In this post: You’re tired of worrying about every little thing and ready to learn how to stop worrying and start trusting God. Learn these nine practical steps you can take today to experience His peace when everything around you feels so out of control.
It’s easy to trust God when everything is going right, but it’s an entirely different story when everything around you is falling apart.
Am I right?
We have a lot going in in our personal lives.
From chronic illnesses to cancer diagnoses; addictions and broken relationships. The guilt and shame of past mistakes, and trying to forgive someone who seems to have no care they’ve caused us so much pain.
We live in a constant state of stress on whether or not we’ll have enough money to make it to the end of the month. And it seems we never get through our ever-growing to-do lists, adding more stress to our day.
Yep!
We have a lot on our plate. It’s no wonder we can’t stop worrying!
What’s in this post
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The Topic of Worry
“Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but never gets you anywhere.” Erma Bombeck
It’s estimated that 60% of Americans deal with daily stress and worry. And I’m sure I don’t have to tell you the ill effects it can have on our lives.
From high blood pressure to headaches. Stomach issues to chronic pain and illnesses. Worrying doesn’t just make us feel bad mentally. It affects our physical health as well.
And I understand it all too well.
I was a chronic worrier for most of my life. You name it, I worried about it.
I’d be enjoying my day when one random thought would creep in. Next thing I knew, my thoughts and emotions quickly spiraled out of control and left me paralyzed with fear.
But here’s the thing.
God never intended that kind of life for us. He doesn’t expect us to face these troubles alone. In fact, as 2 Chronicle 20:15 teaches us, we take on so many battles that were never meant for us to carry.
“And he said: “Listen to me, King Jehoshaphat! Listen, all you people living in Judah and Jerusalem! The Lord says this to you: ‘Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of this large army. The battle is not your battle. It is God’s battle.” ICB
And yet, we take them on day after day, week after week.
We lay our fears and worries at His feet, only to take them back again by fretting over everything we have in front of us.
Oh, I get it.
It’s incredibly hard to lay our worries at God’s feet and surrender our concerns to Him.
But that’s where so many women get hung up. (And by the way, I did too, for most of my life.)
They think that once they lay it at God’s feet, it’s a one-and-done thing.
And when they find themselves spiraling down that endless pit of worry, they think there’s something wrong with them.
If this is you, I wish I could come through your screen right now, wrap you in a hug and tell you, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you!
You see, Satan wants you to think that if you’re not trusting God, then you’re the problem.
We live in a fallen world. One that God never intended.
And in order to learn how to stop worrying and start trusting God, we must understand that it’s not about never having those feelings again.
It’s about recognizing where the worry comes from and CHOOSING to place our trust in Him.
Even if we have to make that choice 573 times today!
God doesn’t expect perfection, my friend.
All He asks is that we continue to invite Him in.
So let yourself off the hook. This is a guilt-free community!
Habit of Worrying
In an article by, Our God is With Us, we learn what worry truly does to us.
“It deprives us of the joy we could be experiencing daily.”
And holy moly, it’s so incredibly true!
When worry is present in our lives, it robs us of the joy all around us. And God has so much more planned for our lives than to be stuck in a cycle of worry.
One thing I often hear from women who are chronic worriers is that they feel like they can’t help it, that it’s just a part of who they are.
But the truth is, worrying is a habit.
And just like other bad habits we form, they can be broken.
It takes time and intentionality, but the good news is, it can be done.
You can change your thought patterns and rewire your brain to help you stop worrying and start experiencing God’s peace in the midst of your everyday life.
Why can’t I stop worrying
Although there are many reasons Christians struggle with worry, anxiety and fear, there are a handful of reasons that are most common.
- A deep love for someone: We think that if we’re worrying about something, it shows those we love that we care more deeply for them. But in reality, our fears show we aren’t handing our circumstances over to God.
- We have to be in control: We think that obsessively thinking (a.k.a. worrying) about something, gives us more control over the situation. We often miss that if we just hand it over to God, He can take care of the situation far better than we can.
- Uncertainty about the future: Many of us worry about what the future holds, both in this life and in the afterlife. This uncertainty can lead to anxiety about making the right decisions and fulfilling God’s plan for our life.
