Isaiah 26:3-4
“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.”
INSIGHT
-In the original Hebrew text the word “perfect peace” is written as shalom shalom. God is keen to keep His promise of peace upon our lives. He opens double doors of peace for us, and if one is not enough, He makes us walk through a second one. God calls us to put our trust in Him and hope in His salvation. Even though sometimes we go through turbulent times, God reminds us that He is still in control and we should not fear. God calls us to rest secure in Him; for He is our Prince of peace, our Shalom. God is our fortress and shield, our deliver even as we wait on Him to deliver us from COVID-19, economic turmoil, diseases and infirmities, terrorism attempts, corruption and bribery and many other challenges. Isaiah 30:15 reminds us that, in repentance and rest is God’s salvation, in quietness and trust is His strength. God calls us to repentance and faith in Him. He also calls us to give thanks to Him and rejoice in Him always. Even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we should fear no evil for He is always with us. If God is for us, who is going to be against us. We have hope in our God who has justified us through faith and have peace with Him through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1-2).
PRAYER
Our Father and our God we come to You this morning with thanksgiving in our hearts. Thank You Father for the gift of life and this far that You have brought us. Thank You for are our Jehovah Shalom. We appreciate You for the peace that we continue to enjoy in our nation. Lord You are our God, all glory and honor belongs to You. We exalt You and praise Your holy name. In perfect peace You have kept us safe. In perfect faithfulness You have done wonderful things for us, things planned for from everlasting to everlasting. Lord our God; we trust in You and always rely on Your salvation. We trust in You and rejoice in his salvation. Lord You are our Strength and Fortress, our Deliverer, we put all our trust in You. We believe in You Jesus and trust in You. Only You are our God of peace, may Your perfect peace dwell in our hearts, minds, homes, families, churches, nation and the entire world. We repent of all our sins, forgive us and wash us with Your precious blood. We commit our lives into Your able hands, may You bless us and answer all our hearts desires. Thank You dear Jesus for the rains that You continue to shower us with; may You bless us with a bumper harvest. We pray for all those who live in hunger stricken areas that You may provide sufficient food for them. We commit our nation unto Your able hands, may You protect us from every form of evil including terrorism plans, and cover us with Your precious blood. No evil shall come near us because we put all our hope and trust in You. Fight for us all our battles dear Jesus; for the battle belongs to You. We commit all those who are battling COVID-19 in hospital and at home unto Your care merciful Savior, may You heal all of them and completely restore their health. Heal all those who are sick merciful Savior for by Your stripes we are healed. We commit all those who have lost their loved ones to You dear Jesus, may You grant them peace and strength. You are our Great Shalom dear Jesus, may Your peace that surpasses all understanding dwell in our hearts and minds through You Christ Jesus. Oh God of all creation, bless this our land and nation, justice be our shield and defender, may we dwell in unity, peace and liberty. Plenty be found within our borders. Amen
Psalms 4:8
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
INSIGHT
-Many people suffer from insomnia and sometimes wait for long before they get to sleep. Insomnia is a sleep disorder that has been sighted to originate from stress that leads to depression, exposure to traumatic events, alteration of ones sleep cycle, noise pollution, sleeping on an uncomfortable bed, sickness, jet lag, unrest, use of nicotine, alcohol, caffeine and other drugs. Insomnia affects ones health, work performance and quality of life. Psalms 127:2 tells us that; God grants sleep to those He loves. It is therefore a reason to thank God if you have the grace to sleep well. God is gracious and kind, and grants us peaceful sleep. This does not mean that for one to sleep peacefully, they do not experience life challenges. Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us that we should not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. It is therefore prudent to submit our worries, burdens and cares to Jesus through prayer and thanksgiving, and He will grant us rest. The Israelites enjoyed safety, peace and sleep during the ten plagues. When all the Egyptians suffered, Goshen where the Israelites lived did not experience infirmity (Exodus 9:26). God also secured the Israelites with blood when the Egyptian first born sons were destroyed. Like the Israelites, God has promised to grant us peace when we sleep and when we wake up for His love for us endures forever.
