8 P's to Peace of Mind

There are 8 P's to Peace of Mind which can be found in Philippians 4: 4-9. These 8 steps will help to protect your mental health so that "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

TEXT: Philippians 4:4-9

1. PRAISE: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again rejoice. 
Be Thankful. Find joy in celebrating what Jesus has done for us...always count your blessings Psalm 100 tells us to "come before His Presence with singing...enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise." Thankfulness expressed through worship is a key that unlocks the door to God's Presence in our lives. When we connect with God through worship, He renews our minds (Romans 12:2)

2. PEACE: Let your gentleness be known to everyone.
Be gracious, reasonable and gentle with others. Be a peacemaker and you will be blessed

3. POSTURE: God is close at hand. Don't be anxious, worried or afraid about anything
God is with us. Don't be ruled by fear. "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7) It is important to maintain a posture of humility before God and strength in our position as His child. Repentance is important Acts 3:19 tells us that when we repent, changing our mind, turning away from sins, then times of refreshing come from the Presence of the Lord. When we humble ourselves before God, He lifts us up to stand tall. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9) Remember who you are as a child of God, chosen, forgiven, dearly loved, His representative on this earth and stand firm.

4. PRAY: In everything by prayer and asking with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 
Tell God what concerns you. Ask Him for what you need. Be Thankful. Trust Him and Peace will wash over you.

5. POSITIVITY: Whatever is true...honorable...pure...lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
 Focus on the positive things listed above. I find the lyrics of this beautiful hymn to be helpful: "Count your blessings, name them one by one."

6. POUR: The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things
Allow God to pour through you into the lives of others. In verse 9, we are encouraged to do good works. When we focus on meeting the needs of others and not on ourselves, our fears melt away, we forget about our problems and we receive healing and refreshing as God flows through us, cleaning us up, like a jar that needs all the junk of life washed away.

7. PERUSE the Scriptures. Just as we have carefully examined this passage to learn and receive great benefit, filling up with God's word will help to protect our minds

8.PRESENCE: And the God of peace will be with you. 
God's Presence is the Prize. He is Precious. All of the steps above are useful tools. But the single most important thing I can tell you is to Practice the Presence of God. When we praise, pray, pour into others and minister peace, we are inviting God's Presence and welcoming Him into our lives to allow His Spirit to work in and through us. Spending time alone with God is vital for refreshing and renewing our hearts and minds. If you've never asked Jesus to come into your life and began a relationship with Him, that is the first step you need to take--then these other steps will help you to grow.

PHILIPPIANS 4:4-9:

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. Don't be anxious, worried or afraid about anything, but in everything by prayer and asking with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding (peace that is higher than human reasoning and knowledge), will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."