Live in Prayer-Live in Peace

Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with generating a little later in the program tell you how you can get a copy of Dr. Graham, a man of God first hears his message live in prayer live or on the edge of panic because people are living with so much stress and anxiety and fears. Fears regarding the future, present, don't be surprised if this Jesus said, concerning the final hours in human history that people would be facing with fear. This is Luke 2126 people would be painting with fear and with foreboding and interesting work just read and best uncertain fear that is within of what is coming on the world and that's where we are today. The apostle Paul said perilous times will come in the last days, dangerous days are ahead for all of us and so we know that the world the globe is at war. There's terrorism of all kinds shootings in schools and Houses of Parliament.

These are fearful days and, notwithstanding our own personal needs and problems and fears that we face, and many live with anxiety and are uptight and and stressed out and and don't know where to take their problems, but you just have to wonder is does God have anything to say to us in these uncertain days like I'm glad you asked because in Philippians chapter 4 we see the antidote for anxiety. We see God prescription in the midst of our pain, our fear and our uncertainty and is all couched in a prayer. In fact, we are told that we are to pray at all times about all things that our lives should be live with a continual abiding attitude of prayerful devotion and dependence upon God, pray all of the time back if you're not praying you're not a believer because believers pray and we need to pray that all of us want to know how to pray better. We need to pray more, we need to pray better because prayer is the key to everything we need to be and do in life hear what I just set prayer is the key to everything we need to be and to do in life.

And so the apostle Paul is a part of his life and legacy gives us a passage in Philippians 4 verses 4 to 9 regarding how to experience God's peace and God's presence in times of struggle and personal pain and anguish and anxiety that was easy for Paul to say.

After all, he was an apostle when Paul gave us these words inspired by the Holy Spirit. Of course he was, not on a Mediterranean cruise on his way. Tamika knows to hang out on the beach know he was imprisoned in Rome and he was riding Christians at Philippi who would experience persecution and pressure in their lives and it was very real. These problems in these pressures and and so this is this is not Paul in the pulpit, this is Paul in prison.

We know that there are prisons of other kinds are prisons of personal pain-and-suffering and sickness.

There is the bondage of bitterness. Some of you today are in a dark hole and dungeon of depression. Some are behind walls of loneliness and isolation. Others are fettered by fear and you feel like you're chained by your circumstance. Well, if that's you and it's all of us at one time or another. Listen to these words beginning at verse four rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication. Just insert the word petition or asking their with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is any thing worthy of praise, think about these things and what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me hears his life and legacy practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you yes were to pray all the time about all things with thanksgiving in our hearts.

Jesus said we are to pray and never give up. He said ask, seek and knock a SK. This task literally keep asking, keep not keep seeking and I will open doors and I will answer your prayer and I will meet you at the point of your need ass.

Pray constantly continually live in prayer and you will live in peace how will look at verses 45 and we see that if you live in peace and live in prayer. You therefore should rejoice in the Lord's presence see if there rejoice in the Lord always and just case you didn't get it the first time.

Again I say rejoice. Jesus spoke of the fullness of joy is joy and joy and no more joy. He said let your reasonableness as an interesting work, it can mean gentleness or forbearance really speaks of your attitude don't have an attitude of fighting and comparing and competing but but be reasonable in your actions and your attitude with people one translation. David, meet people halfway always be fighting and striving in your life. The source of so much more in the soul and the lack of peace is just no problems in relationship, but he said let your reasonable witness be known to everyone, be gracious, be gentle, for he said the Lord.

Look at it. The Lord is at hand is truth. The apostle Paul was in prison, but he wasn't there alone. He said the Lord is at hand. Now Jesus is coming, but this isn't talking about the second coming. This is talking about the current reality of his presence, that the Lord is at hand. Paul was saying, the Lord is in here with me. He's right here Jesus promised his presence through the Spirit. Jesus said I will be with you always. He said I will never ever leave you or forsake the Lord is at hand. He's at your right hand. Isaiah 4110 says fear not for I am with you.

Don't be dismayed.

I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will hold you with my right hand of righteousness. You're not alone. You're not isolated and not in a prison by yourself but he is there with you. This is the reason that we can say. I rejoice in all things, not in our circumstances, but in Christ himself because of the faithful, loving presence of Jesus and I live no matter why we can say I choose to rejoice because the Lord is with me. Jesus said in John 1511.

These things are spoken to you, that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full. The joy that we have is continual. It is conspicuous at all to show up in our lives.

Our faces are countenanced.

