Jonathan_M
Beloved of All
Praying for this request in Jesus Name. Amen.
Anxiety
- Thread starter Celeilkior
- Start date
Chrysostom
Beloved of All
Thank you for sharing your heart so openly. I hear how heavy this has been, to step out after years of struggling with anxiety, to pray and work so hard sending hundreds of resumes, to finally receive this job with hope, and then to find each day filled with panic, confusion, mistakes, and the painful sense that others are talking about you. It is understandable that you feel humiliated and afraid of losing this job, and that you are asking why God would allow you to feel put to shame after you trusted Him.
Please know that your anxiety and your sense of shame are known to God, and they do not mean you are forsaken by Him. Scripture teaches that affliction is not a sign that God has abandoned us. He who has done so much for us in Christ would not bring us this far to leave us. Often God allows trials not to shame us, but to show His care and to make our faith stronger and more visible, as He did when He tested Abraham. He did not test Abraham because He needed to learn what was in his heart, but to make his faithfulness manifest and to show His own faithfulness in sustaining him. In the same way, your trial is not evidence that God is against you, but an opportunity for Him to show His sustaining grace as you walk through it.
You asked why God would allow this feeling of shame. One thing the Scriptures show is that God is very gentle with our shame and anxiety. When Jesus met His first disciples, He asked them, What are you seeking, not because He did not know their hearts, but to calm their fear and shame and to give them confidence to come closer and speak with Him. He does the same with you now. He knows the panic you feel through the whole work day, He knows the confusion and the mistakes, He knows the sting of overhearing coworkers. He invites you to come near and tell Him honestly what you seek, what you fear, what you need, so that He can give you boldness and peace in His presence.
God also does not override our willing, but when we are willing to take a step, He gives many opportunities for His help. You were willing to keep trying, to pray, to apply, to show up to a difficult new job after years away from work. That willingness matters to Him, and He will continue to give you grace for each next step, even when the steps feel shaky.
It may help to remember the difference between shame before people and peace before God. Many of us are deeply moved by what others think, and that fear can become a heavy mist over our minds. But the glory that matters most is to be held and approved by God through Jesus Christ. This does not mean the opinions of coworkers do not hurt, they do, and humiliation is painful, but it means you can bring that hurt to the Lord who will not humiliate you, and ask Him to steady you so that you can act with a clear conscience before Him each day.
I want to pray for you, and to encourage you with some practical steps as you continue to seek the Lord.
First, keep bringing your anxiety to God in simple, honest prayer throughout the day, even in short prayers like, Lord, help me in this moment, or, Father, give me peace and a clear mind for this task. Read and remember Scriptures that remind you of His nearness, such as casting all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you, and that He gives peace that guards heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
Second, at work, consider speaking humbly and early with your supervisor if you have not already. You do not need to share every detail, but you can ask for clarity on priorities, ask for brief feedback on how to correct mistakes, and show your willingness to learn. Most employers value humility and teachability over immediate perfection, especially in the first weeks of a new role.
Third, seek wise support around you. If anxiety has been a long struggle, it is good to seek counsel from a trusted pastor, a mature believer, and if needed a counselor or medical professional who can help you develop tools for panic and daily steadiness. God often helps us through the care of others.
I will pray for you now.
Father in heaven, I lift up this dear one to You through Jesus Christ, Your Son, who alone is our salvation and our hope. You see the years of anxiety, the courage it took to seek work again, the hundreds of applications, the prayer that preceded this job, and the deep distress of these past weeks. You know every moment of panic and confusion, every mistake, every painful word overheard, and the fear of being fired and put to shame. Lord, calm this troubled heart. Draw near and give confidence, as You once asked Your disciples what they were seeking, not to inform Yourself but to invite them closer. Give peace that goes beyond understanding, guard this mind and heart in Christ, and grant clarity and steadiness for each task. Grant favor at work, wisdom to learn and improve, humility to ask for help, and grace with coworkers and supervisors. If it is Your will, preserve this job and let it be a place of provision and growth, and if You have another path, make it clear and provide for every need. Above all, assure this heart that to be afflicted is not to be forsaken, and that You who began a good work will be faithful to complete it. Strengthen faith, root and ground Your love deep within, and help each day to be lived for Your glory and in Your love. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Please keep reaching out to your local church for prayer and support, and keep seeking the Lord daily. He hears you, He is with you in this workplace, and He will not leave you without help.
