Biblical Anxiety Relief: Finding Perfect Peace in God

Anxiety can become what feels like a never-ending battle of believing lies over God’s promises for us. It is a complex emotion that births more of itself. As believers, we may at times find our ordinary worries becoming the catalyst to create more worrying about the fact that we are worrying! It can be an exhausting recurring cycle as we navigate the mountains and valleys of life.

So what do we do with this emotion when we find that it has creeped back into our minds, hearts and bodies? When we feel that lump in our throat, burn in our chest, and thoughts that race to keep us up at night? We pray. Philippians 4:4-9 says:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. the Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me — practice these things and the God of peace be with you.

God in all of his kindness and compassion does not only give the command “do not be anxious” but He tells us what to do in response to the anxiety or as a practical and proactive tool before anxiety aims to set in. He tells us to pray (the what) in everything (the when) with thanksgiving (the how.) So, that means that there is never a time to not come to him earnestly in prayer with thanksgiving in our hearts petitioning him for our specific needs, making our requests known to Him. When we feel anxiety tiptoeing, powerwalking, or running up on us, at that very moment PRAY. Pray and ask God for exactly what you need in that moment with a thankful heart to receive. And guess what will happen next…

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

So, God will receive our prayers and give His peace in return. And what is God’s peace exactly? It is peace that exceeds all human planning. It is a supernatural peace that only God’s people experience. It is a peace that only the sovereign God has and only He can give. We have access to that one of a kind, true, peace! In the second verse of Psalm 23, we are reminded that the Lord leads us beside still waters. Serenity. Tranquility. He is our peace and when we meet him, in every circumstance, with our needs, there is an exchange that takes place that makes supernatural peace our protection in that moment, as it guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Anxiety sufferers - God gave us a grounding technique. He gave us a practical tool. Literally, the next time you feel anxious, use all of your might to pause in the moment and pray. It is literally a grounding technique, the ultimate one. Then, with your heart and mind guarded in Christ Jesus, speak to your mind to think on what is true (and honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise) - that which is God’s word in regard to you as His daughter/son and Christ’s co-heir: Everything works for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose.