Most of all, friends, always rejoice in the Lord! I never tire of saying it: Rejoice!
Keep your gentle nature so that all people will know what it looks like to walk in His footsteps.
The Lord is ever present with us.
Don’t be anxious about things; instead, pray. Pray about everything. He longs to hear your requests, so talk to God about your needs and be thankful for what has come.
And know that the peace of God (a peace that is beyond any and all of our human understanding) will stand watch over your hearts and minds in Jesus, the Anointed One.
Finally, brothers and sisters, fill your minds with beauty and truth.
Meditate on whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is good, whatever is virtuous and praiseworthy.
Keep to the script: whatever you learned and received and heard and saw in me—do it—and the God of peace will walk with you.
(Philippians 4:4-9 VOICE)
God,
Thank you for being ever-present with us, calling us to rejoice in you, and hearing every prayer we give you. Thank you that you long to hear our requests, so we come to you today with the struggles on our hearts and we are thankful for what you will do to meet our needs. Thank you for your shalom peace. Help us to focus on your beauty and truth and what is honorable, right, pure, lovely, good, virtuous and praiseworthy. Help us to do what Jesus taught us to do and to live in the peace of Christ. We pray in his name, Amen.