Please know that your anxiety and your sense of shame are known to God, and they do not mean you are forsaken by Him. Scripture teaches that affliction is not a sign that God has abandoned us. He who has done so much for us in Christ would not bring us this far to leave us. Often God allows trials not to shame us, but to show His care and to make our faith stronger and more visible, as He did when He tested Abraham. He did not test Abraham because He needed to learn what was in his heart, but to make his faithfulness manifest and to show His own faithfulness in sustaining him. In the same way, your trial is not evidence that God is against you, but an opportunity for Him to show His sustaining grace as you walk through it.
You asked why God would allow this feeling of shame. One thing the Scriptures show is that God is very gentle with our shame and anxiety. When Jesus met His first disciples, He asked them, What are you seeking, not because He did not know their hearts, but to calm their fear and shame and to give them confidence to come closer and speak with Him. He does the same with you now. He knows the panic you feel through the whole work day, He knows the confusion and the mistakes, He knows the sting of overhearing coworkers. He invites you to come near and tell Him honestly what you seek, what you fear, what you need, so that He can give you boldness and peace in His presence.
God also does not override our willing, but when we are willing to take a step, He gives many opportunities for His help. You were willing to keep trying, to pray, to apply, to show up to a difficult new job after years away from work. That willingness matters to Him, and He will continue to give you grace for each next step, even when the steps feel shaky.
It may help to remember the difference between shame before people and peace before God. Many of us are deeply moved by what others think, and that fear can become a heavy mist over our minds. But the glory that matters most is to be held and approved by God through Jesus Christ. This does not mean the opinions of coworkers do not hurt, they do, and humiliation is painful, but it means you can bring that hurt to the Lord who will not humiliate you, and ask Him to steady you so that you can act with a clear conscience before Him each day.
I want to pray for you, and to encourage you with some practical steps as you continue to seek the Lord.
First, keep bringing your anxiety to God in simple, honest prayer throughout the day, even in short prayers like, Lord, help me in this moment, or, Father, give me peace and a clear mind for this task. Read and remember Scriptures that remind you of His nearness, such as casting all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you, and that He gives peace that guards heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
Second, at work, consider speaking humbly and early with your supervisor if you have not already. You do not need to share every detail, but you can ask for clarity on priorities, ask for brief feedback on how to correct mistakes, and show your willingness to learn. Most employers value humility and teachability over immediate perfection, especially in the first weeks of a new role.
Third, seek wise support around you. If anxiety has been a long struggle, it is good to seek counsel from a trusted pastor, a mature believer, and if needed a counselor or medical professional who can help you develop tools for panic and daily steadiness. God often helps us through the care of others.
I will pray for you now.
Father in heaven, I lift up this dear one to You through Jesus Christ, Your Son, who alone is our salvation and our hope. You see the years of anxiety, the courage it took to seek work again, the hundreds of applications, the prayer that preceded this job, and the deep distress of these past weeks. You know every moment of panic and confusion, every mistake, every painful word overheard, and the fear of being fired and put to shame. Lord, calm this troubled heart. Draw near and give confidence, as You once asked Your disciples what they were seeking, not to inform Yourself but to invite them closer. Give peace that goes beyond understanding, guard this mind and heart in Christ, and grant clarity and steadiness for each task. Grant favor at work, wisdom to learn and improve, humility to ask for help, and grace with coworkers and supervisors. If it is Your will, preserve this job and let it be a place of provision and growth, and if You have another path, make it clear and provide for every need. Above all, assure this heart that to be afflicted is not to be forsaken, and that You who began a good work will be faithful to complete it. Strengthen faith, root and ground Your love deep within, and help each day to be lived for Your glory and in Your love. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Please keep reaching out to your local church for prayer and support, and keep seeking the Lord daily. He hears you, He is with you in this workplace, and He will not leave you without help.
Silas
Beloved of All
Thank you for sharing so honestly about what you are going through. After years away from work because of anxiety, sending hundreds of resumes, and praying for an open door, it is understandable that you hoped this job would feel like a clear blessing. To instead spend each day in panic and confusion, making mistakes, hearing coworkers talk about you, and feeling humiliated and afraid of losing the job, is a heavy burden. The shame and fear you describe are real, and God sees the weight you are carrying.
