HOW I CREATED MORE PEACE BY MAKING THIS SMALL CHANGE
‘You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, For in YAH, the Lord , is everlasting strength.’ Isaiah 26:3–4
When I was little I remember my dad walking around with his 3x5" index cards — laminated. He wrote or typed out Bible verses on them. Then, he would walk around and declare those verses out loud. This verse in Isaiah was one of the main ones in his “deck of declarations.”
I’m nearly 40 and my dad still has his deck of declarations. He still wakes up every day, walks around and declares God’s promises over his life, his friends, family and church.
Years ago — my dad made audio cassettes with scriptures plus music. Nowadays, I see people all excited when they listen to Judah Smith, Carl Lentz or Rich Wilkerson Jr.’s guided prayers.
For me, it’s pretty cool to see that my dad notice the importance of this so long ago. Here’s an example from my dad and then one from Pastor Judah Smith. Same idea — just one is a little more updated in style.
Here’s one of the latest versions from Judah Smith.
The goal of these prayers is to find creative ways for the Bible to become instantly accessible in your mind. When the devil attacks you — bam — you have a verse to lean on.
I don’t get too much into the guided prayers but we do have several laminated 8.5x11" Bible scripture pages. I keep them in the shower. They remind me of who I am. It’s sort of like Notre Dame football when they run out of the tunnel and slap the mural that reads, “Play Like A Champion.”
Positive declarations will change your life. I know it’s true for me and my dad and millions of others. Here’s what Zig Ziglar has to say about it.
Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will. — Zig Ziglar
It’s not just thinking positive that will move you forward. The Bible says that, “out of the abundance of your heart — your mouth speaks.” The Bible also says that, “you have the power of life and death — so choose life.”
Our words are the architect to our lives. So, what do you want? What are you building and is your mouth in line with your vision? If not, get the right Bible verses in your soul to declare. Make your own “deck of declaration” index cards.
I love what Pastor Brian Houston of Hillsong Church said recently:
I’m down for all of those types of prayers. If there’s anything we all need — it’s peace. However, praying for peace and adding practical ways to foster peace is very different.
We can all pray for peace — but if we don’t practically work it out — it’s just dead words. So, if you don’t have peace — why not? If you’re praying for peace and it’s not happening — why not?
When do you feel at peace?
Does exercise and overall wellness foster peace?
Does music bring peace to your life? Does music steal your peace?
Is there people who bring peace in your life? Is there people who steal your peace?
Is there certain times of the day when you feel more peaceful?
These are the types of questions I have to ask myself for how I can foster peace whenever I want.
For me, I feel most peaceful when I work out. Music is also a huge component to fostering peace for me. It’s funny because at the moment all of my Spotify recommendations are playlists like: Yoga Mornings, Lo Fi Beats, Classical Studying and so on. If I want to foster peace — I choose the right types of music.
The morning is the most peaceful for me. It’s when I read, reflect on my day and do my writing. It’s also the time when I complete the toughest tasks.
Take a peace inventory of your life — it’s easier than you think and the results are profound.
