A Prayer about the Promise of Perfect Peace
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. (Isa. 26:3–4)
Most kind and trustworthy Father, you haven’t promised me a stormless, hassle- free, disappointment-empty life. You offer me no formulas for decreasing the probability of sad things happening around me or disillusioning things happening to me. But you have promised something that transcends the chaos and fear of uncertainty.
You’ve promised to keep me in perfect peace, in the midst of whatever happens. Given the circumstances of the past week, I treasure the promise of being kept by you. I’ve been convinced afresh that I cannot keep myself. I’m out of bootstraps to pull up; there’s no magic happy pill to take, no fix it button to push. Thank you for being a Father who will never forget or abandon your children— who will never forget or abandon me.
But you’ve promised even more: you’ve promised to keep me in perfect peace. All I have to do is mine the riches of the gospel and keep in mind the wonders of your love. For you are the Lord— the eternal Rock that is higher than me, the Rock of refuge, the Rock of ages.
Because the gospel is true, because Jesus is the precious “living Stone” (1 Pet. 2:4–8), I will not despair when I am weak in concentration and focus. Indeed, Father, you’re not calling me to trust in my ability to trust, but to trust in you— in your trustworthiness, not in mine. For you’ve even promised your children a peace that passes, surpasses, and at times even bypasses all understanding. Hallelujah!
What a God you are! There is none like you, Father; no, not one! How great are your mercies, how profound your kindnesses, how more than sufficient your grace! I pray in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, the basis and bounty of all my peace.
Amen.