- Doubts about faith: We worry about whether we’re truly living out our faith and pleasing God. This leads to guilt and anxiety, thinking we can’t measure up to God and His expectations for us.
- Fear of judgment: Many worry about being judged by others or by God. This fear can stem from a desire to be seen as righteous and holy but often leads to a sense of inadequacy and anxiety.
- Burdens of life: We all face challenges throughout our life. Different things such as illness, financial difficulties, addictions or relationship issues. These struggles can cause worry and anxiety as we try to navigate the hard times with faith and grace.
The truth is, we worry about the things going on in our life because we don’t truly trust God to care for us.
Oh, we say we do, but when the rubber meets the road, our actions speak louder than our words.
Sound about right?
BEST WAYS TO STOP WORRYING AND START TRUSTING GOD
“Faith ends where worry begins, and worry ends where faith begins.”
George Mueller
If you want to experience the true peace of God, then you have to remember that having faith in God isn’t a feeling.
I think all too often we think if we’re doing all the right things…
- going to church
- reading the Bible
- serving in local ministries
- saying our prayers before we go to bed every night
…that trusting God is something we should always feel. We believe that worry is somehow the opposite of faith.
But it couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Trusting God isn’t a feeling. It’s a choice.
A choice to look up to our amazing God, rather than focusing on the circumstances we’re in.
And it’s a choice we must make every single day of our lives (and in some seasons, it’s something we must choose every hour of every day).
So let’s break down how to stop worrying and start trusting God.
Stop Worrying and Start Trusting God Through Prayer
The best way to stop worrying and start trusting God is to seek quiet time with Him and stay in constant communication with Him.
I think we often overcomplicate prayer. We think it has to be formal, or we don’t feel worthy enough to stand before Him boldly.
But prayer is a powerful tool that can help us trust God in a handful of ways.
The power of prayer…
- Takes the focus off our circumstances and puts it back on God: When we pray, we’re acknowledging that we need God’s help and guidance in our lives. This focus on God can help us to shift our perspective away from our cares and worries and instead look to God for His strength and comfort.
- Reminds us of God’s promises: As we pray, we can remember the promises God has made to us. This gives us comfort and helps us trust that God is in control, even when we’re facing uncertain times.
- Allows us to surrender control: In times of trouble, it’s not at all uncommon to feel like we need to be in control of everything. However, prayer helps us surrender to God and trust His plan for our life. This helps us let go of anxiety and worry and trust that God will work things out for our good.
- Keeps us connected with our Father: Through prayer, we deepen our relationship with God and experience His presence in our lives at all times. This helps us stop worrying and start trusting God more fully, knowing that He is always with us, even in the midst of the hard times.
If you want to stop worrying and start trusting God, then learning how to pray effective prayers is a must!
When you don’t know what to pray in the midst of your worries, ask God for His wisdom to walk through the hard times. Ask that He provide the clarity you need in order to trust Him fully.
Takeaway: If we want to worry less, we need to pray more.
Focus on His character Through Bible Study
“Don’t forsake your eternal reward because of the intensity of today’s pain.”
The Chronological Life Application Study Bible
Ouch!
How many times have you focused more on your circumstances than on His Kingdom?
Hey, no judgment here, my friend. I camped out in the pain of my chronic illness for far too many years, and it got me absolutely nowhere.
So I get it. I really do.
When we have no idea how we’ll make it through our struggles, it’s hard not to worry about what’s to come.
But in these times, we have to intentionally choose to set our minds on what we know about His character and be persistent in doing so.
How do we do that? By getting into the Word of God.
The Holy Bible is our roadmap on how to handle pain and suffering. Throughout the Bible, we see a faithful God. A loving Father who’s with us in good times and bad. A God who’s with us in the big things and as well as the little things.
Oh, don’t get me wrong.
I didn’t say that when we follow God, our lives will be easy.
God never promised that.
But He does promise to never leave us.
“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT
And as we read the many stories throughout the Bible, we see again and again just how faithful our amazing Father is.
Check out the 15 Best Prayer Journals to Strengthen Your Prayer Life.
When you’re facing uncertain times, focus on His character and choose to believe that He’ll always do what’s best for you.