This joy is, is not only continual and conspicuous, it is complete, that your joy may be full, and so while our circumstances may not be joy and were not happy all the time. We are happy in him all the time because he has given us joy. I love Psalm 1611. I will show you the path of life for you and your pool residence in your presence Lord is fullness of joy and at your right hand there are pinhole measures for ever more. We get our joy, not in the pleasures of this world, not in trinkets knotting toys not in entertainment but we are in Christ and therefore we are in his joy and here's what you need to do every day. If you want to have peace and that is to practice the living presence of Jesus in your life. That means he's real to you is that your hand is holding your Paul said it he said I'm in jail.

But Jesus is in here with me like it a lot. Call but they couldn't lock Jesus how Jesus was in the jail and Jesus is in the middle of your storm walking on the way the Lord is at hand. So rejoice, rejoice in the you may not have physical strength and you may be suffering really hurting you feel like you're in a prison of pain, joy of the Lord, don't stop celebrating what Christ rejoice in the Lord you're listening to PowerPoint with Jack ran in today's message live in prayer live in peace. June 30 is PowerPoint's financial year and we need your help and generous friend has offered to match every gift given to PowerPoint this month to any gifts you give to PowerPoint will be doubled allowing us to keep Jesus Christ coming your way going out to millions more out of and when you give will say thanks for sending the documents back, a man of God: 800-7954 $0.67 one 800-7954 67.

You can also text the word PowerPoint to 313-1316 PowerPoint to 313131 and don't get to visit Jack Graham.org where you shop our E store. Give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotional website again is Jack Graham.Margie. Now let's get back today's message live in prayer live in peace. Some people don't want you happy their miserable so they want to make you miserable. Thank you. Say something and I'll get they ask you how you doing you say all now have a great day.

Take some off, but you just ignore the you get up every day and resolve to rejoice in the Lord. There's a choice to rejoice here, you make that the first prayer that you breathe every day.

Lord I celebrate. I rejoice in you.

Thank you for this gift of life today.

Thank you for your presence. Secondly, you want peace in your life. Rest of the Lord's promise. Verse six is the prayer he says don't be anxious about anything but in everything in prayer and petition, supplication your supplication. That's not a word to you very often today. I think I'm going to go and supplicate with my wife and I let's ask your wife something and with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Don't worry about anything but pray about everything.

Where worry dear anxiety are toxic emotions that are so damaging their unhealthy, their useless never accomplished anything. Worry never solve the problem.

Worry never dried a tear is like pouring sand in the automobile, your automobile. In fact the word worry comes from a German word which means to choke artists triangle is a word picture of what worry does to it. It is the emotional strangulation worry dear anxiety will supplicate you and paralyze you. That's why Jesus clearly said don't worry about anything were commanded not to worry it's useless, unnecessary, unhealthy, and yes it is on believing to worry. Someone said the beginning of worry is the end of faith, but the beginning of true faith is the end of worry so don't worry about anything but pray about everything pill you had each night on the promises of God's word don't lay awake worrying wringing your hands wrestling in fear. Pray give it to him, trusted rest. Thirdly, reflect on the Lord's provision.

You want peace, reflect on his provision. Sometimes we just need a change of perspective and that's why he says that we should begin thinking and praying with thanksgiving, and our heart. He said pray with thanksgiving, and our hearts rejoice rest and reflect upon the goodness of God in your life. Pray with gratitude pray with thanksgiving. First Thessalonians 518 says give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ for you, not because of all things, but in all things we can give thanks, gratitude has been described as the healthiest of all human emotions about if you live with a grateful heart. If you live with. Pray in thanksgiving to God. It counteracts any toxic negative emotion in your life.

It elevates your spirit. Gratitude is also been called the highest expression of faith and we live with the spirit of gratitude with a heart overflowing with gratitude to God. When we worship him and praise him when we give thanks in the root of the word Thanksgiving is another word that's close THA in K thank is the word there the same route, think, and therefore when we stopped to think and give thanks to God. It changes our perspective. Psalm 68 in verse 19 says blessed be the Lord as praise, worship, gratitude really bears us up.

God is our salvation. He's praising the Lord and then he is a little Hebrew word which is Selah.

Bless the Lord, praise the Lord.

Selah.

You know what that means. Selah. I mean think about it. Stop and think about that that God has blessed us so when we stopped to think we give thanks and when we give thanks at all times. Then we receive God's peace, we receive the Lord's peace to sit there in verse seven, the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your heart literally, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus, so I lost my peace know you didn't Jesus keep your peace.

You can't lose your peace. If Jesus is keeping it. If he's guarding it.

We have the peace of God which he describes as over-the-top supernaturally unexplainable.

