Are you feeling anxious today?
I know that I sometimes do. I wrestle with things beyond my control. I worry about stuff that might be as if it is when it isn’t. This can cause me to be very uneasy.
The inner turmoil brought on by our anxiety wreaks havoc on our emotions and sensibilities. We pace. We fret. We panic. Butterflies flutter in our stomachs. Our sleep pattern is disrupted. Our minds are overwhelmed with our distress.
Anxiety differs from fear in that fear is an appropriate cognitive, emotional response to a perceived threat. Fear involves a present threat. For instance, you come home and find a stranger in your house. Naturally, you become fearful. Anxiety results from our inability to cope with something negative we believe will happen in the future, be it real or unreal. For example, you might worry about failing a class if you don’t do well on a test. You work yourself into an uproar, unable to concentrate, expending all your energy contemplating your impending doom rather than taking a deep breath and studying for the test.
All of us get anxious from time to time. Some of us stay anxious. We need help beyond ourselves, including medical professionals.
There are lots of things we can do to help alleviate our anxiety. We can eat a healthier, more balanced diet. We can reduce our caffeine intake. We can go for a walk. Studies are said to show that 30 minutes of exercise, 5-6 times a week, can reduce anxiety. We can get up and go to bed at the same time every day, ensuring we get enough sleep. These are just a few things we can do to cope with our anxiousness.
Finally, there’s one more thing you can do…open your Bible and pray through these Scriptures. Reading them aloud, even committing them to memory, can help relieve your anxiety. God’s Word heals what ails us.
Here are 5 verses to read when you are feeling anxious:
Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Psalm 52:22 (ESV)
For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Isaiah 41:13 (ESV)
That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life–whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?
Matthew 6:25 (NLT)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:6 (ESV)
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)
These verses remind us of the healing power of Scripture. Hopefully, they will ease your cares and relieve your worries. I know that when I read God’s Word, I feel a peace wash over me as I am reminded of the wonderful truth that God loves me. Focusing on His Word helps shift my eyes off my concerns and back onto Him, where they belong. I know that I can trust the Lord because He has demonstrated His trustworthiness since time began. Lots of things will let you down in life. God is not one of them.
Blessings,
The Devotional Guy™
The Devotional Guy™ 
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