欣怡皺著眉頭，把寫滿禱告事項的紙條塞進一個盒子裡，盒子四面都有「交給上帝」的字樣。看著這已經爆滿的盒子，欣怡不禁深深嘆了口氣。她翻看先前放進去的紙條，對朋友琪恩說：「我幾乎每天都大聲誦讀這些禱告事項，但我怎樣確定上帝會聽我禱告呢？」琪恩把自己的聖經拿給欣怡，並且說：「妳要相信上帝會實現祂在聖經中的應許，而且妳也要放手，每當妳寫下或讀出禱告事項，就要把這些事項完全交給上帝。」

使徒保羅勸勉信徒要「靠主常常喜樂」，也告訴他們這樣做的原因是確信「主已經近了」（腓立比書4章4-5節）。他鼓勵上帝的子民用充滿信心的禱告代替憂愁煩惱，要相信上帝會垂聽每一個祈求，並且要讚美上帝，因祂恆久的同在，讓我們得享那無法測度的平安（6-7節）。

當我們把心思轉向符合耶穌這位和平之君特質的事物，例如「真實的」、「公正的」、「純潔的」、「聲譽好的」（8節，新譯本），祂會保守我們的情緒與心靈安康。

當我們相信這位賜平安的上帝與我們同在，上帝的平安便能護衛我們。我們卸下憂慮造成的重擔，將每一個禱告交在上帝值得信賴的手中，就能得享平安。

Kayla’s brow furrowed as she shoved yet another slip of paper into an overstuffed box labeled “Give It to God” on all four sides. Sighing deeply, she sifted through the written prayers she had previously placed in the box. “I read them out loud almost every day,” she said to her friend. “How can I be sure God hears me?” Chantel handed Kayla her Bible. “By trusting that God keeps His word,” she said, “and letting go every time you write or read a prayer you’ve released into His hands.”

The apostle Paul urged believers in Jesus to “rejoice in the Lord” and gave good reason to do so by affirming, “The Lord is near” (Philippians 4:4-5). He encouraged God’s people to trade anxious thoughts for faith-filled prayers, to believe He receives every request, and to praise Him while resting in the unfathomable peace of His never-ending presence (vv. 6-7).

The Prince of Peace—Jesus—guards our emotional and mental well-being when we turn our thoughts toward qualities that point to Him, things that are “true,” “right,” “pure,” and “praiseworthy” (v. 8).

The peace of God protects us when we trust that the God of peace is with us. Liberated from the burden of clinging to concerns, we can experience peace in the release of every prayer into God’s trustworthy hands.