Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6 KJV

If this were my letter I would have written, “Things are terrible here in prison. Please pray and if you can, send me a warm sweater and a box or two of cookies!” But instead, Paul writes to encourage his friends that God answers prayer, even while he is sitting in a cold Roman jail.

He begins by telling them, “Stop worrying!” That is because being in trouble, is like driving on an icy road. Prayer is our steering wheel; faith is the accelerator and worry our brakes. If our car starts to slide, the worst thing we could do is slam on the brakes. To put our foot on the brakes means taking it off our gas pedal of faith. A situation without faith will always skid out of control and directly towards the ditch. Instead, Paul tells us to grab hold of the steering wheel of prayer. We may not be able to change our circumstances, but we can always pray. It is as if Paul is saying, “Stop gripping the steering wheel in fear, instead relax and thank God.” When we give thanks in a crisis, is like gently keeping our foot on the accelerator of faith so we keep our traction on the road. Does it feel like your life is sliding out of control this today? Trust God and pray and He promises that a peace greater than we can understand will guard our hearts bring us safely on the road towards home!

I really love listening to David Wesley’s acapella renditions of some of the classic hymns of the church. I hope you will not only enjoy “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”, but also listen and watch the short documentary at the end about Joseph Scriven. Have a blessed week everyone!