A Prayer for a Calm Heart and Home
By Arlene Pellicane
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. – Matthew 5:9
Each home will have its own level of neatness to aspire to, but there is something that everyone can agree upon as ideal: living in a calm, peaceful home. What is the atmosphere of your home on most days? Could you describe it as a place of refuge or is it more chaotic or stressful? There’s the visible calm of a clean, orderly home and there’s also the invisible calm of a welcoming, loving environment.
What if you’ve had a lousy day, or week, or month? I know I’ve had bad mornings and still managed to smile at a room full of strangers in a meeting. Somehow we can put negative feelings behind us and act civilly – even warmly – to acquaintances and co-workers. Yet our families and closest friends can get the emotional scraps of the day.
The Bible says it exactly this way twice, “Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife” (Proverbs 21:9, Proverbs 25:24). The writer of this proverb would rather live in an awful spot, unsuitable for cold or rain than in a comfortable house with a sour, scolding woman. No external conveniences can replace the desire and need for internal peace.
Do you realize the power you have to create a calm environment? You can invite the Holy Spirit into your life today so you can be joyful even when circumstances aren’t. You can show love towards your family by speaking a love language such as words of affirmation, gifts, time, acts of service, or physical touch even if you don’t feel like it.
The outside world can be a noisy, harsh, ungodly place. Your home can be a needed refuge for the soul. A refuge is a place of resort and safety, a dwelling place, high tower, shelter, and hope. Purpose in your heart that when you’re home, you will do everything in your power to create a peaceful place. That may mean turning off the TV and computer more often, nagging less, looking for areas to praise instead of criticize, and possibly dusting the blinds from time to time.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, forgive me for being quarrelsome and ungrateful sometimes. Help me to be an agent of love in my home. Your Word says blessed are the peacemakers. I want to be a peacemaker in my home. Change my heart that I might be calmer and more respectful to those closest to me.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Content taken from the Girlfriends in God devotional, “Creating a Calm Home,” written by Arlene Pellicane. You can read that piece in full here. All rights reserved.
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
Kerry Washington. Andrea Bocelli. Reba McEntire. Mark Wahlberg. Tony Dungy. Matthew McConaughey, What do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their story of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going.
Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.
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Originally published Wednesday, 22 July 2020.
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