Name of God: Jehovah Shalom
THE LORD IS MY PEACE
Judges 6:24: Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.
Devotional:
You may have heard this story, but it’s one of my personal favorites. Gideon is literally hiding in a winepress, threshing wheat in secret because he's terrified the Midianites will find him and steal his food. Israel has been oppressed for seven years, and Gideon is from the weakest clan in his tribe, and he's the least important person in his family, his own words, not mine. So when the Angel of the LORD shows up and calls him a "mighty warrior," Gideon is basically like, "Who, me? You've got the wrong guy." He questions God, asks where He's been during all this suffering, and demands proof that this is really God speaking to him. Then, when he realizes he's actually been face-to-face with God, he panics, thinking he's going to die. This guy is drowning in inadequacy and fear. Yet in that moment, terrified, unqualified, hiding, Gideon builds an altar and names it Jehovah Shalom: The Lord is Peace. Not "The Lord will give me peace when I get my life together" or "The Lord is peace once I prove myself." Just The LORD IS PEACE right there in his weakness.
I so often think I’ll have “peace” when I get to the other side of what’s stressing me out or when I “Figure it out”. We think peace comes when we finally feel adequate, when circumstances calm down, when we've proven ourselves capable. But God offers Shalom, His perfect peace, right in the middle of our inadequacy. God's peace isn't something we earn by being strong enough, smart enough, or brave enough. His peace meets us in the winepress, in our hiding places, in our moments of "I can't do this." Jehovah Shalom doesn't wait for us to get it together. He is peace, right now, in our weakness.
Devotional Prayer Questions:
1. Where are you "hiding in a winepress" right now? Maybe it’s at work, in your finances, at home with your family.
2. Gideon built an altar and named it "The Lord is Peace" before anything in his life changed. What would it look like for you to declare Jehovah Shalom" over your situation right now.
The Lord's Prayer
Use the Lord's Prayer to guide your prayer time.
“Father”
Jehovah Shalom, you grant us peace. Help us to rest in your comforting presence.
“Hallowed be Your Name”
You are holy, perfect in all Your ways, and You give us peace that surpasses understanding. When we draw near to You, our hearts are made calm and secure.
“Your Kingdom come / Your will be done”
You have a beautiful plan for our lives. When chaos surrounds us, help us fix our eyes on You.
“Give us this day our daily bread”
You made us perfect in your image. Help us to stop striving to be perfect; help us to strive to live a life for you.
“Forgive us our sins…”
Lord, forgive us for seeking our worth in worldly measures—our appearance, our success, our abilities, and our intellect.
“Lead us not into temptation”
Lord, do not let us be swayed by the voices around us. We seek You, and we need You. Keep us steady and grounded in your Word.
Prayer Requests
After praying through the Lord's Prayer, please pray openly for those around you, our Church, those that are lost and then if you are joining us in person, please pray over a few prayer requests on the prayer cards located on the front of the stage and return them in the basket at the exit.
With Your Family
Prayer is so important for us to develop especially with our family. Throughout the 21 Days of Prayer we want to provide simple prayer prompts that you and your children can pray through that can break down the name of God into an easily understood manner and how we can pray through that. In addition to the prayer below, prompt your children to pray for family, friends, teachers, others in their life and remember to always lead the prayer with gratitude.
Thank God that He is Jehovah Shalom, which means The LORD is Peace.
When we feel worried, scared, or anxious, God can give us a calm feeling in our hearts that everything will be okay.
Because God is our peace, we can bring Him our fears and ask Him to replace them with His peace.
Pray today about something that makes you afraid, and ask God to help you feel peaceful.
Pray for a family member who may be afraid, who you know needs the peace of God.
Communion
If you are joining us in person, please pick up the communion elements provided and take it to close out your prayer time.
Scripture:
Read the following passage before participating in communion:
Mark 14:22-25: And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
Prayer:
Take a moment and ask God to examine your heart and reveal any sin that is hindering your relationship with Him. Confess that sin to the Lord. Then, as you read the passage, take a moment to praise and thank God for His body and His blood, and eat the bread and drink the cup.
