32: Addressing Anxiety

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

ISAIAH 26:3

IF YOU’RE FEELING MORE anxious these days, you aren’t alone. Issues such as health, safety, finances, politics, and relationships can cause anxiety. Many people are feeling more anxious now than they did last year.

Then we read Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything.”

When we’re part of a community, a safe place to share, an environment to listen and be listened to and we talk about what we’re concerned about, our anxiety levels decrease, even without solutions to the problems causing the anxiety.

So how do we lower anxiety levels, calm the mind, and overcome fears? Here are three practical steps to implement.

  1. Identify your negative thoughts.
  2. Challenge these negative thoughts.
  3. Replace negative thoughts with realistic thoughts.

In his book Transforming Prayer, Daniel Henderson states that many Christians wrongly seek God’s hand first in the issues they’re praying for.[1] In other words, Christians approach God with a grocery list of actions they’d like Him to take in their lives. Instead, Henderson emphasizes that we should seek God’s face before we seek His hand. As we seek God’s face, His hand will open to us as a generous Father. Seeking God’s face means focusing on who He is, His greatness, and His power. Read a psalm, such as Psalm 91, and write down the attributes of God that are listed there. As you do, it becomes an antidote for the issues you’re concerned about.

Here are two more practices that may help to ease anxiety.

Look for the attributes of God. Talk about His attributes in prayer during your devotional time in God’s Word. It changes your thinking because your focus is on an all-powerful God who wants us to glorify Him. As we bring glory to God, His hand opens to us, as a good Father.

Keep a list of all you’re thankful for. Thankfulness reroutes the brain’s negative thinking channels that we’ve developed over many years.

New habits are formed over twenty-one days. Practice the above steps consistently and watch God be God.

Questions

  1. How could seeking God’s face change how you pray to receive from God’s hand?
  2. Write down the attributes of God from Psalm 91. How could this exercise help you in addressing the concerns you have?
  3. What new habit do you need to form?