By Pastor Doug “Doc” Stauffer
One of the greatest truths that can transform your life is understanding how God enters the details of your story—especially when the burden of regret still weighs heavily on your heart. I have found more comfort in this truth than in almost anything else, because it reminds me that God continues to work even when I feel I have failed.
The apostle Paul wrote extensively about prayer, but perhaps never more powerfully than in Philippians 4:6–7: “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
The world cannot give you peace, although it offers many ways to cope. But true peace—the kind that steadies your heart when everything feels like it’s falling apart—comes only from God. His peace doesn’t mean ignoring life’s pressures or pretending pain isn’t there. It means that through prayer, you gain the strength to walk through the storm even when the winds seem too strong.
Sometimes anxiety follows good intentions that go awry. You made a decision that felt right at the moment, but it ultimately turned out to be misguided. Proverbs 14:12 warns, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” When outcomes spiral beyond our control, pressure mounts, failure appears near, and the heart feels heavy. King David understood this when he cried, “For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.” (Psalm 38:4)
Anxiety is natural—but surrender is a supernatural act. It’s not easy to “turn it over to the Lord.” Often, we feel compelled to fix what only He can heal. Yet 1 Peter 5:7 reminds us to “cast all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” The word cast means to throw with force—fling it from your hands to His feet.
The devil will try to remind you of your failures, whispering, “You’ve ruined everything.” But the Holy Ghost gently reminds those who are listening, “You’re forgiven.” Forgiveness doesn’t excuse our mistakes—it anchors our hope beyond them.
Peace comes after prayer. We desire peace first, but God says, “Pray first.” His peace guards our hearts like a soldier on duty. And thanksgiving—even amid ongoing pain—shifts our view from panic to praise. “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me,” says Psalm 50:23, “and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.”
Consider King Hezekiah. Surrounded by the Assyrian army, his earlier choices had failed him. Yet when he received the enemy’s threats, he “spread it before the LORD” (2 Kings 19:14) and prayed. That night, God sent an angel who destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. Hezekiah couldn’t fix his mistake—but peace came when he surrendered it to the one who can help us most.
Or think of Hannah in 1 Samuel chapter 1. Childless and heartbroken, she poured out her soul before the Lord. “S,o the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.” She had not experienced the answer to prayer but did receive peace.
And Paul, tossed by a storm in Acts chapter 27, declared, “Be of good cheer… for I believe God.” His peace didn’t come from calm seas but from trusting the One who commands them.
You may not be able to undo a decision or control what has collapsed, but you can commit the rubble to God. The same Lord who saw your mistake sees your heart—and He’s not finished with you yet.
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3)
That perfect peace doesn’t always mean the weight is gone—it means you have recognized that you are not carrying it alone. God’s peace steadies your heart while His hand rebuilds what was broken. So, while you wait for the burden to lift, remember: the presence of the storm does not mean the absence of your Saviour. Trust Him through the pressure, and in His time, you’ll find that the weight has become His—and the peace has become yours.
