Anxiety Reading Plan – W1D3
Check out all the previous Anxiety readings here.
Anxiety Reading Plan | Day 3
Prayer
Take a moment to be silent and still. In order to be fully present in body and mind, take a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Do this three times. Pray that God would open your eyes to wonderful things from His word today.
Bible Reading: Philippians 4:6-7
Read these verses three times slowly.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Reflection & Questions
What we have seen so far this week is that anxiety gives us the chance to connect with God. As Curtis Change puts it, “Anxiety can be the very place where we meet Jesus. Through anxiety, we can actually become more like him.”
Philippians 4:6-7 are often quoted verses when someone is experiencing worry or anxiety. They are helpful, but unfortunately, they can be used by Bible bashers to make people who are struggling with anxiety feel worse about themselves. Paul’s intent in these verses is not to condemn the anxious, but to make it clear that this is a reality and that it will be a persistent problem for us as Christians. And the sooner we accept that, the less anxious we will probably feel.
There are helps in these verses though for the anxious. Paul says, “in every situation.” This is helpful because anxiousness is going to look different for each person. What gets to one person won’t affect another. But whatever the object of our anxiousness, Paul wants to help us. He says, “in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
God wants to hear what concerns us. He wants us to talk to Him about all that is going on in our hearts. That is so good. Paul says to do this “with thanksgiving.” Whereas we saw yesterday that anxiety makes us future focused, thanksgiving help brings us back into the present where God and others are. When we look around and see people, situations and things we are thankful for, it helps us reconnect with the here and now. As we practice giving our concerns to God and being thankful for Him, we will get better at experiencing His peace.
In sum, don’t beat yourself up for experiencing anxiety. It’s a reality of human life. Instead, accept it as a reality, offer your concerns to God and thank Him for the many blessings He has given you. You will find yourself being more present with Him and experiencing His peace.
- How does Philippians 4:6-7 encourage you today?
- Has being grateful been something you have practiced in the past? Take a moment now to spend time listing out people, situations or things that you are grateful to God for. How does that impact your heart?
Prayer
Talk to God in response to today’s reading.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
Recommended Summer Reading
If anxiety is something that you or a loved one wrestle with, “The Anxiety Opportunity” by Curtis Chang is a great read. Check it out on Amazon.
Check out more Bible Reading Plans here.
Questions?
Ed Applegate
