Prayer, Chaos, and Peace

When Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Aaron Ashby took the mound in the seventh inning of game four of the National League Championship Series, the Brewers had already defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers three times in the best-of-seven matchup.

Win this game, and the Brewers advance to the World Series for the first time in 44 years. The Brewers won 103 games during the regular season, clinching the National League Central Division title. They defeated the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series, and now faced the mighty Dodgers, World Series champs the past two years.

The Dodgers jumped to a 4-0 lead in their win-or-go-home contest. The Brewers rallied in the fourth inning, scoring two runs. They tied the game in the fifth, took the lead in the sixth, and added another run in the ninth.

Ashby inherited a 5-4 Brewers lead when he entered the game. No pressure, but his task was to shut down the powerful Dodgers lineup and protect the lead with a Dodger Stadium crowd of 49,104 rooting against him, a national television audience, and advancing to the World Series on the line.

What did Ashby do? He mowed down nine of eleven batters he faced, securing the victory.

Tyler Koerth, on www.reviewingthebrew.com, wrote, “His composure under pressure was especially evident in game four, when he masterfully navigated a pair of jams as he left the tying run stranded at third base in consecutive innings.”

After the game, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports asked Ashby what he was telling himself as he worked through those pressure-packed three innings.

Ashby responded, “I was just praying for a little peace in the chaos.”

When the heat is on, maybe we should apply Ashby’s approach.

Reflect on those three words: praying, chaos, and peace.

Prayer should be our continuous practice before, during, and after chaos. In crisis, prayer should always be the believer’s first response, not one’s last resort. Prayer is simply conversing and communing with our heavenly Father. God desires us to come to Him, turn to Him, seek Him, and share our hearts with Him.

Pastor Greg Laurie, in his recent Harvest devotional, wrote, “Prayer for the Christian should be second nature, like breathing. We should automatically lift our needs and requests before the Lord. Prayer is something we should never avoid and never grow tired of. The more we pray, the more we’ll see the Kingdom of God break through the darkness of seemingly impossible situations” (October 16, 2026).

Why pray? One reason is chaos is inevitable this side of eternity. Jesus promised, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have over come the world” (John 16:33).

“Tribulation” comes from a Greek word meaning to crush, press together, squash, hem in, or compress. Various translations render it suffering, trials, sorrows, trouble, and hardship. These trials bring pressure into our lives. They create chaos that can rob our peace if take our focus off our peace giver.

Who is our peace giver? Note the first part of Jesus’ encouragement in John 16:33 – “I have said these things to you (the previous verses in John 13-16), that in me you may have peace.”

Notice the contrast in Jesus’ statement. In me, peace. In the world, tribulation. Jesus said in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

God’s peace is not the absence of chaos. It’s the presence of calm, confidence and assurance amid suffering and crises. God’s peace is closely tied to our praying. Paul wrote, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6, 7).

God’s peace is a complete, unbroken inner well-being never dependent on outward circumstances. Ashby didn’t pray for his circumstances to change. He didn’t ask God to quiet the crowd, or request God to make the batter swing and miss. He petitioned God for peace in the middle of turbulent circumstances.

Thank God for His peace. “Thank you, God, for being present in our chaos; for providing strength in our chaos; for being consistent in our chaos; and for granting a peace that only You can give.”

(David L. Chancey lives in Fayetteville, Georgia, and serves as transitional pastor of Griffin Church, Griffin, Georgia. Visit www.davidchancey.com to see more of his writings).