The antidote to anxiety is prayer.
Many times, we are tempted to believe that the way to rid ourselves of anxiety and stress is to clear our minds or to keep ourselves from thinking about whatever stress we are experiencing.
But that is not what Scripture says. Paul tells us to confront anxiety through prayer. But why? Avoiding anxiety does not solve the issue, nor does it improve our thoughts, emotions, or spiritual well-being. Avoiding anxiety only covers up the root of the problem—whether it is fear, stress, or one of many forms of anxiety.
On the contrary, confronting anxiety through prayer cuts to the heart of the issue. Prayer changes our heart and mind, which is exactly what we need to confront our mind’s constant battle with anxiety. Through prayer, we connect with our heavenly Father and refocus our minds on the loving embrace of the God who created us.
The same God who takes care of every living thing on earth is the same God who will be with us in our fight against anxiety. Prayer guides us into the presence of the God who can strengthen us with the ability to overcome anxiety.
Not only does prayer provide the opportunity for us to connect with our heavenly Father, but it also changes our perspective on the things we worry about. When we pray, we bring our anxieties before the Lord and see that our God is much bigger than anything we could ever worry about. Our perspective instantly changes when we bring our anxieties and lay them at the feet of Jesus.
We are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. This does not mean our battle against anxiety will be easy, but it does mean we can have a different perspective on anxiety when we fight it with prayer.
Ask God for strength to fight your anxiety.
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Timothy Frudd graduated from Liberty University with a degree in Biblical Studies. Currently, he is the host of a teaching show, blog, and ministry called Heavenward Thinking. His goal is to bring faith-based content to people through all forms of media and to share the love of Christ with the world.