Battling Anxiety

 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.~ Philippians 4:6-7

Anxiety is defined as a feeling of dread, fear, and uneasiness.  It can be exacerbated by stress. I battle with anxiety and I know that I am not alone.  Anxiety can be crippling and the enemy wants nothing more than to rob of us our peace.  But thank God for Jesus because He equips us to deal with and defeat the enemy.

The first tool is His word.  The first word that jumps into my mind is "when I am afraid I will trust in You"-Psalm 56:3  I acknowledge my fear and then I acknowledge the One who is Sovereign.  The One who protects and saves.  It is He who gives me the strength to face my fear and overcome.  It is He who quiets the waters of my troubled soul.  I also remember that God told me to cast all my cares(anxiety) upon Him for He cares for me. (1 Peter 5:7) God can handle anything. I don't have to carry the burden of anxiety.  I can give it all to Him.  

He doesn't think less of me because I struggle with anxiety, He is letting me know that I am loved and that He will fight the battle for me.  This is where the second tool comes in prayer.  When I pray I surrender my fears, dread, and uneasiness to God.  I pray when I faced with both small and large tasks. I ask God to see me through.  I thank Him for what He has already brought me through and I trust in Him to see me to the other side.  Instead of letting anxiety grip me I grip God and let His peace settle over me.

I am going to be real and say that I have battle panic attacks because of anxiety. I have felt like a hostage sometimes, but God has always come to my rescue.  He has met every need and met me in every situation.  God is my rock and He hears my pleas.  He is a good God, the only God. If you battle with anxiety do not let the devil shame you into believing that you are not trusting God enough or praying enough.  That's a lie.  I believe that every time I go into battle God goes before me and He gets the glory.  I get to testify to the goodness of God and how I overcame because He has already overcome (John 16:33)

Yours Lord is the power.  You know what we stand in need of.  Usher in your peace as we gear up for battle with shield of faith and sword of the Spirit. Grant us victory and we will be careful to give You all the glory and the praise.  In Jesus name. Amen