“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every
situation, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to
God.” ( Philippians 4:6 )
Feelings of worry and nervousness will inevitably
pop up as you travel your life’s path. Things will
happen that you don’t understand. You will be
called to do something even when you don’t
have a clue about the outcome. Anxiety will
present itself to your uncertain mind. But you
don’t have to live there. The answer to anxieties
is to go to God as soon as you sense a worry.
Don’t wait. Pray immediately and ask for His
strength to carry you.
Philippians 4:6 has the first three steps to talk
to God about your anxiety:
1. Pray about everything. Does it say only pray
about the big problems? I know I have the
tendency to try and muddle through in my own
meager strength until I can’t go on anymore. But
if I do what Philippians says and pray about
everything, that really does include everything .
God is strong enough to handle ALL my worries.
Whereas, I often break from the pressure that I
put on myself.
2. Tell God what you need. Don’t use the excuse
that He already knows. Of course, He knows
already. He’s God. Actually, He knows even more
than you do. I tend to get so caught up in my
wants, that my real needs are often hidden from
view. God may already know what I need but He
wants me to always come to Him about
everything. Even when I ramble on, He probably
just smiles and listens and is glad that I felt
comfortable talking with Him
3. Thank Him for all He has done (and will
do). Gratefulness goes a long way to cover my
anxieties. When I keep a long mental list of all
that God has blessed me with, they often crowd
out my anxieties. Also, I can keep a mental list
of hopes and promises for my future, that also
takes up the space that fears try to live. Doubts
may seek to fill my mind but thoughts of comfort
give me renewed hope and cheer (Psa 94:19 ).
Go straight to the psalms. The psalms are a
great place to go when anxieties seek to
overwhelm you. They often begin with a problem
and a crying out to the Lord. Then they explain
what they want. Finally, the Spirit within the
author remembers the truths about just who God
is and extreme comfort is the result. The
situation may not go away but the attitude
changes.
Bring your emotions; don’t hold back. In Psa 31,
David comes to the Lord with tears blurring his
eyes. He feels as if his body and soul are
withering away. He feels sadness is shortening
his years. His strength is gone. Like David, we
should come to God with all our emotions
showing. God knows about them anyway so why
should I try to hold something back from him?
Remember that God is very near to you. Psalm
23:4 says that even when I walk through the
darkest valley, I will not be afraid, when I
remember that the Lord is close beside me. I can
remind myself often of this fact that God is
indeed very near to me. Then, I don’t have to
worry about fighting off my enemies. I can
simply let God be God.
Remember that the Lord is your light and
salvation. Doubts, fears, and anxieties seek to
surround me with darkness—so much that I can’t
keep moving forward on my journey. This is
Satan’s goal—to stop me from living out my
faith in God. But God is my light always,
especially when anxiety threatens to darken my
path. With that much light all around me, why
should I be afraid (Psa 27:1 )?
Be desperate. Psalm 34:6 tells me that when I
pray out of desperation, the Lord listens and
saves me from all my troubles. I can be real and
honest with him and I can come to Him like my
life depends on it. Just like a parent runs to their
child’s cries of distress, God will run to mine.
And the more brokenhearted I am, the closer the
Lord seems to me (Psa 34:18 ).
Remember that He is a Good, Good Father. God
is indeed a Good Father. Like a mother eagle to
her eaglets, God longs to cover you with His
feathers and give you full refuge along with a
warm place of safety to rest your head (Psa
91:2-4 ). God promises that He will rescue those
who love and trust Him (Psa 91:14 ). He really
does want the best for me and you.
Trust that He has overcome the world and its
trials and troubles. Trials, and even sorrows are
inevitable in this fallen world where evil so often
appears to be winning. But I can have peace
despite those troubles. I can take heart and have
courage because Jesus has overcome the
world (John 16:33 ). And His Spirit lives within
me so I am an overcomer too!
My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with
me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am
coming.” (Psa 27:8 )
Pray with me:
Dear Lord, I thank you that I can come to You
always for any reason. I’m grateful that when I
pray to You, You answer me. Help me to come
to You at the beginning of my fears and
anxieties instead of waiting until I can’t stand
them anymore. The quicker I come to You the
better. You want to free me from ALL my fears.
Help me look to You for help more often so that
I can be radiant with Your joy. In Jesus’ Name I
pray, Amen.
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