Prayers to Welcome the Prince of Peace
by Cynthia Bezek, editor of Pray! 
Responsibilities increase. Resources decrease. Decisions loom. Someone insinuates an insult. An expectation remains unmet. Trust is broken. These are some of the circumstances that regularly threaten my peace.

At His birth, the angels announced that Jesus came to bring peace on earth. But I, for one, am still learning how to appropriate that peace. Scripture tells us that the path to peace is prayer: “Pray about everything. . . . Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand�?(Phil. 4:6-7, NLT). Although transcendent peace is certainly not my constant experience, the Lord is patiently teaching me ways to pray that are helping that peace become more commonplace:

“It’s not supposed to be like this, Lord.�?A recent disappointment had me literally on my face, groaning before God. As I offered that wordless prayer, I remembered the teaching about groaning prayers in Ro. 8:22-26. Even though circumstances were decidedly not the way they should have been, I knew that my Spirit-led groanings were the normal and healthy expression of someone who is longing for redemption. God understood. And as His Spirit groaned with me, I experienced His peace.

“I surrender.�?An ancient prayer written by Ignatius of Loyola is helping me with this one: “Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will. You have given all to me. To You, Lord, I return it. All is yours. Dispose of it wholly according to Your will. Give me Your love and Your grace, for this is enough for me.�?I’m not always able to make this absolute surrender. But when I do–leaving God in complete control–I almost always experience His unexplainable peace.

“I forgive, Lord.�?When I fail to release people who have offended me, a veritable tug-of-war takes place in my soul. Although forgiveness is one of the hardest things I ever do, I’m finding that it is also the quickest shortcut to peace.

As I contemplate the Messiah this Christmas season, I’m focusing on Isaiah’s prophecy about Him: “He will be called . . . Prince of Peace�?(Is. 9:6). Even in unsettling circumstances, I am learning to respond in faith with the angels: “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased�?(Lk. 2:14, NLT).