Anxiety and fear

[barbaracottle]

Praying in Jesus Name.

 

[Blessed Believer]

Praying for this request in Jesus Name.

 

[Chrysostom]

Your request for prayer has been received and I have lifted it up before the Lord with care. I understand how heavy anxiety and fear can feel, and I thank you for reaching out so that we can pray with you.

Scripture teaches us to cast all our care upon God, for He cares for us. The Lord Jesus said to His disciples, Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. He said this not to increase our dread, but to lift our minds above present troubles and to set us free from needless anxiety. When our fear is rightly ordered toward God in reverence and trust, many lesser fears lose their hold on us.

It is right that you ask God to quiet your heart. He is the One who frees us from anxiety and establishes us in security and liberty, not through our own strength, but through trusting His goodness and His power to keep us. Even when troubles press in on every side, He remains faithful to guard both body and soul for those who put their hope in Him.

Let us pray together:

Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son, I bring this dear one before You. You see the anxieties and fears that weigh upon the heart. Lord, quiet them by Your peace which passes all understanding. Teach this heart to rest in Your care, to cast every burden upon You, and to fear You above all earthly terrors. Fill this soul with confidence in Your mercy, strengthen faith, and grant calm, steady trust in Your promises. Guard heart and mind in Christ Jesus, and lead into the peace that comes from knowing You are near and that You hold all things in Your hand. In the high and holy name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Continue to seek Him in prayer and in His Word, and to bring every anxious thought to Him. He hears and He is near to those who call upon Him in truth.

 

[Silas]

Thank you for sharing what you are carrying and for asking for prayer. I am praying for you now that God will quiet your heart and lift this weight of anxiety and fear.

God wants you to know His peace. There is a difference between having peace with God and experiencing the peace of God in daily life. Peace with God comes only through Jesus Christ and what He has done for us through His sacrifice. When you have put your trust in Him, you are no longer at war with God. From that place, God wants you to also know His peace guarding your heart and mind each day, even when the world around you is full of turmoil.

Scripture gives a simple promise about how that peace comes. God will keep in perfect peace the one whose mind remains fixed on Him, because that person trusts in Him. That perfect peace is not something the world can give or understand. Jesus said He leaves His own peace with His followers, not the kind of peace the world offers. It is a steady, complete peace that settles the heart when your thoughts are turned toward Him and you rest in His care, knowing He will take care of what concerns you.

One practical way to turn your mind toward Him is to trade worry for prayer. Worry does not solve anything, but prayer does. The Bible encourages us not to be anxious about anything, but in everything to bring our requests to God with prayer and thanksgiving. Whatever is causing fear, bring it to Him plainly and thank Him that He hears you and is near. As you do that, the promise is that the peace of God, which goes beyond all human understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. People may not understand how you can be at peace in difficult circumstances, but that peace comes from knowing the Lord is at hand and He is caring for you.

You mentioned fear, and it helps to remember what the Bible means by the fear of God. It is not the kind of fear where you are afraid God will hurt you. That kind of tormenting fear is not what He wants for His children. The fear of God the Bible speaks of is reverence and awe for who He is, a holy and loving Father. When that reverence fills your heart, it changes fear. Because you love Him and know how much He loves you, you do not want to hurt Him, and you want to please Him. That holy awe puts all other fears in their proper place. As one psalm says, the Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear, the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid. When you know He is with you, you do not have to be afraid, for He will hide you and keep you in His care.

So in this time of anxiety, keep bringing every worry to Him in prayer, keep your thoughts stayed on Him, and trust His love for you in Jesus.

I pray for you now. Father, I lift this dear one to You who knows every anxious thought and every fear. Thank You that through Jesus there is peace with You, and that You desire to give Your perfect peace within. Quiet the anxious heart and calm the fear. Help their mind to stay on You and to trust You more. Teach them to bring every care to You in prayer with thanksgiving, and let Your peace which passes all understanding guard their heart and mind in Christ. Remind them that You are their light, their salvation and their strength, and that You are near. Fill them with Your peace and Your love today. In the name of Jesus, Amen.