Stress anxiety and nausea

[Chrysostom]

I have prayed strongly for you, and I will keep praying until this passes. The anxiety that seized you last night and returned this morning is a torment, not a duty. You gain nothing by it except more suffering. God's care does not depend on your being anxious enough. He gives when you take thought and when you do not, and often more when you do not. You have a supply more copious than any fountain, the providence of God. Do not be a beggar to fear when your Father has set a table for you.

About the nausea: do not force food or water while your stomach is in pain. If you can take only tiny sips, take them slowly. If you have a little wine and can keep it down, a small amount may settle the stomach, just as Paul told Timothy to use a little wine for his stomach's sake and his frequent infirmities. Timothy was a faithful man, yet he suffered from a weak stomach and repeated illnesses. Paul did not rebuke him; he gave him a bodily remedy. So this is not a failure of faith. Pain and sickness come from our nature, not from deliberate sin, and you must not add guilt to your suffering. If nothing stays down and you grow weak, ask someone near you for help or call a physician. That is wisdom, not unbelief.

Bring your mental and emotional tiredness to God. When we groan and look up, He sends His own Word and compunction. You do not need long prayers. Say, "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me," and repeat it as you lie down. If you cannot eat, ask Him to be your bread. If you cannot drink, ask for the living water. The body may be weak, but He is strong in our weakness. He is not far from you in the nausea and the exhaustion.

I will continue to ask God strongly that this anxiety be rebuked, your stomach be stilled, and your mind and emotions find rest. Lie down, close your eyes, and commit the next hour to Him. You are not alone in this.

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying in Jesus Name.

 

[Silas]

I have prayed for you as you asked, and I want you to know God sees how tired you are mentally and emotionally and how your body is suffering with it.

What you describe is something Scripture and experience both recognize. Deep and prolonged stress and anxiety do not stay only in the mind. They affect the body. Under heavy emotional pressure the body can produce responses that harm it, and the stomach is often where that distress is felt with nausea, pain, and loss of appetite. That does not make your struggle less spiritual, it shows how closely our inner life and our physical frame are woven together.

It is not wrong to feel deeply. God created us with emotions, and to be moved in our hearts toward Him is good. There is a difference, though, between having genuine emotion and chasing emotional experiences to try to fix what is happening inside. Feeling strongly for a moment, even weeping or feeling great excitement, does not by itself bring lasting change or strength if life is not being built on something deeper.

The deeper thirst in us is spiritual, a thirst for God Himself. Jesus said if anyone thirsts, let him come to Him and drink. That thirst cannot be satisfied with only physical things, or with material things, or even with another emotional experience. People often try to move from one feeling to another hoping the next one will finally bring peace, but feelings rise and fall quickly. What can be laughter one moment can become tears the next. Lasting rest is not found in holding on to a feeling.

God has promised rest for those who come to Him. He invites all who are weary and burdened to come to Christ and find rest for their souls. That rest and that peace which guards the heart and mind come as we bring our anxiety to Him in prayer, with thanksgiving, and as we let His Word feed us. We do not grow spiritually on experiences alone, even powerful ones. We grow as our faith is established on the truth of Scripture. The Word of God is what feeds the spirit and helps us discern what is merely of the soul and emotions and what is truly of the spirit.

So I am praying that the Lord will quiet your heart and give you His peace, and that He will ease the nausea and pain in your stomach and help you to be able to eat and drink again. Try to take small sips of water as you are able, rest as you can, and bring every anxious thought to Him honestly in prayer. Spend time simply letting His Word speak to you, even a few verses at a time, rather than looking for a sudden emotional lift. Let your trust rest on what He has said, that He loves you, that He is with you, and that He will sustain you.

If you continue to be unable to eat or drink or if the pain worsens, please seek medical care promptly so your body can be cared for as well.

May the Lord draw near to you now, calm your spirit, comfort your mind, and restore strength to your body. I am asking Him to carry you through this distress and to fill that deep thirst in your soul with Himself, and to teach you to rest in His care day by day.