PRAYER
God You are good and Your love endures forever. Thank You for loving us Jesus with an everlasting kind of love. We love You Jesus and praise Your holy name. Thank You for giving us the grace to sleep peacefully, we bless You. Thank You for granting us peace upon our lives, families and nation, we rejoice in You always. We cast all our burdens and cares unto You Jesus, for You care for us. You are gentle and humble at heart Jesus grant us rest in every stormy situation that comes our way. Your burden is light and Your yoke is easy, teach us to rely on Your grace dear Jesus. Teach us never to worry about life Jesus, about what we will eat or drink, or about our bodies; what we will wear, for life is more than food and the body more than clothes, and we are more valuable than the birds of the air and lilies in the water. Thank You Jesus for loving us with Your everlasting love. Grant us good sleep merciful Jesus always for You grant sleep to those You love. Thank You for loving us dear Jesus. Grant good sleep Abba Father to all those who suffer from insomnia and teach them to rest in You. Protect us merciful Father from any form of terrorist attacks planned against our nation and grant us perfect peace. Grant us rest from corruption and revive all the dying parastatals and ministries including; KPLC, KPA, KENGEN, KAA, Kenya Airways and all the others. Grant us peace in our divine purposes here on earth, that we may fight the good fight, finish our course and keep the faith, and receive our crowns of righteousness at the end of time. May Your grace and favor be upon always that we may always dwell in Your presence. May the LORD bless you and keep you. The LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen
Proverbs 16:7
“When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them.”
INSIGHT
-King David was a man after God’s own heart. He served the Lord diligently and praise was always on his lips. His son king Solomon was a beneficiary of his faithfulness to God and enjoyed peace during his reign; as promised in 1 Chronicles 22:9. Like Solomon, king Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and enjoyed God’s perfect peace. He removed all the altars of Asherah and worshipped the One true God; the God of Israel. During his reign, no one was at war with him and God gave him rest (2 Chronicles 14:1-6). His son king Jehoshaphat also enjoyed peace for the fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the land surrounding Judah (2 Chronicles 17:10). Like these great kings, we are called to commit our lives to God, pursue His divine will, walk in righteousness and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and His perfect peace will overwhelm us, and those around us.
PRAYER
You are holy Lord God Almighty, Who was, Who is and Who is to come. You created us in Your own image and likeness, we praise You and bless Your holy. You are the only One true God, we appreciate You for Who You are, what You have done and what You are doing in our lives. Thank You for this far that You have brought us and the far that You are taking us. Thank You for protecting us, providing for us, sustaining us and giving us peace. We pray that You protect us from our enemies and those who intend to cause us harm. Protect our national boarders from any form of evil plan or threat dear Jesus. Cover us with Your precious blood and hedge of fire Holy Spirit. Cause us to live in Your perfect peace and guide us to when we go out and when we come in. Cause us to see Your face always in our lives, families and nation. Cause us to fear You and be sensitive to You Holy Spirit. Forgive us all our sins and help us to live according to Your will. Bless us indeed dear Jesus and expand our territories. Answer all our prayers and hearts desires we humbly ask You Lord. Choose for us a wise Chief Justice, one who fears You Lord. Take over our nation dear Jesus and do what is good and pleasing to Your eyes. Remove every demonic altar in our nation and teach us to worship You alone; our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Cause us to dwell in perfect peace merciful Savior together with our descendants we humbly ask You. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now and forever more. Amen
Romans 12:17-21
“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
INSIGHT
-Peace is a precipitate of reconciliation. In Matthew 5:43-44 Jesus says that; “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” The love of God is the catalyst as well the foundation that causes reconciliation and therefore peace. Both of these form the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is through the enablement of the Holy Spirit; who helps us to love one another, and most importantly our enemies. Since each one has a will, it is our own personal responsibility to ensure that we live peaceably with everyone. At the wake of jealousy, hatred, abuse, rejection and bad attitude, God calls to do good no matter the negativity that we might face. The kingdom of God requires us to love despite our limitations. Matthew 5:9 discloses that we are blessed when we make peace, for we are children of God, and when we forgive our neighbors; God forgives us too.
