Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Sometimes my husband and I watch the ID channel which shows how detectives solve real life crimes.
It’s no secret many times the crime is an inside job. Often we see an episode when a person claims an outsider did the job.
Recently we viewed an episode involving a married couple. The wife called 911 and reported someone broke into their home and shot and killed her husband.
After much investigation of outside suspects it was determined it was an inside job after all.
The wife had taken a shotgun and placed it on the shoulder of her sleeping husband and shot him to death.
She then reported to her son, a robber broke in and killed his step dad!
It was after shooting her husband and telling her son an outsider did the job, she reported the crime to police.
The wife, come to find out, had a serious prescription drug addiction and as medical personnel was writing unauthorized prescriptions for herself and also causing much debt for her family.
Bills were going unpaid so she decided to get a life insurance policy for $250,000 on her husband. He apparently had no idea of their financial situation and whole heartedly agreed he needed life insurance and the wife of course was the beneficiary.
After much investigation the detectives brought the wife in for another interview because they suspected the shooting was an inside job done by the man’s wife or step son.
After a time of questioning she began to break down and tell the truth. She confessed to the inside job and swore on her life her son had nothing to do with the death of her husband. She was a real mess and peace was not present in her life.
She was crying and saying how awful it was and how she couldn’t believe what she had done and how awful it was just living for the next “fix”.
Because of a plea deal she received a sentence of 25 years. No doubt this young wife needed an inside job done to her as well.
What do I mean?
The thing she needed to “fix” her was peace. Peace is an inside job.
A popular church sign states:
No Jesus, no peace!
Know Jesus, know peace!
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ..." (Romans 5:1)
Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace and those who know him personally, know peace.
I found that peace that surpasses all understanding in October 1996 when I prayed this simple prayer one night when I too felt like a mess :
Dear God,
I can’t do this anymore. Please give me peace and give me strength. In Jesus name I pray amen .

I went to sleep that night and slept the most peaceful I had ever slept. I woke up a new person. A person who saw the blue sky and heard birds singing for what seemed like the first time ever and I felt as though something or someone was lifting my head up.
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head" (Psalm 3:3)
I had so much peace in my heart and mind and had a sense that no matter what happened in my life, It was going to be alright.
Come to find out this prayer started a process I call “an inside job”! Nothing had changed on the outside! My circumstances were the same but inside, my heart was full of peace.
After some investigation (reading a book by Charles Stanley called The Wonderful Spirit Filled Life) I realized who had done this “inside job”.
It was Jesus! (His Holy Spirit, living in my heart)
When I was 12 yrs old I asked Jesus, through another simple prayer, to take residence in my heart and to be my Lord and Savior.
Because I asked in faith, believing, the Holy Spirit of Jesus made my heart his permanent residence.
The Holy Spirit is the part of the triune God that does inside jobs.
He did an inside job of peace in my heart that night but has done many inside jobs since.
Do you need peace?
Is something or someone from the outside robbing you of peace?
Many times it is we ourselves trying to do something on the inside of us that can only be done by an insider.
Are you ready to invite an insider (Jesus, the Prince Of Peace) to give you peace and strength?
He did it for me and he can do it for you.
Pray this prayer:
Dear God,
I can’t do this anymore. Please give me peace and give me strength. In Jesus name I pray, Amen
Go in peace and in the strength you have been given!
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