listening to the Bible. Also, all this content is free on YouTube, up to 8 hours of scriptures on peace, playing non-stop!

Of course, I work for a living. If I’m working at my desk or talking on the phone, I pause listening to the Bible. But when that work is done, I return to the Word of God.  Or if I’m working on a business task that is repetitive (like data entry), I listen to the Bible while I’m working.

If you do this, your faith will soar!  This gives the devil has ZERO opportunity to torment us with fear, doubt, and worry.

3) REACH OUT REGULARLY & BECOME AN ENCOURAGER – One way I stay encouraged is by encouraging others. Make a list of family and other believers that you can encourage on a weekly basis. Refuse to be isolated and alone. As believers, we should be the ones to pick up the phone or to text scriptures of encouragement. Post encouraging scriptures (or quotes) to your Facebook and Twitter pages. God gives us (in abundance) what we share with others.

4) REFUSE ALL NEGATIVITY – This is essential! Severely limit or cut off altogether (all forms of) unbelief and negativity. Include every TV program (including news shows) and people that thrive on backbiting, gossiping, and spreading bad news. It seems innocent, but this is poison.

Catch up with the global news by reading the headlines for a couple of minutes on your cell phone or by using a free news app on your cell phone. Avoid watching hours of bad news on TV!

We can love people and pray for them without listening to their unbelief on a regular basis. The Bible tells us to guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) and to leave unbelievers alone (Luke 9:5). If unbelievers live within our home, we must not get lured into arguments with them – we must pray for them. We overcome evil by doing good (Romans 12:21).

5) WE MUSTN’T NEGLECT CHURCH SERVICE – Weekly church service, small Bible study groups, Christian courses, and spiritual guidance counselors are vital to maintaining our joy. We must humbly admit that all of us need comfort, God’s guidance, and the love of other believers.

Learn from my bad experience. Once I was so discouraged, I stopped going to church for a while. During this time, my attitude worsened, my faith declined, and things got worse. When I returned to church, I realized how utterly stupid I’d been! There is a reason God created the Body of Christ which is His church. We need our faith boosted weekly and we need to connect with others who are experiencing similar challenges. The Bible says a triple-braided cord is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12). Satan loves to isolate believers, so he can do more damage. Don’t fall for this. The Holy Spirit already has a church or Bible study group for you.

6) MAINTAIN AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE – Years ago, the Lord told me to go on a joy fast. Just recently, I’ve reinstituted this practice in my life. Joy is no accident. We’ve got to be very intentional about thanking God all day for His blessings. If we neglect to count our blessings, we will end up counting our misfortunes. The Word of God reveals a secret to joy, happiness, and peace. It says God gave us the garment of praise to overcome the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3). This is a supernatural truth for those who employ it.

7) GO TO BE EARLY – Exhaustion robs us of energy and creativity. The Bible says, “God gives His children rest” (Psalms 127:2). When I’m feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, I know that I’m not using my faith and I may be sinning by abusing my body with worry and overwork. Jesus said, “Come to me all who are weary, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28-30).  

God is not stressing us out or overworking us. We do this on our own. The Lord wants to provide for us, but we struggle to trust Him. Shut off the cell phone, close your laptop, and get a peaceful night’s sleep.

Fall Asleep Fast – Here’s How   
Having trouble sleeping? God told me to do this, and it is an absolute miracle. I fall asleep in what seems like seconds. First, make sure your heart is sincere. This is not a gimmick. Here’s how to quickly and naturally drift into a peaceful sleep. Begin to think about all the amazing things God has done for you throughout your lifetime. Try to think of your most crucial blessing first, then put your blessings in order in your mind. Think deeply about the far-reaching ramifications of each benefit. Meditate on what a miracle it is to be so blessed and on how much God loves you as an individual. Don’t allow your mind to drift back to your problems. As you thank God, meditating on and counting your blessings, you will drift into a peaceful sleep.   

In a nutshell, my dear brothers and sisters, the benefits of peace are freely ours.  We must be willing to tap into the mind of God through His Word and cut off the enemy’s entry (into our minds).

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8, NLT).