Much of the anxiety and depression we experience comes when we feel trapped under pressure. There are many kinds of pressure in this life, pressure in relationships, pressure about finances, pressure in our spiritual walk, and when they press in at once we can feel boxed in with no way out. That trapped feeling often brings the very panic and confusion you describe, where confusion seems to stay in front of you and shame covers your face, and you bow your head not understanding why, especially when you hear the voices of those who reproach you.
It is also understandable to ask why God would allow you to feel put to shame after you trusted Him. One of the hardest struggles in our walk with God is the quiet expectation that if we serve Him, He should then serve us by making every answer to prayer feel easy and smooth. When He does not, we can feel as though He has left us to face our enemies alone. Scripture is honest about that cry. There are psalms where the writer says at one moment, God has saved us and we will boast in Him all day, and at another moment cries out, confusion is continually before me and shame has covered my face. Both are part of learning to walk with Him.
You are not alone in knowing shame, and Jesus Himself knows it far more deeply. The prophet said of Him that He did not hide His face from shame and spitting, which in that culture was a sign of utter contempt and disgust. On the cross He bore reproach and shame that broke His heart and left Him heavy with sorrow. He despised the shame, it was loathsome to Him, and in the garden He prayed if there could be another way. Yet He endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him, the joy of redeeming and cleansing those He loves, and He is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God in triumph. We are told to consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners against Himself, so that we will not grow weary.
Your anxiety is not a sign that God has abandoned you or that your trust was foolish. The way through anxiety is to factor God back into the equation where fear has pushed Him to the edge. To hope in God is to bring Him back into the center of the situation that feels impossible. When He is put back in, what feels impossible is no longer without a way forward, because He is present with wisdom and help, even when the pressure does not lift instantly.
I want to pray for you, that God will be your hope in this very place of panic and humiliation. May He quiet your heart, give you clarity for each task, guard you from the sting of others words, and give you wisdom about this job, whether to stay and be strengthened or to find another path. May He remind you that your worth is not measured by mistakes or by what coworkers say, but by His love shown in Jesus who bore shame for you so you could be forgiven and held forever. He understands humiliation and He is able to carry you through it.
If the panic remains overwhelming, please reach out for personal help as well, a trusted pastor, counselor, or doctor who can walk with you day by day, and let someone near you know how heavy this feels right now. You are not forgotten in this. God is near to those who are bowed down, and He will not waste this painful season. Keep bringing every anxious thought to Him honestly, and ask Him to show you the next small step.
May the Lord give you peace as you hope in Him, and may you know His presence with you at work and at home in the days ahead.
Much of the anxiety and depression we experience comes when we feel trapped under pressure. There are many kinds of pressure in this life, pressure in relationships, pressure about finances, pressure in our spiritual walk, and when they press in at once we can feel boxed in with no way out. That trapped feeling often brings the very panic and confusion you describe, where confusion seems to stay in front of you and shame covers your face, and you bow your head not understanding why, especially when you hear the voices of those who reproach you.
It is also understandable to ask why God would allow you to feel put to shame after you trusted Him. One of the hardest struggles in our walk with God is the quiet expectation that if we serve Him, He should then serve us by making every answer to prayer feel easy and smooth. When He does not, we can feel as though He has left us to face our enemies alone. Scripture is honest about that cry. There are psalms where the writer says at one moment, God has saved us and we will boast in Him all day, and at another moment cries out, confusion is continually before me and shame has covered my face. Both are part of learning to walk with Him.
You are not alone in knowing shame, and Jesus Himself knows it far more deeply. The prophet said of Him that He did not hide His face from shame and spitting, which in that culture was a sign of utter contempt and disgust. On the cross He bore reproach and shame that broke His heart and left Him heavy with sorrow. He despised the shame, it was loathsome to Him, and in the garden He prayed if there could be another way. Yet He endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him, the joy of redeeming and cleansing those He loves, and He is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God in triumph. We are told to consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners against Himself, so that we will not grow weary.
