We live in anxious times. Threats of the Islamic State of Iran and Syria (ISIS) and their allies (Boko Haran, Al Qaeda), the rollercoaster stock market, the languishing economy, the rising cost of healthcare, the fear of unemployment, the nightly reports of violent crime in our neighborhoods, and the surge in clinically-diagnosed depression combine to produce palpable anxiety in even the most even-keeled person. We need help! How can we stay calm, tranquil, and at peace in the midst of the storms swirling around us all the time? The answer isn’t found in alcohol or Valium. God is the Answer!
God speaks words of comfort to us and gives us His prescription for anxiety in Philippians 4:6, 7. Listen to what He says, “Do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.” Did you catch His words of comfort? “Don’t be anxious about anything.” Literally it says, “let nothing make you worry.” God is comforting us, speaking to our tendency to take control of our lives and become overwhelmed. When we take control, we grow anxious, worried, stressed.
What’s God’s prescription? Prayer. Don’t worry, pray. Don’t fret, stew, or wring your hands, pray. Simply make your requests of God and ask Him to supply your needs (supplication). In fact when you ask Him to meet your needs pray with thanksgiving. Now that’s faith! To thank God for supplying your needs before they’re even met requires faith. Look at the scope of God’s prescription. He says pray about EVERYTHING! There is nothing too big or small beyond the pale of prayer. He cares about every aspect of our lives because He loves us. He is the Answer to our anxiety!
If you will pray when you become anxious, God will flood your heart and mind with His special peace. It is an inner peace which God gives to believers for only believers have God, the Holy Spirit, dwelling within them. His peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). It is a “special peace” because it is beyond comprehension to a watching world. If they faced the same situation, they would be tied up in knots inside. They cannot understand how you could have such peace in the midst of your circumstances.
What are the benefits of praying and giving your anxiety to the Lord? His peace will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. He will speak peace to your soul and calm you. He will lower your blood pressure and calm your heart. He will put a stop to your thoughts that are running wild and keeping you awake at night. Notice that the protecting of your heart and mind is “in Christ Jesus.” This supernatural peace is only available to those who belong to Jesus and trust Him implicitly.
Anxious? Filled with fear over something? It’s time to pray and leave your cares with God. He knows the outcome and will handle it if you’ll trust Him. He is, after all, the Answer to anxiety.
Trying to practice what I preach,
Irv