How To Combat Anxiety

Do not be anxious about anything, easier said than done right? In the world we live in today there are so many reasons to be anxious; friendship issues, family difficulties, coronavirus, the uncertainty of tomorrow and not knowing when and if we’re going to return to normality are just some of the reasons off a long list of life. When I start to feel anxious, I find myself always drawn back to this bible verse:

Philippians 4:5-7 – “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  

When I read this scripture, I noticed something I usually glance over quite quickly, in verse 5 it ends with saying the Lord is near and as I read that I instantly felt the loving embrace of our Father. It reminded me that whenever I feel anxious, I am not alone and God is with me, the same is true for you. Not only is God with us, but he doesn’t like to see us anxious. So how can we combat anxiety? Philippians 4:6 gives us some clear instructions:  

We have to substitute worry with prayer, whenever you find yourself feeling anxious or in a state of overthinking, overwhelmed by worry and fear, take a moment to pause and pray. Tell God why you feel anxious and ask Him to give you peace about the situation you’re facing.

Sometimes it’s hard to pray when we feel anxious and we can’t always get our words out, one thing I like to do when I feel this way is to get out my journal and write down my thoughts instead. I tell God my requests through writing, you could try this too. And when I really can’t find the words to say I just call on the name Jesus. I say His name over and over again because there is so much power in that name, more than we know!  

When we substitute our anxious thoughts with prayer, the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will filter out the worries and fears we once had.