What to Do When You Feel Anxious

I think it’s safe to say that most people, to some degree, are either anxious or stressed-out about a situation in life. In fact, relief from anxiety is one of the most frequent prayer requests we receive from people who call our ministry.

Anxiety and stress go deep and impact us in so many ways. They can take an enormous toll on us—mentally, emotionally, and even physically.

Stress, for instance, has been proven to cause issues like muscle tension, headaches, and increased heart rate. I’ve also known plenty of people who have suffered from panic attacks and other life-altering issues as the result of worry and anxiety.

For years, my own life was filled with turmoil. My “normal” was to worry, fear, complain and dread the future. These things were stressing me out and wearing me down. It takes energy to worry!

When I first began to read and study God’s Word, I truly didn’t know what God’s peace felt like. My mind was always going a hundred miles an hour trying to figure everything out, and I was always upset about something. But I soon discovered that God doesn’t want us to worry and feel anxious—He wants us to bring our cares and problems to Him.

In Case of an Emergency, Do This First

Philippians 4:6 says, Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God (AMP).

Wow, it’s so simple! God is saying when we have a need, don’t worry about it—pray about it.

I think many times we see prayer as something we do when nothing else works. I’ve been guilty of this myself. I’ll have a problem—usually one I think is “small enough” for me to handle without getting God involved—then try everything I know to do. Then, when nothing works, I’ll pray about it.

But that’s not the way God wants us to handle things. We should view God as our first line of defense, not our last resort. When something comes up—a problem, concern, or worry—we should go to God immediately, and it doesn’t have to take long.

For instance, maybe you find that you’re anxious and preoccupied with a project at work or school, and it’s stressing you out. Take a moment and simply bring your need before God. You can pray something like:

“Lord, I just want to take a moment and lift this project up to You. Please give me the wisdom to know the best way to complete this assignment. I ask for favor with my supervisor and all those involved. I know I can’t do this without You, and I thank You for Your peace in the midst of my situation.”

The truth is, God loves to hear your prayers! In His Word, He tells us to come boldly before His throne, so we’ll receive His grace in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). He says to ask and “keep on asking” (Matthew 7:7).

I used to make prayer complicated. I used to think I had to say just the right words or pray in the right place for a specific length of time. But God never intended for prayer to be complicated. When we come to Him sincerely, we can be assured He always hears us.

Peace in the Midst of the Storm

So, what happens when we pray? Philippians 4:7 tells us: And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours] (AMP).

When life is overwhelming and worry and anxiety are beginning to take over, there’s only one place we can go for true, lasting peace—Jesus Christ. He is the “Prince of Peace” (see Isaiah 9:6), and the Bible says He’s our shelter in the storm (Isaiah 4:6).

I used to think the way to have peace was to get rid of all of my problems. I thought I would have peace and enjoy life “when”—when my circumstances changed; when my children left the house; when other people finally stopped annoying me.

But I finally realized that it wasn’t my circumstances that had to change—I was the one who had to change. It was a marvelous day when the Lord helped me realize that I could come to Him for peace in the midst of my problems.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face;
And the things of the earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.

You see, when we take our worries to God and spend time with Him, we magnify Him or make Him “bigger” in our eyes. When we do, all of our problems and concerns suddenly look smaller—compared to God, they grow dim and insignificant.

I want you to look at Matthew 11:28. As you read this, let Jesus’ words soak deep into your heart and mind: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened...and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]” (AMP).

Are you overburdened? Is there something weighing on you, causing you to worry? If so, Jesus has your answer: “Come to Me.”

I’ve been asked before, “If you could only preach one message for the rest of your life, what would it be?” That’s a tough question, but I know this one ranks right up there:

Seek God and spend regular time with Him. Because when we “come to Him,” He takes all of our worry, anxiety, fear, and sadness and exchanges it with His peace, joy, hope and love. When we pray, read His Word or just sit and worship Him, He literally changes who we are and makes us more like Him.

I love Psalm 16:11. It says, ...In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore (AMP).

When we choose to worship God—focusing on His goodness and all of the good things He does for us—we invite His presence into our lives. He fills us with joy, and it’s a joy that no one can take from us.

Whatever you’re going through today, I want you to know that God loves you and He is on your side. He sees your worries, He knows how you feel, and He has already begun working on your problems.

When you feel worried and anxious, I know it’s easy to panic and allow fear to take over. That’s when you need to slow down, get still, and focus on Jesus. He’s always just a prayer away, available any time of the day for you to cry out to Him for His supernatural peace.