December Week 2 “PRAYER, PRAISE & PEACE"

Hello and welcome back to our December series focused on our hope and posture with God. PRAYER, PRAISE and PEACE!

We are truly grateful for our Trust Tribe. Your prayers, your encouragement and your steady support mean more to us than words can express. Thank you for standing with us, believing with us, and helping us spread the awareness of Jesus with the world.

Last week, we invited the God of Hope to remind us that He is faithful to His promises. (Luke 1:1-23). This week, we confront the enemy of joy—anxiety—with the most potent weapon: persistent prayer coupled with thanksgiving. The promise is clear: when we hand over our worries, God exchanges them for a peace that defies common logic. This week’s focus is on interrupting worry with worship and gratitude.

Week 2 - Scripture Focus: Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Breaking Down the Verse:

1. The command "Do not be anxious about anything" sounds impossible, but it is accompanied by a divine strategy. God doesn't just tell us to stop worrying; He gives us a practical process for releasing it. The secret is that prayer isn't just a place to unload our problems; it's where we demonstrate trust by immediately pairing our requests with thanksgiving. This posture of gratitude- Prayer, Praise and Peace- even before the answer arrives, activates and guards our hearts and minds. God is telling us not to let anxiety take over. Not because life is easy, but because He is with us. Instead of stressing, He invites us to talk to Him about everything — every fear, every need, every situation — through prayer. When we bring our concerns to God with a thankful heart, we are choosing to trust Him more than our problems. This verse is God’s loving reminder that we can breathe, let go, and place everything in His hands. That is truly when you can bring your mind to where your feet are in any situation and say, “It is well with my soul”.

2. "in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.": • "In everything" means no worry is too big or too small. The key here is Thanksgiving. We thank God for who He is, what He's done, and the fact that He hears us. This act of thanks shifts our focus from the problem to the Provider, fulfilling our part of the covenant of peace. When you pray and release your worries, God gives you unexplainable and supernatural peace. You don’t have to carry anything alone. Instead of letting worry, pressure, or fear build up inside you, God invites you to bring everything to Him — not just the big problems, not just the emergencies, but every single thing that touches your life. By prayer and petition” means we come to God honestly and specifically.Not vague. Not distant. But real, detailed, open, and sincere. “With thanksgiving” means we come with a heart that remembers what God has already done. Gratitude keeps our faith alive. It reminds us that the same God who helped us before will help us again, “Present your requests to God” means God actually wants to hear from you. He wants you to talk to Him. He wants you to trust Him with what’s on your heart. He wants you to bring it to Him before you try to carry it on your own.

Look at like this:

Before you worry about it, pray about it.Before you hold it in, hand it over.Before you panic, give it to God with a grateful heart-  trusting that it’s already done.

So in all, Philippians 4:6–7 is not just a verse to read; it’s a way to live. We see it clearly lived out in the Bible, especially through the apostle Paul, who wrote these words while sitting in prison. Chained, uncertain about his future, and facing possible death, Paul chose prayer over panic, thanksgiving over complaining, and trust over fear. He wasn’t speaking from what he heard—he was speaking from experience. That same peace he talked about was the peace he was living in, a peace that guarded his heart and mind even when his circumstances didn’t change.

My Personal Testimony: Since we are supposed to be honest with God, I’ve also learned to be honest with myself. My anxiety crutch “was people”. People caused me great worry and stress. When I look back, now that I’ve changed my posture and my new way of thinking, I clearly see that I exhausted many days and nights in frustration, stress, anxiety and loss of sleep. The most important thing that I have learned through this life process, is that I do not have the ability to change anyone else. I can only change myself. I realize that God is the “miracle worker”, the “healer”, the “sustainer”, and the “provider”. You all know I love to reference songs, so here is one for you… “Jesus can work it out, if you let him, Jesus can work it out”. I turned it over to the Lord and he worked it out, oh yeah! I’ve learned to let go and let God have his way. Not my way, but God’s way. Now I am able to walk in a posture of Prayer, Praise and Peace, knowing that God is in control and I no longer worry at all, once I give it to Him.

Reflection Questions: What or who causes you anxiety? Would you say that you are  carrying it today? How can you let it go by turning that anxiety into a specific prayer and request to God?  What specific act of thanksgiving can you choose when you release it to God?

Trust Challenge of the Week

This week, we are challenging ourselves to take back control of our anxious thoughts by activating the promises of God.

The moment you feel a worry begin to rise this week, stop what you are doing. For 60 seconds, do not allow yourself to rehearse the worry. Instead, take a deep breath and consciously recite the words of Philippians 4:6-7. As you recite it, name one thing you are grateful for out loud. This simple ritual trains your mind to swap anxiety for grateful worship.

What's Next?

Next week, we will continue our December focus by exploring the power of constant praise, regardless of the season! (Psalm 34:1) “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praises shall continually be in my mouth”.

 Until then, may the peace of God guard your heart and mind as you TRUST THE KING, no matter what.

Blessings,  Trust The King Team

Tony Jackson

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