THE ANSWER TO ANXIETY

05/27/2023

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6)

Anxiety is pride. This is why you must let nothing get you into a state of anxiety. Instead of being anxious, the LORD gives us a perfect alternative, and it is a mix of prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving. Now someone might be asking what the difference is between prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving. Are they not all prayer? Not exactly. They are the elements of the combination required to shut down anxiety. If you remove any one of them from the mix, anxiety will stay present but if you combine them as the Bible suggests, a tranquility of God will marshall your heart such that no contrary voice will be heard it.

So what is prayer in the contest of Philippians 4:6? It is the casting of one's cares or burdens. Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." In other words, if there is an adverse situation that comes up, your first response should be to turn it over to God. As a mark of your humility, you acknowledge to God that you cannot handle this issue and hand it over to Him in prayer. 1 Peter 5:6-7 says, "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."

Next, the Bible says to include supplication. Supplications are petitions. Jesus says, "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:24). Ask in specific details for the outcome you want after you must have cast the burden on the LORD. Since you have acknowledged your incompetency in dealing with the matter and His competence by casting the burden on Him, specify what you want Him to do for you.

Lastly, you thank the LORD for granting your petition, and since thanking Him is an acknowledgment that God has heard you, understand that you have received your petition and act accordingly. 1 John 5:14-15 says, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." Hallelujah!

So the next time you feel anxious about anything, just do what the Word prescribed and the peace of God will overwhelm you.

God bless you

Faith-Filled Confession

I live anxiety-free because I have a God to cast every burden on, petition, and show gratitude for His magnanimity. My heart is a defended city because the LORD is my husband and provider. When the adversities of life appear in my view, I am unperturbed because the One who has my back is greater than anything there is in this world. Hallelujah!

One-Year Reading Plan: 1 Chronicles 17-19; John 10:1-21