PRAYER
Dear heavenly Father we come before You today with thanksgiving in our hearts. We thank You for the rains that You continue to shower us. We praise You for You have been faithful to us even when we have become faithless. We humbly ask You to guide us in our relations with our neighbors. Help us to be guided by Your love. Help us to love You and our neighbors as ourselves. Give us the grace to forgive one another as ourselves. Thank You for loving us Jesus and help us to forgive everyone from our hearts. Remove every form of hatred, anger, jealously, malice, clamor from our hearts. Forgive us merciful Savior and wash us with Your precious blood. Cases of murder are rising in our nation, forgive us dear Jesus and teach us how to be at peace with one another. We pray for peace in our nation, the nation of Israel and all the nations of the world. Our Father who art in heaven. Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptations but deliver us from all evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen
John 14:27
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
INSIGHT
-This is a time when so much is happening and part of it is the new world order. Governments are confronting a health crisis, an economic predicament and a catastrophe of institutional legitimacy and corruption, all at a time of heightening geopolitical rivalry. Individuals and institutions are battling heightened economic and financial crisis, health problems and losses etc. God tells us that we should not let our hearts be troubled nor should we be afraid. He gives us the peace that surpasses all understanding. We can neither comprehend nor effect it. That is why Jesus says; “peace I leave you, my peace I give you”. Jesus is right, it is His peace. Only Jesus can give us perfect peace because He is the Prince of peace and He loves us with an everlasting love.
SUMMARY
A white dove is most often associated with peace. Jesus refereed to a dove as an innocent creature in Matthew 10:16, to probably portray its peaceful nature. Most often, children are associated with innocence thus peace. It has been referenced during the baptism of Jesus when the Holy Spirit came down from heaven like a dove and remained on Jesus (John 1:32). Further, during the global disaster of the flood, Noah sent out a dove and it came in with an olive leaf which is commonly used for anointing. We know that when David was anointed, the Spirit of God rested upon him while a distressing spirit distracted king Saul. We can therefore conclude that the dove is a clear sign of peace which is given by and represents the Holy Spirit. The perfect peace of God guarantees us inner tranquility and wholeness. It extinguishes every negative and emotional distress. Sometimes we or those around us carry heavy burdens in our hearts. Burdens that include:- economic and financial pressures, heightened levels of personal and national debt, psychological traumas after the loss of a loved one, physical pain emanating from sickness, stress and depression leading to insomnia and other related issues, spiritual slackness etc. God reminds to trust in Him and rely of His everlasting strength, and He will give us perfect peace. He calls us to cast our burdens unto Him for He cares for us. He loves us so much and gives us peaceful peace, the ‘shalom shalom’. God thus causes even our enemies to be at peace with us like king Solomon, Asa and Jehoshaphat. Jesus calls us to love our neighbors and do good to them instead of orchestrating revenge against them, for vengeance belongs to God. We are also cautioned against exercising evil with evil but to overcome evil with good. As we practice and preach peace, we obtain the heavenly blessing of being called sons of God. We are reminded to love and forgive one another. As we forgive each other, we attract the forgiveness of God. Apart from forgiving others, let us not forget to forgive ourselves for our past sins that weigh down against us. A feeling of unending guilt follows us like the shadow of death. Judas was guilty of betraying Jesus and did not sort for forgiveness from Jesus but ended up hanging himself. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse us from all guilt and unforgiveness. Let us allow His forgiveness power and grace to flow in us and make us whole for the benefit of His kingdom.
PRAYER
Jehovah Shalom we thank You and exult Your holy name. You are the King of kings and Lord of lords. You are the King of glory and King of grace. You are the Lion of Judah and the Cornerstone upon whom we stand. We know that You are our Father and cannot withhold anything good from us. We are Your sons and daughters, thank You for loving us Jesus. We humbly ask You to take away every form of guilt and shame from our hearts. Take away merciful Savior every form of bitterness and unforgiveness from our hearts. Heal all our inner wounds dear Jesus. Touch every ailing area of our lives, families, churches and nation. Heal every hurting cell in us and make every crooked path straight merciful Father. Protect our nation from every evil. Protect us from every bridge that has been prophesied to collapse now or in the future. Protect our nation from terrorist plans. Protect us Your children from COVID-19 and other diseases. Remove the tide of COVID-19 from the earth we humbly ask You. Protect us from poor leadership and governance. Bless us dear Jesus and expand our territories. Forgive us Holy Spirit and preserve us from any form of idolatry. Grant us Your fruit of peace and love Holy Spirit. Bring every soul merciful Savior to everlasting life we humbly beseech You. Give us perfect peace in our hearts and minds merciful Savior. Give us perfect peace in our homes, society, churches, nation and the entire world Jesus. All glory, honor, power, riches, wealth, strength belongs to You, now and forever. Amen