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Perfect Peace
- 05/02/10
- 6
After a while I start to feel lazy when posting quotes and prayers from other people. But this prayer from Scotty Smith is a good one. I love his prayers for their humanness. I like The Valley of Vision as much as the next guy, but somewhere along the way the prayers take on a kind of formality, presumably in the antiquated language. But here in Scotty Smith’s prayers there is something I can identify with much more. There an informality, a hesitation (check out all those ellipses) that seems just like the way I pray.
This prayer is premised on Isaiah 26:3-4: “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.”
Most kind and trustworthy Father, you haven’t promised me a storm-less, hassle-free disappointment-empty life. You offer me no formulas for decreasing the probability of sad things happening around me or disillusioning things happening to me. But you have promised me something that transcends the chaos and fear of uncertainty.
Father, you’ve promised to keep me in perfect peace, in the midst of whatever happens. O, how I treasure the promise of being kept by you. For there are times I simply cannot keep myself… I have no boot straps to pull up… no magic happy pill to take… no fix-it button to push. Thank you for being a Father who will never forget or abandon your children… who will never forget or abandon me.
And how I praise you for the promise of being kept, not just in peace… but in perfect peace… as I mind and mine your trustworthy-ness. For you are the LORD—the eternal Rock that is higher than me… the Rock of refuge… the Rock of ages! This leads me to cry out for greater steadfastness of mind… for more gospel-sanity… for more power to bring my wandering, distractible, unbelieving thoughts into captivity to you.
Yet I will not despair when I am weak in concentration and focus. Indeed, Father, you’re not calling me to trust in my ability to trust, but to trust in you… in your trustworthy-ness, not in my trust-ability. For you’ve even promised your children a peace that passes… surpasses… even by-passes all understanding. Hallelujah!
What a God you are! There is none like you, Father, no not one! How great are your mercies… how profound your kindnesses… how more-than-sufficient your grace! So very Amen, I pray, in the name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace… the basis and bounty of all my peace.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
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Comments (6)
What a beautiful prayer that refreshes the soul of the believer who is praising the Lord in prayer & the soul of the believer who hears (or reads) the prayer.
It never ceases to bless my soul when I consider the incomprehensible depth of His perfect peace. Not only does it surpass the understanding of those around us, but it surpasses our own understanding as well.
Such precious treasures are found in His promises!
I must have needed a double reminder of this today as it was what our Pastor spoke on this morning! Thanks Tim!
Wonderful words to the thrown of grace.
Scotty Smith does have a way of blending truth with his own heart, and then edifying the Body of Christ. he is a Jeremiah 3:15 pastor..
My pastor prayed a prayer from The Valley of Vision today. It was magnificent.
Praying needs to always be from our hearts. And that can be with a written prayer, or a spontaneous prayer as well. And the opposite is true as well. One can pray from a written prayer, or pray spontaneous, and it can be lip service.
Thanks for the post. Have a great week in His peace that passes all comprehension.
Tim,
I thoroughly enjoy Scotty Smith’s prayers.
Are his prayers available in book form, ala The Valley of Vision?
If so, I’d love to know who’s publishing it so I can purchase it.
Thanks for posting his prayers. MUCH appreciated Tim!
I’m grateful to the Lord that in His sovereignty He led you to post this now. I am a new missionary in the midst of much culture shock, and this passage with this prayer reminds me of Truth. Thanks.
Scotty Smith is a gifted prayer weaver, I am lifted by his God-centered words which help me get over myself. I have been blessed by his prayers many times and this one is no exception. Thank you for sharing it.