Anxiety can be debilitating. It takes different forms. There is a generalized sort of anxiety about everything in general and nothing in particular. Often this kind of anxiety floats on top of the real issue that is bothering us. This free-floating anxiety is a sign that there is something deeper troubling us that we are not yet willing or able to face. If we ask the Lord to help us to face the real issue, He will. But we must trust Him and His timing in this. We should not try to force things to the surface nor should we resist the Lord if He is bringing something to a head. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in this and He will. Seek prayer from and with others.
Another form which anxiety takes is more specific. We may be anxious about one or more specific situations, relationships or issues. Again these can all be brought to the Lord in prayer. There is nothing too big for the Lord to handle or too small that He is not interested in what troubles us.
Anxiety is similar to fear and includes feelings of distress, upset, unsettledness, apprehension, nervousness, or anticipation of something negative or disturbing. Different things make different people anxious. We are all wired differently and have different places of vulnerability based on our inborn temperament and life experiences, good and bad.
Hear and receive what the Lord is speaking and imparting to your heart through these words of Holy Scripture: “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.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
The Lord has helped me so much with this. As He has brought healing to different issues of my heart, the free-floating sort of anxiety has decreased considerably over the years. But different stages of life bring up new issues and the Lord wants us to bring them all to Him in prayer. Everyone faces moment by moment challenges and opportunities in this area. Will I bring it to the Lord in prayer or try to handle it myself? Or will I try to run away from the issue through distractions or addictive behaviours, thought patterns or fantasies? This is following the escapist route which we all do whether we admit it to ourselves or not.
The Lord is ready and willing to forgive us every time we wander from trusting Him and to help us get back on track and receive His help. C. S. Lewis says that one of the main things the Lord teaches us is simply this virtue of continually turning back to Him in prayer. Lewis says it is more important for us to learn and practice this than to be freed from the issue which trips us up (though the Lord ultimately will do this too). Similarly, at our baptism, promises were made by us or for us that every time we fall into sin, we will repent and return to the Lord. We have an opportunity to renew this and all the other promises every time there is a baptism and to practice this habit of quickly turning back to the Lord and receiving fresh infusions of His grace and love.
The devil and our fallen natures will cause us to delay and avoid a quick and continual re-turning to the Lord. But if the Spirit of God lives in us, as He does if we have believed in and received Jesus as our Risen Saviour and Lord, then he will prompt us to pray and re-turn to the Lord and trust him with every anxious thought and feeling. Don’t delay; pray.
And God’s peace which passes all understanding will fill your heart and begin to dissolve the anxiety.
“Lord Jesus, help me to remember to bring everything to you in prayer—to bring each and every anxious thought and feeling to you. Bring any hidden issues to the surface in your timing and heal the areas of my heart where there are hurts and brokenness. I choose to trust you and I receive by faith this grace to bring each and everything that troubles me and causes anxiety to you. Jesus, you are my healer and deliverer and there is nothing that you cannot help me with. You forgive all my sins and heal all my weaknesses and hurts. Enter into every area of my life. I choose to hold nothing back from you. Amen.”
In this Lenten season of the Father’s love, be anxious for nothing.
