My Journey to find Peace, part 2 – August 4, 2026

As I talked about last week, I’m seeking peace, have been searching for peace, and wondering if I’m missing something when it comes to having peace.

In last week’s blog, the focus was on John 14:27: 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. ~John14:27 (NLT).

As I said in last week’s post: “Jesus knew that the disciples would face a difficult and confusing time as His crucifixion drew near. He wanted to give them comfort and hope. And that was my overall impression of this verse. It was about hope.”

This week’s exploration about peace led me to very familiar verses from Philippians. They are Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT), which state, “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.

The CSB translation says, “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with Thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

These verses, in part, are about managing worry and anxiety in our lives. One of my Bible commentaries suggests turning worries into prayers. I can get on board with that!

But this made me wonder if I’m letting anxiety, fear, and worry steal my peace. Again, much like things can steal your joy, am I letting the worries steal my peace?

The peace which surpasses understanding and is different than the world’s peace (again, going back to John 14:27) is one found in our relationship with Jesus. When I was first journaling and writing out this Scripture from Philippians, before I even dove into various commentaries, I highlighted the section about peace guarding our hearts and minds. Why did that jump out at me?

As I studied discussions from the commentaries on managing anxiety, it occurred to me that maybe I’m not managing the worries I have as well as I thought. Am I really turning over the fear I hold to God? Or am I clinging to it somehow, waiting for the other shoe to drop?

This passage in Philippians is a reminder that God’s peace is not only a peace of hope (as I learned last week), but it is peace through trusting God and knowing that God is in control. His peace will guard our hearts against anxiety because we live for Christ and have that knowledge that He is here and in control. We trust Him.

So, yes, anxiety can steal our peace, but with prayer and a continuous relationship with Christ, we can regain that peace that only comes from Him.

What are your thoughts on these verses? Do you turn your worries into prayers? Please share and let’s encourage one another.