A Prayer for a Lifetime of Pleasure and Peace
By Chelsey DeMatteis 

“Could the God of hope fill you with all pleasure and peace in believing, in order that by the facility of the Holy Spirit it’s possible you’ll abound in hope.” – Romans 15:13

There’s something extremely lovely that occurs after we enable the enjoyment and peace of God to be what we stay from. If we’re being fully sincere, we are inclined to stay from locations of enterprise, angst, management, chaos, or worry, simply to call a number of. However, after we encounter somebody who has a coronary heart marked by Christ’s pleasure and His promise of peace, there’s a tangible distinction. Their presence is an invite to exhale, to really feel protected, and to really feel softened by the love of the Lord.

I’m reminded of the season in my life when this peace and pleasure appeared like a distant, far-off, “sometime” dream of mine to realize. My life was so opposite to peace. My habits and decisions revolved round making an attempt to fill time in order that I by no means needed to sit with the truth of what life was turning out to be and all of the questions I had looming in my head. I used to be extremely anxious as soon as I used to be alone, it was the toughest a part of the day for me (and if that is you proper now, please know I am praying for you). One evening, with the smallest mustard seed of religion, I cried out to God and requested Him what He needed for my life. I knew this could not be the plan He had for me. My anxiousness, my loneliness, and my worry of the longer term did not align with the life I knew to be true of God. 

Nevertheless, I used to be very new to my religion throughout this time. I did not know tons of scripture, my Bible had verses lumped collectively as an alternative of individually itemizing them, however I did have a coronary heart that needed to God extra deeply and expertise Him. In that second, all I knew I might do was cry out to the One who informed me to deliver every part to Him. I knew from the little scripture I had learn that He needed me to expertise actual pleasure, peace, hope, and an ample life in Him.

In what felt like one of many longest moments of my life, His peace washed over me in my tiny studio house. I knew my Father noticed me, and I knew He needed to talk to my coronary heart. Jesus needed to heal my anxiousness, He needed to take away the pang of loneliness, and He needed to scrub away the worry that entangled my coronary heart. 

We see Romans 15:13 is written by Paul. He is writing about Christ being the hope of each the Jews and Gentiles. Paul had first-hand expertise with the Savior stopping him in his tracks and rewriting the story of his life. Jesus met Paul on the street to Damascus, and Jesus met me in my tiny house. I am positive you have skilled this too. It is in these encounters that we’re met with the chance to embrace the present of grace God desires to provide us. Inside that present is the invitation to have His pleasure and His peace.

I pray that you simply and I’d be people who find themselves marked with His pleasure and stay from a spot of His peace. 

Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father, thanks for being the One who pursues our hearts and provides us the best invitation. I ask, Lord, that I’d be a follower who lives my life being stuffed by your pleasure, dwelling from a spot of peace. Assist me steward these presents to others as they encounter me. Make me out there to these hurting and wanting to be full of the nice presents you supply. Draw me nearer to you, in Jesus’ identify, amen. 

Photograph credit score: ©GettyImages/torwai

Chelsey is the voice behind the Dwelling with Much less Podcast and creator of the 52-week devotional Extra of Him, Much less of Me: Dwelling a Christ-centered Life in a Me-centered World. She writes devotions for Lifeway Girls’s Journey Journal, Crosswalk.com, and iBelieve.com. She additionally writes Bible studying plans for the YouVersion Bible App. Chelsey lives in Central Ohio along with her husband and two kids. You’ll be able to join along with her on Instagram @livingwithlesspodcast and at her web site ChelseyDeMatteis.com.

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