Then keep choosing it until your heart catches up with your faith.
Takeaway: Remember who God is and that He always has your best interests at heart.
Remember His promises
God promises to provide everything we need and to work all things together for our good.
As you go through uncertain times and learn how to stop worrying and start trusting God, remembering His promises can give you peace of mind in times of trouble.
“My God will use his wonderful riches in Christ Jesus to give you everything you need.”
Philippians 4:19 ICB
When I was going through the dark times of my chronic illness and had to leave a job I loved, my husband and I lived in a constant state of worry about how we’d pay the bills.
I was on edge all the time and was always in fear of the next emergency to come our way. And let me tell you, there were plenty!
That’s when I was led to Christ’s Sermon on the Mount where He taught His followers about how useless it is to worry.
25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wild flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?” Matthew 6:25-30 NLT
Christ really puts things in perspective for us, doesn’t He?
Takeaway: Remember God’s promises, and repeat them to yourself, when the worry and negative thoughts creep in.
Practice an Attitude of Gratitude
One of my favorite Bible verses about practicing gratitude is 1 Thessalonians 5:18,
“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” NLT
I imagine you’re thinking, “Yeah but, Tammy, you don’t understand what I’m going through. There’s no way I can be grateful for my circumstances.”
I know, my friend.
Life is incredibly hard. But there’s something important I need you to understand about this Bible verse.
It doesn’t say to be thankful FOR all circumstances. It says to be thankful IN all circumstances.
That’s a big difference, isn’t it?
There are always blessings hidden in the midst of bad things. Always!
You just have to practice looking for them.
In fact, something I teach in the Grow Your Faith Community is how to build those habits (or what I call spiritual reflexes.), so that in the hard times, when you start spiraling into a state of worry, you’ll learn to look for the good things right where you are.
We have to practice looking for the blessings God has peppered in every circumstance.
And here’s the thing.
You can either have a good day or a bad day. You get to choose.
Oh, I didn’t say this was easy, my friend.
But if we want to learn how to stop worrying and start trusting God, we have to practice looking for God’s love and blessings in the midst of our anxious thoughts.
Takeaway: Practice choosing an attitude of gratitude by looking for God’s blessing in the midst of your anxious thoughts.
Remind Yourself of The Holy Spirit
When we’re stuck in a worrisome situation, we have to remember that God didn’t give us a spirit of fear.
“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.” 2 Timothy 1:7 AMPC
You, my friend, have God’s great power within you. You house the very power that raised Jesus from the dead. You just haven’t learned how to tap into it yet.
And it takes practice.
Every time those anxious thoughts start creeping in, remind yourself that you have God’s Presence within you — and your worrisome thoughts are no match for Him.
It takes a lot of practice, but it’s possible to conquer your habit of worry.
Takeaway: You have the very power of God within you right now. The power to stop sweating the small stuff.
Worry Doesn’t Add Anything to Your Life
When I look back at one of the turning points in my life, it was when I was reading the Sermon on the Mount, which I mentioned earlier. In verse 27, Jesus makes it so incredibly simple and gets right to the point,
“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” Matthew 6:27 NLT
BOOM!
Not only does worry NOT add anything to your life, but it’s also keeping you from experiencing the life God has for you.
Ouch!
Next time you find yourself slipping into another state of worry, remind yourself that it’s keeping you from God’s plan. Tell Him you’re laying your worries at His feet — even if it’s the 100th time today.
Takeaway: This thing you’re worrying about, is depriving you of a joy-filled life.
Focus on His Purpose for You
The Apostle Paul gives us a beautiful example of how to focus on God’s purpose in the midst of our worries and suffering.
“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:11-13 NIV
This guy certainly had a lot to worry about.
And I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I would’ve had the grace to handle the adversity Paul experienced.
He was chained to prison walls and placed on house arrest. And yet he refused to allow his cares and worries to stop him from serving the Kingdom of God.
When we stay focused on serving God first, then we find more clarity in the midst of our worries, and it becomes easier to lay our cares at His feet.
Takeaway: Refuse to allow your anxious thoughts keep you from serving your purpose.
Seek Other Christian Friends
We weren’t meant to go through life on our own, and thankfully, God put good, Christian people in our lives to help us through.
