“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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” (Philippians 4:6-7).
The first thing to do when you are anxious about something is to present your requests to God. What are you anxious about? What is causing stress in your life? Is it out of your control? Present those things to God. Take them to him in prayer. When you do, pray and petition God with thanksgiving. Being thankful can be a wonderful “anxiety reliever”.
My wife and I went to Ukraine when we were first married. This is a poverty-stricken country. The average salary there was $15 a month. They are a poor people. When my wife and I stayed there for three weeks, we became so grateful for the things we do have in America. A house, a car, clean water, fresh food, etc. We were so grateful for the blessings in our life.
With God, we take so many things for granted–our life, our children, our health, our spouse, our salvation, on and on. We have so many things to be grateful for. When we pray to God, we should tell him how thankful we are for the wonderful things he has done in our lives.
By giving thanks to God for the things he has done, we take our eyes off our problems and look upon his blessings over us. We can also be thankful to God because he will answer us faithfully. Whatever his answer may be, our Father can be trusted. Thank him for being such a loving Father.
Finally, as you are thankful in your prayers to God, then “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” God’s peace will guard your heart and your mind.
Does your heart and your mind need a touch of God’s peace? Be thankful.
Prayer: Father, I am so grateful for the blessings you have poured into my life. I thank you for saving my soul and promising me that we’ll be together in heaven. Thank you for guarding my life and keep me safe.
