3 Ways to Experience Peace Today

Sometimes, the weight of life can wear me down so much that I wake up weary. Have you ever been there? Where the people or circumstances that you have been praying over and begging God to fix or heal, just aren’t getting any better? Have you ever had to walk through sickness, pain, or relational brokenness for years and found yourself wondering, “When will this ache end?”

I know that I have. I have even wondered, “What is the point of my praying?” because I had prayed for years and it felt like they were just bouncing off some invisible wall and not being heard by God.

In the Bible, God’s chosen people, the people who were called to walk in a relationship with a holy God and set as an example for the entire world, were failing miserably at their calling. God frequently calls his people “a harlot.” He says that he married the Israelite people and bonded them to him in a holy union, and they constantly cheated with worthless idols (Ezekiel 16:15-43, Hosea 4:12, etc.).

The God of the old testament, the Father-God understands the pain of betrayal and broken relationships. He understands what it feels like to have the person you love deeply wound you.

But God is not weak, short sighted, or limited like we are. In Jeremiah 31 God is explaining that after his people have been disciplined and corrected for their wayward adultery, he is going to call them back to him and once again bless them with his favor.

In verse 25, the Lord says, “For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”

I love this verse because I have often found myself weary or languishing, and I cling to the hope that God will replenish me. But how do you tap into this replenishing? Do we just have to wait until God decides to replenish us? Does God want us weary and languishing?

I hate to admit this, but I have walked through years of my life being weary and languishing. So much so, that I think I could even be called an expert at being weary. More than anything, I want to tell you what took me years to learn and then implement in my own life: draw near to God.

It is impossible to be weary and languishing in the presence of God. Much like how sunlight wakes you up and makes you feel happier when you are lethargic or depressed, being in the manifest presence of the Lover-of-Your-Soul breathes fresh life into you regardless of your circumstances.

If you are in a wearying season, if you feel as though you are barely holding on, barely getting through the day, here are some practical tools that will help you draw near to God and experience his presence like a healing balm to your hurting heart.

Open up your music app, and put on worship music.

Christian music has come a long way and there is now Christ-centered music in just about every genre/style. Put on songs that focus on the character of God and sing along to the declarations of his goodness. (Right now, I have “Our God” by Chris Tomlin on blast.)

Speak God’s truth into your day.

I say these Bible verses out loud. Some days, I have such a hard time sensing God, that I have to look at myself in a mirror and say these affirmations to my own face. You can choose any Bible verses that encourage you or give you peace, but here are a few verses that I have adapted into my affirmations.

Psalm 34:17-18

“I cry out, and the Lord hears me; he delivers me from all my troubles. The Lord is close to me when I’m brokenhearted and saves me when I am crushed in spirit.”

Psalm 46:1-3

“God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore I will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”

Isaiah 40:31

“When I trust in the Lord, I will find new strength. I will soar high on wings like eagles. I will run and not grow weary. I will walk and not faint.”

Matthew 11:28

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of me. He will be with me; he will neither fail me nor abandon me.”

Another step I take is to repent.

If I can’t sense God’s presence, there is a very strong chance that I wandered away, and so I choose to change my mind and come back to a place of agreement with God. This is what repentance is. It isn’t feeling guilty or ashamed. It isn’t paying penance until you’ve earned forgiveness. Repentance is just coming back to a place of union to our Father who is awaiting our return and will immediately forgive us.

My repentance for weariness sounds like this, “Lord I am so tired. The pain of my burdens is hurting and I need you to help me. I am sorry for trying to carry this weight on my own; for not trusting you to take care of them. I am sorry I keep picking this back up. Lord help me to lay these cares down at the foot of the cross, and trust that you are working in my life and through me. I trust that you know what is best for my life and that even if it hurts right now, your discipline is always for my good. (Hebrews 12:6-10) Today, help me to walk in obedience, so that I can experience the peace Jesus died to give me. In Jesus’ name I ask all this. Amen.”

Every time fear and worry start to creep into my heart. When I hear myself thinking, “God, how is this going to be fixed? Why is this happening? Where are you, God?”

I remind myself, out loud, that “God is at work and he is big enough and strong enough to take care of all the things that are out of my control. I trust that he loves me and is working all things out for my good (Romans 8:28).”

There are some days when the weariness is so heavy on me that I have to go through these steps multiple times because the pain of the trial is so intense it takes all my focus to not give into fear and worry.

Nobody chooses to feel weary on purpose, but when we catch ourselves feeling weary, we do have the choice to use the spiritual tools that set us free. Jesus did not leave you powerless against this spiritual attack. He has given you spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:10-19) and the sword of truth, so that you can break free from this oppression. If you choose to seek God and draw near to him, he will draw near to you (James 4:7-8). When we sense Jesus’ manifest presence through the Holy Spirit, we have peace and joy in the midst of scary life-storms.

What I tell myself on the weary days is this: “Your choices today dictate if you go through the trial in misery or in the peace that surpasses all comprehension (Phil 4:4-8). If you choose to seek God and draw near to him, he will draw near to you. He is always faithful and patient, and will never abandon you in this swamp of fear.”