Practical Steps for Daily Inner Peace

Is it even possible to experience inner peace in todays world?

More so than ever before, in everyday life , we face challenges that disrupt our inner peace. The following are simple steps to overcome these challenges and find tranquility. Nothing new here, but all to easily dismissed. Back to the basics of inner peace!

It is EASIER than we think to:

1. Spot the Minds Deception Tricks

• Recognize Deception:
• Identify forces that divide.
• Know where anger, hatred, self hatred, anxiety and depression comes from.
• Overcome Discouragement, and self defeating thoughts..

2. Choosing Positivity

• Embrace “Good Vibes” by choice:
• Know where GOOD thoughts come from.
• Chose to believe in God.
• Focus on love and joy by choice.
• Make positive choices consciously.
• Positivity is not an accident, it is a byproduct of consious choices, it takes awareness of focus

3. Balance Daily Living

• Focus on What Matters:
• Avoid negativity, especially on the internet.
• Strive for daily balance.
• Avoid toxic politics and focus only on what you can do, ie vote etc but let go of constantly being up to date.

4. FIVE Steps for Inner Peace

1. Stay Present:, right now all is well, look around, notice what is good
2. Practice Gratitude, find at least three things that you are grateful for every morning, and every night…Be grateful for ALL things, but start with 3.
3. Be Mindful Daily, stop and take a deep breath, say a prayer..
4. Connect with Others in ways that are not about complaining about politics or the state of the world.
5. Prioritize Self-Care by removing yourself immediately from toxicity. Online and IRL.

But How?

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A Practical Guide:

CREATE a Positive Outlook!

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippian 4 MSG

These words resonate with truth — finding joy in life is essential. In everyday challenges, negativity is constantly trying to creep in from all directions, from within and from without. It comes down to making a choice. Choices about what information we allow ourselves to consume, and what foundational belief system we decide to have, The Bible verse tells us these things:

No, living with constant fear is NOT natural. Our natural state is a state of inner peace. How do we find it?

1. Challenges

• Be gentle.
• Share positivity with everyone.
• Remember, God near. (Within)
• Don’t succumb to worry, instead: Pray.
• Don’t go toe to toe in every battle instead: be diplomatic.
• You don’t have to agree or disagree.

2. Actively Cultivating Inner Peace As A Practice:

• Pray and Be Thankful:
• Instead of worry, pray. If you have time to worry you have time to pray.
• Express gratitude daily. Every morning and every night, but also, whenever you remember, speak words of gratitude.
• Let God know ALL your requests. Trust that he listens, not just to big request but also the small daily mundane requests. God is within, all your thoughts are known, but express them to him anyway.
• Love your neighbor as yourself implies that we should love ourselves as God loves us. Love yourself as God loves you.
• Love others implies that they are God’s child just like we are. Remember that God loves them. Instead of arguing, learn how to pray for them.
• Instead of arguing for your political side, learn how to pray for the leaders of the country.
• Always bring your mind back to God, with a spirit of gratitude, and everything else will take care of itself.
• If you get a negative thought always assume that it false. Focus back on God.
• Always focus on God, he gives peace. It is experiential, not logical or intellectual.

3. Experiencing Incomprehensible Peace

• The Peace that Guards:
• Embrace peace beyond understanding, in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, like you would to a spouse. Rush first to be near to God.
• Guard your heart and mind: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Have boundaries.
• This comes from focusing on God. “The more you focus on yourself, the more distracted you will be from the proper path. The more you know Him and commune with Him, the more the Spirit will make you like Him. The more you are like Him, the better you will understand His utter sufficiency for all of life’s difficulties. And that is the only way to know real satisfaction.” -John Mc Arthur
• Read scriptures daily. A small verse. A few sentences. Nothing arms us better against insecurity and doubts than being sure. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Living Positively Every Day

The simplicity of daily practices is the answer to finding inner peace.

Small acts of reading a Bible verse instead of watching a Tiktok, of reminding ourselves that thoughts of division, hatred or fear are a product of the Deceiver, while we allow them, he has won, and when we turn to God, he has lost.

All thoughts of defeatism, self hatred, anxiety and fear are from The Deceiver: “For I have not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind“ and thus these thoughts are not true. Daily reminding ourselves to “Be Still and Know” and to “lean not on our own understanding” both during small moments of discouragement, and big moments of division, we find a profound impact. Apply these simple and practical steps rooted in faith, and watch how your heart mind becomes calmer. It is said that the deceivers greatest trick is to make humanity believe that he is not real. Does anger or scorn arises when you hear that God exist, or that Jesus is Christ? Pause, and ask yourself why.

Understand the Kingdom of God:

1. Negative imagination and rumination IS equal to the “devils mind“, and conversely consciously choosing to align with the Kingdom of God produces inner peace..
2. The Kingdom of God is associated with positive virtues and qualities, such as the fruits of the spirit.
3. The other kingdom, the deceivers kingdom produces fear, anger, depression, self hatred, discord, division and discouragment.
4. Learn to recognize which kingdom is in your mind.

Earth : an Intersection of Heaven and Hell:

The balance between heaven and hell on Earth depends on our focus. If we focus on world things, negative things, political things, etc we feel better about something that is negative, and it produces the 4 D’s Deception, Division, Diversion, Discouragement. Focusing INWARD, on God does the opposite. Sometimes it feels negative, like you are being deprived, a craving for the opinions of the world shows up, but focusing on wholesome and good produces the 9 Fruits of the spirit. Our Focus creates Heaven Or Hell.

Overcoming Negative Influences:

Reliance on prayer, gratitude, humility and thanksgiving to God.

This aligns with the notion that shifting one’s focus towards spiritual and positive attributes can counteract the negative influences associated with the 4 D’s.

1. Recognize the 4 D‘s of the lies of “the Devil’s mind”:

• Deception: Acknowledge moments of deceit, both external and internal.
• Division: Notice when forces seek to divide, creating disharmony among people.
• Diversion: Be aware of distractions that divert focus from our inner peace, purpose and goals.
• Discouragement: Recognize when discouragement hampers spiritual growth and learn how to reach for a Bible verse. Replace TikTok with a Bible app, and a positive thoughts app.

Recognize the 9 “Fruits of The Spirit’s”, The Mind Of The Kingdom Of God:

The fruits of the spirit are virtues and qualities associated with a positive and spiritual way of living. They come about as a RESULT of a spiritual focused mind.

The fruits of the spirit

1. Love: Unconditional and selfless affection for others.
2. Joy: A deep sense of happiness and contentment.
3. Peace: Inner calm and tranquility, even in the face of challenges.
4. Forbearance (Patience): The ability to endure difficulties with a calm and composed demeanor.
5. Kindness: Showing compassion and goodwill towards others.
6. Goodness: Acting with moral integrity and virtue.
7. Faithfulness: Remaining loyal and committed in relationships and beliefs.
8. Gentleness: Approaching others with a considerate and tender demeanor.
9. Self-Control: Exercising restraint over one’s actions and impulses.

These fruits are considered to be the natural outcomes of a life lived in accordance with spiritual principles and are a guide for knowing if we are on the right track or if we have fallen into deception.