Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Being wrought with anxiety, this is a verse that I often turn to. The battle of the mind is hard, and anxiety creeps in more than I would like. But I do my best to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) and to meditate on truths such as this verse. It is one that every Christian should memorize. Hide it in your heart (Psalm 119:11) and pull it out anytime you feel overwhelmed or begin to struggle with anxiety.
Paul shows us how we can surrender to God and find peace and joy in Him in this verse. Do not be anxious about ANYTHING. Turn to Him with those anxieties, the worries of life, the stress that is holding you captive. Turn to Him and let Him know you are struggling. Ask Him to help you. Turn to Him in prayer and just talk. Unburden yourself, pour out your heart. He already knows what you are struggling with and He wants to give you peace. He wants you to turn to Him and ask for help. He is there waiting, ready to wrap His loving arms around you and fill you with His peace.
One of the ways you can combat anxiety is to be thankful. When you change your focus and stop the thoughts that are causing the anxiety you will find your mind transformed. Thanksgiving and gratitude are powerful tools that you can use to change your mindset. The enemy doesn’t want you to be happy. He wants to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), but you can stop him from being successful in stirring those anxieties up. You can turn to God and pray. Thank Him for all you have in your life. It may be hard to find something to be thankful for, so start with things that seem to be silly. I sat and wrote out things I was grateful for one time and it began with the silliest of things like “I am thankful for the q-tips to clean out my ears. I am thankful for the toothbrush that keeps my mouth clean.” And as I made the effort to find something, ANYTHING to be thankful for, I began to see the bigger things. “I am thankful for the people in my life who support and love me no matter what I say or do. I am thankful that I have a roof over my head and clothes on my body. I am thankful for the technology I have that allows me to do my school work or learn more about God,”
Spend some time today focusing on the blessings in your life. Tell God how thankful you are for the things He has given you, the things He has done in your life, and the things He will do. Pour out your heart to Him in surrender and trust that He will ease your anxieties and renew your mind.
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