“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

Peace is God’s special legacy to His people. It is the tranquility of heart and composure of the soul of an individual who has found rest in Him. This peace, unknown to the unsaved, is one of the primary and immediate results of believing upon Christ. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). This peace rests in the knowledge that we are right with God and that nothing can ever separate us from His love.

Peace with God culminates in the “peace of God” ruling in our hearts (Colossians 3:15). But some Christians struggle at this point because their hearts seem to be dominated by worry and fear. What’s the problem here?

The problem is that the peace of God is really a byproduct or the promised result of our following God’s prescription for peace. “Be careful for nothing [don’t be anxious or worry about anything]; but in everything by prayer [be prayerful about everything] and supplication with thanksgiving [be thankful in all things], let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Here, then, is God’s prescription or formula for His peace: the absence of worry plus the presence of prayer plus an attitude of gratitude equals the peace of God!

Peace with God as a result of believing upon Christ gives us a basis for peace in the face of everything else. The peace of God, which surpasses our understanding, will guard our hearts through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7) IF we meet the conditions of Philippians 4:6 … don’t worry … be prayerful … be thankful.