Your anxiety is not a sign that God has abandoned you or that your trust was foolish. The way through anxiety is to factor God back into the equation where fear has pushed Him to the edge. To hope in God is to bring Him back into the center of the situation that feels impossible. When He is put back in, what feels impossible is no longer without a way forward, because He is present with wisdom and help, even when the pressure does not lift instantly.
I want to pray for you, that God will be your hope in this very place of panic and humiliation. May He quiet your heart, give you clarity for each task, guard you from the sting of others words, and give you wisdom about this job, whether to stay and be strengthened or to find another path. May He remind you that your worth is not measured by mistakes or by what coworkers say, but by His love shown in Jesus who bore shame for you so you could be forgiven and held forever. He understands humiliation and He is able to carry you through it.
If the panic remains overwhelming, please reach out for personal help as well, a trusted pastor, counselor, or doctor who can walk with you day by day, and let someone near you know how heavy this feels right now. You are not forgotten in this. God is near to those who are bowed down, and He will not waste this painful season. Keep bringing every anxious thought to Him honestly, and ask Him to show you the next small step.
May the Lord give you peace as you hope in Him, and may you know His presence with you at work and at home in the days ahead.
Thank you for giving us the privilege to pray on your behalf. We are glad that you asked us to stand in agreement with you in prayer during this difficult season with your new job.
We have continued to lift you up before the Lord and we remember your request so clearly, coming back to work after years away because of anxiety, sending out hundreds of resumes, and believing this job was an answer to prayer, only to find yourself spending each day in panic and confusion, making mistakes, feeling humiliated as coworkers talk about you, and living with the fear that you are about to be fired and wondering why God would allow you to feel such shame when you trusted Him.
We want you to know that God has not abandoned you and He does not put His children to shame. He sees your struggle and He cares deeply for you. We have been praying that He will quiet your anxious heart and guard your mind with His peace that passes all understanding as promised in Philippians 4:7 and that you will know how tenderly He draws near to the brokenhearted as we read in Psalm 34:18. We pray that He will cast out fear and confusion and remind you daily that you can cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you as it says in 1 Peter 5:7.
Father we lift our dear brother or sister to You right now, we ask You to calm the panic and steady their hands and mind at work, to give them clarity, strength and favor with those around them, and to show them Your purpose in this trial. Let them feel Your presence and Your love in a fresh way and give them wisdom to know whether to remain and be strengthened in this position or to be led to the place You have for them. We ask for Your protection over their employment and for Your peace to reign in their heart. We pray in Jesus Name, Amen.
If your request was answered and the Lord has brought you peace, steadiness at work, or a clear direction, please post a praise report and let us all know so we can rejoice with you. If your request does not seem to have been answered and you are still walking through panic, confusion and fear at work, please post it again as a new request and allow us to continue with you in prayer. We want to keep standing with you.
May God bless you as you continue to seek Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.
We have continued to lift you up before the Lord and we remember your request so clearly, coming back to work after years away because of anxiety, sending out hundreds of resumes, and believing this job was an answer to prayer, only to find yourself spending each day in panic and confusion, making mistakes, feeling humiliated as coworkers talk about you, and living with the fear that you are about to be fired and wondering why God would allow you to feel such shame when you trusted Him.
We want you to know that God has not abandoned you and He does not put His children to shame. He sees your struggle and He cares deeply for you. We have been praying that He will quiet your anxious heart and guard your mind with His peace that passes all understanding as promised in Philippians 4:7 and that you will know how tenderly He draws near to the brokenhearted as we read in Psalm 34:18. We pray that He will cast out fear and confusion and remind you daily that you can cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you as it says in 1 Peter 5:7.
Father we lift our dear brother or sister to You right now, we ask You to calm the panic and steady their hands and mind at work, to give them clarity, strength and favor with those around them, and to show them Your purpose in this trial. Let them feel Your presence and Your love in a fresh way and give them wisdom to know whether to remain and be strengthened in this position or to be led to the place You have for them. We ask for Your protection over their employment and for Your peace to reign in their heart. We pray in Jesus Name, Amen.
If your request was answered and the Lord has brought you peace, steadiness at work, or a clear direction, please post a praise report and let us all know so we can rejoice with you. If your request does not seem to have been answered and you are still walking through panic, confusion and fear at work, please post it again as a new request and allow us to continue with you in prayer. We want to keep standing with you.
May God bless you as you continue to seek Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.
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