On a scale of one to 10, what’s your level of peace today?
As a child of God, your level of peace should be a solid 10! Sound far-fetched in today’s world? The truth is you have been given peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7, NKJV). Even when things look out of control, you can be in peace. However, it’s up to you to make the decision to live in peace no matter what, and it won’t come automatically. Like anything else in the spirit realm, you’re going to have to contend for it.
In her latest book, WALKING IN THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT, Gloria Copeland shares about the fruit of peace and how peace is a force given to you by God. Peace is something everyone desires, but not everyone has. That’s because true peace can only come from your relationship with God. It’s why Jesus came. (Check out Gloria’s book to dig deeper!)
The main offender robbing believers of living in God’s perfect peace is—you guessed it—worry. Contrary to popular opinion, worry isn’t “normal,” and it isn’t something you should tolerate—not even for a split second.
The truth is we could all use a refresher on how to defend our peace from the one who comes to steal it. Want more peace in your life? Check out these seven ways to vaporize worry. Let us know in the comments below which tip helps you the most!
1.VAPORIZE WORRY BY PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT
“A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally.” –1 Corinthians 14:4
Like a sneak attack, worried thoughts can drop into your head out of nowhere and steal your peace. You start the day fine, but after an email, phone call or random thought, suddenly you’re worried, upset, stressed and just not sure how your life is going to turn out.
If you were raised in an atmosphere of constant fear, this may be so ingrained in you, you’ll need to bulldoze the habit of worry right out of your life!
When troublesome thoughts come knocking on your door, vaporize worry by praying in the spirit.
When the magnitude of a situation feels very real—and very troubling—it can be difficult to know how to shift gears. That’s where praying in the spirit comes in. Here’s how.
Every time you feel yourself starting to worry, immediately switch over into tongues. Praying in the spirit packs a powerful punch in any situation, and it’s a powerful way to “take every thought captive” (2 Corinthians 10:5, ESV). It’s your safeguard from worry, and the devil can’t compete with the power of the Holy Spirit!
2.VAPORIZE WORRY BY PRAISING
“You will keep in perfect peace…all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” –Isaiah 26:3
King David seemed to have back-to-back troubles throughout his life. Yet he was delivered out of them all. One of the main reasons? He knew how to praise the Lord with all his might.
This really should come as no surprise: Worship is the antidote to worry. Why is that true?
Think about it—if you’re worshipping the Lord, you’re giving Him glory, and you’re focusing on His Goodness, His Power, His Mercy and His Provision. You’re focusing on the solution, not the problem.
Try it.
Every time the enemy comes at you with fear-filled thoughts, start worshipping and praising the Lord—loudly. Thank God for His Goodness, His Mercy, and His Grace. Thank Him for your home, your family, your job, your car. Thank Him for every good thing in your life, and you will vaporize worry with praise.
Sing to Him a new song of praise. He inhabits the praises of His people, and when He shows up, Satan runs, worry is vaporized, and your fruit of peace remains safe and thriving.
3.VAPORIZE WORRY BY RESISTING AND REBUKING
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” –James 4:7
Satan has come to steal, kill, and destroy the fruit in your life, including—and especially—your peace. If you want more peace in your life, you will vaporize worry by resisting and rebuking him!
It’s important to recognize that worry is a spirit, not a feeling. Every time a troubling situation comes your way, you need to see it for what it is—the devil sending a spirit of worry to knock on your door. You can do one of two things: Invite it in for tea or tell it to hit the road. James 4:7 makes this decision so simple. Resist the devil, and he will flee. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
The next time Satan comes to steal your peace, say out loud, “Worry, I resist you. Leave in the Name of Jesus!” If it comes back two seconds later, say it again, and keep saying it until it leaves for good. That’s how you vaporize worry and get more peace!
Discover how the fruit of peace comes from the presence of God in this Ministry Minute video with Gloria Copeland.
4.VAPORIZE WORRY BY TALKING BACK
“And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written.” –Luke 4:4 (KJV)
Once you’ve rebuked the spirit of worry, you always want to speak God’s Word over it. To do this, you need to have an arsenal of scripture at your disposal.
For example, if financial worry tries to come on you, first rebuke that spirit as described in point 4. Then, you can declare a scripture like, “It is written: My God provides all my needs according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus. Thank You, Lord!”
Whatever you do, don’t leave worry unanswered. If you want more peace, vaporize worry by talking back!
5.VAPORIZE WORRY BY REFUSING TO BE A FLIP-FLOPPER
“One who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” –James 1:6 (NIV)
Most people think peace is what’s happening around them, but peace is a decision. That’s why Paul said, “Do not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Peace comes from making a decision to not worry and to not be anxious. Peace comes from casting your cares over on the Lord and trusting in Him. Peace comes from living in continual Faith in what He has already done and will continue to do in your life.
If you want more peace in your life, you can’t be a doubter or a flip-flopper! If you are believing God one day and not so sure the next, you’re being tossed like the wind, and the fruit of peace will start to shrivel. You have to make a decision that you are a believer, not a doubter. No matter what the natural circumstance is, you are going to choose to stand strong on the Rock of God’s Word.
When you make a decision to vaporize worry by refusing to be a flip-flopper, you’ll be able to sleep peacefully in a rocking boat in a wild storm just like Jesus did!
6.VAPORIZE WORRY BY CHOOSING FAITH COMPANY
“Walk with the wise and become wise.” –Proverbs 13:20 (NIV)
If you want to vaporize worry and cultivate the fruit of peace in your life, it’s imperative that you choose Faith company. In other words, spend time with people who think and speak Faith—not fear.
That company not only includes people you choose to be with physically, but it also includes the books you read, and the television shows you watch. If you’re watching negative news broadcasts or worldly reality shows, you’re inviting those people to speak into your life, and chances are, they aren’t speaking peace!
The wise walk with the wise. If you want to vaporize worry and enjoy God’s peace, you’ve got to choose the right company.
7.VAPORIZE WORRY BY TURNING OFF THE FLOW
“Don’t talk so much. You keep putting your foot in your mouth. Be sensible and turn off the flow!” –Proverbs 10:19 (TLB)
If you want to live in the fruit of peace—the kind of peace that passes understanding—you have to recognize that you are a key contributor to it.
When you speak worried thoughts, you’re ministering fear to yourself. Have you ever thought about it that way?
This happens when you’re thinking about bad things and picturing them coming to pass in your life. You’re envisioning yourself losing your job, for instance, and running short of money. You’re talking about it and making fear confessions like, “I’m just worried to death about all these dumb decisions the government’s making. They’re messing up the economy so bad, I’m afraid my company is going to go under, and I’m going to end up unemployed.”
If you are struggling with the temptation to speak worried thoughts like these, determine not to do it! Turn off the flow, as the verse above says. Instead of speaking the worried thoughts, start talking back and calling things that be not as though they were as described in point 4.
Vaporize worry by turning off the flow of negative talk, and you will begin to walk in the fruit of peace more and more every day!
Walking in the Fruit of the Spirit
The fruit of the spirit are powerful spiritual forces. More than just nice Christian character traits, they’re supernatural powerhouses – expressions of the Might of God Himself that make us more than conquerors in every situation! Learn how to develop and walk confidently in this fruit daily to live the overcoming life God Planned for you and to be a light and blessing wherever you go!
Now that you’re armed with these seven ways to vaporize worry, you’ll be on your way to a 10 in peace! Put them into practice the next time Satan tries to tempt you to let your stomach get tied up in knots over the bills, lose sleep over a job, or fret over a relationship. Peace belongs to you in Christ Jesus, so it’s time to put the force of peace to work for your good and your victory!
