Peace in the Middle of Change - Your Nightly Prayer - April 11th

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Peace in the Middle of Change
Your Nightly Prayer
by Kyle Norman

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE

“He himself is our peace.” - Ephesians 2:14

SOMETHING TO PONDER

I remember it vividly; my wife and I were standing in the kitchen when the phone rang. It was the surgeon who had recently removed a tumor from her abdomen. All indications were that the surgery was successful, the tumor benign. Life would, slowly, get back to normal. Or so we thought, because with that phone call, everything changed. The tumor turned out to be cancerous. “I’m referring you to the cancer clinic,” he said, “you start Chemotherapy next week.”

Change comes unexpectedly; That’s one of its defining characteristics. We can never fully plan for the changes in our lives or the impact that they will have on us. Of course, sometimes change is good, but even then, it can take its toll: the well-crafted routines of life get upset, and we work to make sense of a new reality.  Even good change can feel exhausting. But then there are the changes that carry emotional weight; the changes we would rather push away from our lives. Those changes can feel overpowering. They eat away our sense of resolve. They sap our strength. Too often, they leave us feeling powerless.

Are you going through a time of change in your life? Whether it's a good change or a bad one, are you feeling exhausted by having to manage it before you? What is more, are you struggling to find Jesus amid your change?

Scripture reminds us of an important promise for our lives. In the light of change, regardless of its type, we can have peace. Now this peace isn’t found in our perspective, or our resolve. We don’t find peace by simply putting on a brave face or by exerting our strength. The peace that scripture speaks about isn’t found in ourselves.  

The peace that is promised to us, the true peace that we so often long for, is found in the presence of the Lord. Paul writes in his letter to Ephesians that Jesus is our peace.  Jesus is our peace because he is the one who joins us regardless of our circumstances. He stands with us in moments of exaltation and joy, and his strength bolsters our praise. But he is also with us in the moments of hardship or suffering, joining his tears with ours. And in those places, his strength carries us.

You see, peace isn’t about how we respond to the situations we find ourselves in, as if it were conditional on our efforts. If we try to find peace in our own ability, we will always fail, because eventually we may face a change we feel incapable of managing. So, in love and grace, Jesus comes to us. He is our peace, he is our strength, he is our joy, even when we can’t see the way forward. When we feel overcome by the change that is before us, Christ’s presence gives us the confidence to know that our times are in his hands. Even if we don’t know how the change will work itself out, He does, and in that promise, we can be at peace.

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Gracious Lord Jesus,
I thank you that in all the seasons of life you carry me. You place me in your hands – and because you hold me, I know I can face whatever changes the world puts my way. While the world around me shifts like the shadows, you do not change; you are constant and faithful.
Lord, help me to breathe your presence more deeply in my life.  When I am tempted to feel overcome by the changes of life, speak to my soul a quiet peace: remind me that in your promises I find my life.  When I am tempted to face the changes of life by my own power, give me a bold dependence upon your Spirit, so that I may follow where you lead.
For you, O Lord, are not just my peace. You are my life, and my salvation.
I pray all these things in the precious name of Jesus, my Lord.
Amen.

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON 

1. This passage in Ephesians speaks about Jesus being the peace of a community. Where is Jesus calling you to enact peace with your brothers and sisters in Christ?
2. Peace is never rooted in what we do ourselves, but in what Jesus does. Where has Jesus worked in your life to create inward peace?
3. Jesus is our peace because he is a constant presence regardless of life’s circumstances. How has Jesus guided you through different or changing circumstances in your life?

Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

 Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Vruyr Martirosyan

The Reverend Dr. Kyle Norman is the Rector of St. Paul’s Cathedral, located in Kamloops BC, Canada.  He holds a doctorate in Spiritual formation and is a sought-after writer, speaker, and retreat leader. His writing can be found at Christianity.com, crosswalk.com, ibelieve.com, Renovare Canada, and many others.  He also maintains his own blog revkylenorman.ca.  He has 20 years of pastoral experience, and his ministry focuses on helping people overcome times of spiritual discouragement.

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