How to be Free from Anxiety and Worry

Do not be anxious or worry about anything, but in all things through prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. ~The Apostle Paul

What do you usually do when you experience anxiety, or when you worry?  I usually can't stop thinking about whatever worries me.  I can't sleep or concentrate.  I'm distracted by what I fear will happen, or by what's happening that I can't stop. 

Is that true for you?

If so, God gives us a way to be free from anxiety and worry.  I know from experience that what I'm about to share is true. 

First, God commands us not to worry or have anxiety.  This means two things:

1. It's not God's will for us to worry or have anxiety, so much so that we are sinning if we do it.   But don't let that discourage you; look at number two.

2. Because God commands us not to worry, we actually have a choice; we have control over worrying or not worrying.  It's up to us. 

So God commands us not to worry.

But He doesn't stop there.  He tells us what to do instead. 

Pray. 

• Thank Him for what we have.
• Ask Him for what we don't have,
• Ask Him to take away whatever we have that is harmful to us.

When we do these things, God promises to replace worry and anxiety with a divine and incomprehensible peace. 

This is an example of how it has happens for me.

Say I'm worrying about a financial need.  I've been sick and I need money for a specific doctor's bill that I just don't have.  I'm beginning to worry.  So I pray, first thanking God for the services the doctor provided, and that I'm actually doing better.  Then I ask God for the specific amount of money I need.  I tell him why I need it (though of course He already knows,) and I tell Him when I need it.  After I've poured out my heart to God, one of three things may happen, resulting in a divine, incomprehensible peace:

1. God provides the money.  Someone feels led by His Spirit to give me the exact amount I need, though I never asked them for it.

2. I no longer feel the need to think about the money, though I can't explain why.  I don't have any money yet.  And I don't know when or if it will come.  But for reasons I can't explain, I feel absolutely no need to think about it any more.

3. The due date for the bill is three days away, and I still have no money, or any guarantee that I will have money.  Yet I still feel no need to think about the bill.

In all three cases, after praying my heart out, I am no longer distracted by thoughts about the money at all, though I can't explain it.  I'm free from anxiety.

You can also be free. 

This is how.

What are you worried about right now?  (Be very specific.)

First, thank God for what you have, for every blessing in your life you can think of, at least two blessings.

Second, tell God exactly what you're worried about and why you're worried about it.

Third, ask him to give you what you lack, and to take away whatever is causing you harm.

Keep asking until you no longer feel distracted by the thoughts at all.  It should feel like a gradual lessening of a need even to pray any more.  Your prayer will fade into thoughts about other things in your life.  You worry will fade away.  This is God's incomprehensible peace.

Using the Power of Order in Your Life

Whenever you encounter disorder you encounter the devil.  Satan is always behind disorder wherever it is, directly or indirectly.  But God is always the source of order.  God's children promote His order; Satan's children promote disorder.  As it is written,

"Blessed are the peace makers,

for they will be called the children of God."

As a child of God, you should establish and maintain order, wherever you go, and whatever you do, in specific contexts of authority:

• If you're a husband, your focus is submission to the will of the Spirit of Christ.
• If you're a wife, your focus is submission to your husband in submission to the Lord.
• If you're a parent, your mission is submission to the will of your heavenly Father.
• If you're an employer, your mission is submission to the will of your heavenly Employer. 
• If you're a teacher, your mission is submission to Jesus, your heavenly Teacher. 
• If you're a child, your mission is submission to the will of your father and mother. 
• If you're an employee, you mission is submission to the will of your employer. 
• If you're a student, your mission is submission to the lesson given by your teacher.

You're the difference in these situations between the presence of God and Satan.  As it is written, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 

Chaos and disorder destroy freedom. 

We are only free when there is order. 

God is not the author of disorder but of peace. 

You are a child of God.  

Wherever you are, there should be order.

 

How to Experience God's Peace

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. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

What does the peace of God feel like?  I used to think it was overwhelming tranquility, like being high on marijuana or the buzz of alcohol, but supernatural.  Now I know what the peace of God feels like.  

Earlier this week I felt anxious about a situation on my job.  I remembered what Paul said about praying when we feel anxious, so I did, expecting the transcendent peace of God.  After praying, I did experience God's peace.  It was subtle, yet real and powerful.  I realized that anxiety was more than just a feeling; it is a mindset that brings about a feeling. It's when I can't stop thinking about something that concerns me, something in the future.  What I felt after praying was that I no longer felt compelled to think about the situation, even though the situation hadn't changed, nor had my concerns about the future changed.  This is the peace of god, and it really does transcend understanding.  There was no logical reason for me to not worry, or think about the future.  It was simply an answer to prayer.  God did this for me and He will do it for you.

If you agree, pray with me:

Our Father in heaven,
You know what I'm worried about right now, the even in my future that I have no control over.  Please take care of this event for me, and until you do, give me your perfect incomprehensible peace.  In Jesus name.
Amen.

Two things God will always give you (Part 1)

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
1 John 5:14-15 NIV

What if you could always get exactly what you prayed for?  You can.  In fact, you can always receive these two things from God:  His will and His peace.

YOU CAN ALWAYS RECEIVE GOD'S WILL.
It's impossible for you to completely escape God's will for you.  God allows nothing to happen to you, good or evil, true or false, that stops His will in your life.  Therefore, if you want God's will for your life, you can assume two things:

1. God will instantly change your situation if it goes against His will.
2. God won't instantly change your situation, which means for the time, you are in fact, in His will.

For example, say you feel you're not living where you can best honor God.  You want to move.  So you seek God's will for your relocation, asking Him to give you an opportunity to move.  If God doesn't show you a way to move within the hour or day of your prayer, then for the time, you should stay where you are.  You should also know that, for now, you're where He wants you to be.  If you know that God will always give you whatever you ask in agreement with His will, then you can know that you have it as soon as you ask it.  But how can you know if the situation doesn't immediately change?  You can know by perfect incomprehensible peace. (Click here for part 2)