He awesomely great. It passes logic and understanding this piece you go through something and you can't even believe that you have such peace in your heart in spite of the storm is blowing all around you, and it's been said many times that peace is not the absence of the storm, but it's the presence of Jesus in the store. He comes walking to us in the turbulence on the trouble seats of life and so he gives us his peace. Extraordinary peace is indescribable, but it is unmistakable.

When you experience so you just need to stay in peace stay in the peace Paul had guards around them at all times.

In this presence always look at these guardsmen thinking you know God's guarding me God's keeping me. That's why I'm here in the upper room on his way to the cross. Jesus said in John 1427 peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. This is why we can say it is well is well with my so the world and given to this world can't take away you know get this piece in a pale and a bottle in a syringe you're a child of God, and it is your legacy.

When Jesus gave these words in the upper room. It was in effect, the legacy of our Lord do all of his followers is your ally is your legacy to live and die in peace. Isaiah 26 three you will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts so Paul said, you need to get your mind right. Get your mind on the Lord and the things of the Lord. He says what is true and what is good what is beautiful and what is pure and what is lovely and what is excellent and what is commendable and what is profitable, think on these things, praise God, through it all Paul would tell us in another passage.

Take every thought in your mind captive because you know as the mind goes, so goes the man as a man thinks in his heart so is he. So what you think about is what you become garbage in garbage out. What are you thinking about was filling your mind in the moments when you are alone steady your life with the peace of God by thinking thoughts of faith and blessing and purity meditating upon the word of God.

Colossians 316, says let the word of God dwell in you richly this is why we counsel you constantly get the word of God into your mind.

Let it soak down into your so let it saturate your spirit because the word of God will give you life and health and strength. Did you know that there is help in life and blessing and hope in the word of God did it in your life. Get the word of God in your life. This is what Paul did. Therefore he was able to face his future with prayerful hope and he had an uncertain future. He was facing execution and ultimately would give his life and martyrdom for the Lord Jesus Christ. But you know what, in prison, he could see heaven. From there, didn't care. He can see the glory of Jesus. From that place.

So he said I want to keep rejoicing. I want to keep resting I'm in a keep giving thanks and reflecting on the blessings of God, to keep receiving God's peace and then he went on to say in verse nine. Whatever you've learned, received, heard, seen in the practice.

These things do these things, and the God of peace will be with you. So on one hand we have the peace of God which passes understanding, and on the other hand we have the God of peace, we have the peace of God, to guard us to keep us. We have the God of peace, to guide us. You got it all when it comes to God's peace so you live in prayer you live in peace.

When you receive the grace of Jesus you receive his peace and he his peace rules. You know why because he rules the reason you can have peace when everything's coming apart is because you know God is on the throne. He's not left his place of authority in the universe, including your world and he's going to be working all things together for the good God has a destiny in mind for you and everything that happens to you is just part of God's plan. He's working all together.

In the meantime said I never said in today's message in prayer is coming and exciting day in France and stepped forward thousand dollars matching grant, which will double any gift you get this month to help PowerPoint finish this financially or strongly, with more people than ever searching for what only Jesus can provide gift today is nothing short of vital concern. PowerPoint remains a beacon of hope in the year and will say thanks for your gift by semiconductor hands or something to come out of financial and request a copy, many 795 461-800-7961 39. And don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop our E store. Give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotion website again is Jack Graham.large pastor. What is your PowerPoint for today. Well Scott, we all know people who be happy no matter what happens to them whatever life throws at them and then there are those other people in life you complain and you constantly are negative there always down on something that cannot up on even the smallest of problems.

And we wonder what is the difference between a person who is full of faith, full of hope, full of positivity and that other person who's just always down always negative and what makes the difference well. The difference is, and how those two people think the person who is full of faith who is positive, understands that God is always working in their lives and they focus on what God is doing what God will do and they trust him no matter what they face in life. This is the way we think we think and we thank God that he's always working for good in our lives. If you're thinking negatively if you're always expecting bad things that happen then you can probably expect bad things to happen. That's why the Scripture that we shared today.

It talks about praying about everything and thinking about those things that are praiseworthy and positive for Bible reading and prayer through the worship of Christ with other Christians. You can get your mind right and begin remembering the promise of God and the promises of God that are always at work.

God has a destiny for you and that destiny is that you will be with him forever and ever and you can face any today.

If you know your tomorrow is secure. So turn away from negative thinking and pray and ask God to give you a positive mindset. The Bible says as a man thinks in his heart so is he.

So begin thinking God's way and watch your life turnaround and that is today's member when you give a gift of PowerPoint. Cindy Dr. Graham's powerful book, a man of God is call one 800-7956 27, 107 95467 can also text the word PowerPoint 313131 text 3131. The next time Dr. Graham brings a message how to passionately pursue God for your life is next on PowerPoint PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint ministries