Scripture teaches us that when we stand together, He will be there.
“For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”
Matthew 18:20 NLT
So…
- Reach out to friends and family members for support and encouragement.
- Join a small group or a church community and ask them to stand in prayer with you.
- Start a group message with your bestie and send a text when you feel yourself going down the rabbit hole of worry.
- Connect with other Christian women in the Grow Your Faith Community.
There’s nothing like the power of standing with others in prayer to help us break the habit of worry.
Takeaway: Find a good support system to help you make wise choices, and settle your anxious thoughts.
Walk in Obedience
Breaking the habit of worrying and learning to trust God doesn’t mean we sit back and do nothing.
We can’t sit on the sidelines and expect Him to do all the work. We have to participate in the transformation we want to see in our life.
And in this instance, the transformation we’re seeking is to gain control of our worries.
When we’re faced with situations that leave us feeling anxious, the action we must take is to CHOOSE to trust Him.
When chronic worry takes over, we can remember that God will always guide our way.
“I hear the Lord saying, “I will stay close to you, instructing and guiding you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide. So don’t make it difficult; don’t be stubborn when I take you where you’ve not been before. Don’t make me tug you and pull you along. Just come with me!” Psalm 32:8-9 TPT
So choose to go where He’s calling you.
Here’s the thing, my friend.
You probably aren’t going to “feel” that trust at first.
In fact…
- It’ll feel uncomfortable.
- You won’t know what you’re doing.
- You won’t know how it’s going to play out.
- You won’t feel worthy of God’s love, wisdom and clarity.
And that’s totally normal.
As difficult as it may seem right now, you don’t need to know how it’s going to work out. You’re not trusting in your own abilities. You’re choosing to trust in His mighty strength and wisdom.
So you can choose to stand on the promise that He’s with you, guiding you along the way.
When you practice taking these steps, you’ll find that God will meet you right where you are and will always show you the path of least resistance.
But you’ve got to be persistent.
Takeaway: You can’t sit in your worries and expect them to change. You must take action.
When You Have an Anxious Heart
Keep in mind, trusting God in the midst of your worry takes practice, and it’s not going to be easy.
But as you…
- stay persistent in prayer
- focus on His character
- remember His promises
- practice gratitude
- remember you house the power of God
- focus on your purpose
- remember the truth about worry
- lean on other Christian women
- take action
…you’ll find His perfect peace and learn how to stop worrying and start trusting God.
And that’s when His mighty hand will turn your lack of faith into a beautiful blessing of peace!
Remember, God isn’t up there wringing His hands trying to figure out how to bring you through this. He already has it figured out!
So take action today and choose to trust Him until your heart catches up with your faith.
Help to Stop Worrying and Start Trusting God
If all this makes sense and you’re thinking, I get it, but how do I walk it out?
I got you covered, my friend.
These are the things you’ll learn in the Grow Your Faith Community.
I teach you how to grow closer to God with monthly, bite-sized studies that provide clarity, community and spiritual nourishment, without the overwhelm.
In this growing community of women, we stand in prayer together, walk through the hard times with you, and cheer you on as you conquer worry and learn to start trusting God, no matter how hard life gets.
The Grow Your Faith Community isn’t always open for enrollment, so your best bet is to get on the waiting list here.
There’s absolutely nothing like learning how to find peace, even when everything around you feels like it’s falling apart. And I’d love to help you do the same!
So join the waitlist here.
Oh, and before you go, be sure to check out these other great posts.
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Learning how to put our complete trust in God isn’t easy. We say we trust God, but what we really mean is that we trust Him for what we want, when we want it. At Footprints of Inspiration we uncover who you are and why you were created; how to walk in healing through forgiveness; and how to go before the Lord with confidence. Through this journey, you’ll discover that it truly is possible to experience peace, even in the hardest times in your life.
Tammy Rotzoll is the founder and owner of Footprints of Inspiration and podcast host at A Faithful God Podcast (which can be found on your favorite podcast player). She lives in Virginia with her husband and together they’re learning how to navigate their fun, new adventure as empty nesters.
Join Tammy and the FOI community and discover the freedom that comes from saying, “Heck yeah, God! I’m all in!”