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How will the kids handle that tough situation at school? Are they doing everything they can to get into the right college?
How will you pay the bills when you can’t even make it from paycheck to paycheck? How are you going to buy groceries when the car is broken down again, and there’s no money left in your emergency fund?
What if the test results you had done at the doctor’s office last week come back positive?
And what about the mistake you made several years ago? You know, the one you don’t want to admit to God because you’re ashamed and the consequences that are going to come from it will be too painful to bear.
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I worried over everything in my life
I’ve been a worrier as long as I can remember.
The same playlist was on a constant loop in my head. I’ve always worried about things I said, things I did, and things I can’t control.
“Did I say something to make her mad? What’s going to happen if I don’t get a good grade on this test? What if I don’t make the cheerleading squad?”
“What if I do something wrong on the job? What if my boss doesn’t care for me? What if my coworkers don’t like me?”
I have always believed in God, but it wasn’t until I really got to know him that I learned that He is the one in control of this life (and I’m so grateful for that!) and that no amount of worry was going to change anything that could happen.
I finally understood that worrying was a complete waste of my time and completely zapped my energy. I have no doubt you can relate!
As Matthew 6:27 (NLT) teaches us,
Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
Nope, it most certainly can not, but there’s a difference between knowing it and feeling it. Am I right?
how to stop worrying
So how do you stop worrying and start trusting God?
Where does worry come from, anyway? Well, let’s first start by understanding where it does not come from.
God did not and will never give you a spirit of fear and worry. It simply does not come from Him.
As we learn in 2 Timothy 1:7 (AMPC),
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.
Did you catch that? God gives you a spirit of a well-balanced mind, not a spirit of worry.
Anxiety and fear come directly from the enemy. He is a master at trying to make you believe that, unless you worry and are in control, things will never turn out well for you.
That right there is a big fat lie!
So every time you begin to worry, every time you find yourself going down that all-consuming path of anxiousness, remember that it’s the enemy dragging you down that road.
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Check out Trust God instead of worrying
I’m serving you some cold, hard truth today, my friend.
All of this worry that has become a normal way of life for you means you aren’t trusting God.
Harsh, right?
I know you are trying to trust in Him, but it’s hard when you can’t see the big picture. It’s tough when you don’t have control over how the situation will play out.
Change your perspective to find peace
In our society, we have become entirely too focused on ourselves, and when you work to take the focus off yourself and turn it towards God, everything (and I do mean everything) in your life begins to change.
Is it easy? Nope! Not one bit.
We are so accustomed to making sure that we have everything we want, and think that will make us happy. However, as you and I both know, there’s absolutely no peace found in all this stuff we spend so much time trying to acquire.
You can’t push away your anxieties and fears when you are fixating on things of this earth and hoping to please someone other than God.
When I finally understood this and changed my perspective to take the focus off myself, it was a complete shift in how I lived out each day. It took worry out of the equation so that I could focus on doing what God created me for.
Focus on your Blessings
Another great way to take your mind off your worry is to begin both your mornings and your prayers by thanking God for the many blessings He has given you.
I understand that it can be difficult to focus on your blessings when you’re stuck in a pattern of worry.
If this happens to you, I recommend you sit down and make a list of your blessings, so that when you’re completely gridlocked with anxiety and don’t know how to get out, you can pull out your blessings list and start thanking God right then.
It takes intentionality
This is going to take some time, therefore, you’ll need to be intentional in your prayers and spending time with God.
- Pray! All. Day. Long.
Even if you need to pray every hour of every day, then that’s what you do.
When you begin communicating with God throughout your entire day, you’ll soon see the chains of worry start to break away.
Ask God to take this fear, worry, and anxiety from you. Tell Him that you want to live His way and need help because you are feeling completely paralyzed.
- Spend time building a relationship and suiting up with His armor so that you can stand on His truth when the worry starts to creep back into your day.
Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place]. Ephesians 6:13 AMPC
By spending time in The Word, you’ll learn all that God is and all that He isn’t. (Which is equally important!)
Get yourself a prayer journal and start by writing different translations of a particular verse. This one simple act is a very powerful way to better understand scripture and calm your anxiety
Prayers to stop worrying
I understand that when you’re right in the middle of a “worry attack,” it can be difficult to find the right words to pray.
So, I encourage you to take some time now and write out some simple prayers so that when you are knee deep in a fierce battle with anxiety, you can pull out your prayer cards and start praying immediately.
Here are some prayers to help you get started. Remember, it doesn’t have to be eloquent or rehearsed. God doesn’t care how you go to Him, just that you do.
Simply whispering, “Jesus,” will help to bring you peace in the midst of your fears.
“Dear Lord, I’m struggling with control. I don’t know how to hand everything over to you, but I want to. I ask that you take this anxiety and spirit of worry from me. I don’t need to know the big picture, I just ask that you show me the next step.”
“Lord, I spend my days in a constant state of worry, and that’s not how I want to live. I ask that you take it from me, Lord because I don’t know how to stop. Please help me to take the focus off of my challenges and put them back on you where they belong.”
“Dear Lord, I am living with so much fear and anxiety right now and I know that doesn’t come from you. For you only give me a spirit of love and peace. I ask that you take this from me and turn my focus back on to you and your purpose for my life. I want to live free of this worry, so that I can be completely free to live the life you have created me for. Any time I begin to worry, I ask that you remind me, so that I can turn back to you and away from what the enemy is trying to do. You, alone, is where my peace and happiness comes from. Nothing else.”
Wrapping Up
My friend, learning to stop worrying is not something that is going to happen overnight. It’s something that you’ll need to go to God for every single day, and most likely multiple times throughout the day.
But it all begins by starting a relationship with Him and learning all that He has and continues to promise you.
Start by intentionally going to Him in prayer throughout the day. It doesn’t have to be a long, rehearsed prayer. It can simply be,
“Lord, I need you.” Or, “Lord, please take this worry from me.” Or even simply, “Lord.”
And then breathe Him in and feel the peace that can only come from Him wash over you.
Turn your focus off your problems and turn it over to the many blessings that God has and continues to give you.
Then and only then, will you begin to start enjoying your life, letting the worry and anxiety that each day brings fall to the wayside.
