Minister Mia Shanklin-Allen EVERYONE WANTS PEACE Minister Mia Shanklin-Allen

Scripture Text: JEREMIAH 29:4-7 Jer 29:4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; Jer 29:5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Jer 29:6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. Jer 29:7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

EVERYONE WANTS PEACE which is the freedom from or the cessation of war or violence. Whether peace within an individual, or peace within a family, a community, a city, a nation, or the world, most people are seeking peace. But what happens when you have lost your peace and it seems that your return to peace will take a long time? There are many lessons we can glean from Jeremiah 29:4-7 that we can apply to our own lives, while we also learn the importance of God’s people praying for peace. I came across a story about a Pastor’s commitment to prayer. The pastor said, ““I was meeting with some missionaries in the former Soviet bloc. And as we prayed, the missionary thanked God for the seventy years of Soviet domination. I later asked him why and he said the region was a stronghold of Islam and after seventy years of atheistic domination, the stronghold of Islam was emasculated and left the people open to the gospel.” - Pastor Jerry Rankin Like Israel’s captivity in Babylon, which also lasted 70 years, I believe during prayer, the real purpose behind Israel’s captivity was revealed. What an opportunity God provided them to be inclusive in his transformative work!

Scripture Text: JEREMIAH 29:4-7 Jer 29:4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;

when you’ve lost your peace

In Jeremiah 29: 4 - God’s people, Israel, were exiled from Jerusalem (the city of peace) into Babylonian captivity. This exile/captivity symbolized a loss of their peace as they were thrust in an environment of wickedness and confusion. Have you ever lost your peace? Babylonia represents worldliness, confusion, and wickedness. It represents an environment that is the counter to Jerusalem in respect to the culture. Have you ever been in an environment where there was no peace? Israel was placed into captivity which is the condition of being imprisoned or confined. What impact might Israel’s captivity have had on their peace?

Scripture Text: JEREMIAH 29:4-7 Jer 29:5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Jer 29:6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.

When peace seems to tarry

In the text, Israel had to settle into their captivity, signifying that their return to peace would tarry. What lesson are we taught about Israel’s captivity and ability to wait? What have you really desired but had to wait for? How did what you were desiring impact your ability to wait? What does Israel’s length of captivity say about patience?

Scripture Text: JEREMIAH 29:4-7 Jer 29:7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

the power of prayer

In the text, God charged Israel with praying for the peace of the city if they wanted to have their peace return. What lesson does this text teach us about the power of prayer? What was God trying to teach Israel about praying unselfishly? God wants us to pray. How does Israel’s captivity ignite their desire to pray? Has a difficult time ever prompted you to pray? What does the text teach us about transforming our environment through prayer? What do you think was God’s real purpose for exiling Israel to Babylon?

praying for peace “There is evidence that God is bringing transformation to communities around the world. Some have witnessed evidence of God’s willingness to transform spiritually barren communities in areas where believers have determined to exchange passive dissatisfaction for active, prevailing prayer. But history tells us that people do not change until they are aware of an imminent crisis or an immediate opportunity. We as humans must be persuaded that our present circumstance is desperate and that time is running out quickly. We must realize that our condition is not only broken or painful, but very dangerous.” - Debbie Przybylski