When Anxiety Takes Over | Daily Devotional 1647

You're listening to the My Morning Devotional Podcast, episode 1647. Today's Devo is called When Anxiety Takes Over. Hey there, we're the Alessis, a ministry family working together in our church in Miami, Florida. And if you're like us, when days get busy, the to-do lists get longer, it can be hard to find devotional time. That's why every weekday we share a five-minute daily dose of heaven. This is the My Morning Devotional Podcast. Well, happy Tuesday, everybody, and welcome back to the My Morning Devotional Podcast. I'm your host for this week as we close out the week or the study of Philippians. I'm your host, Gabby, and I'm just so blessed to be a part of this podcast. We hope you've enjoyed listening, and I hope you've enjoyed the Philippians study. And what we're doing this week is we are closing out with Philippians chapter four. So let's get into it because yesterday we were talking about finding joy in the Lord throughout the circumstances. And today we're going to talk a little bit about a buzzword that everyone struggles with, whether it's a struggle that you have to go and get professional help on, or maybe it's just a daily struggle that you have to cast down. Let's talk about anxiety. The title of this episode is When Anxiety Takes Over. Philippians 4, 6 says this. And I actually I want to mention something. I said it yesterday that at the end of Philippians uh four, verse five, the beginning or the end of that verse, this is where the Bible can get a little complicated with the numbers, but Philippians six actually should start with the Lord is at hand. And then we see that little pause there. Do not be anxious about anything. So now we're in verse six. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. I just have to say this. This is probably my most quoted chapter or verse in the Bible. Because there's something so special that when someone's going through a loss or someone's going through something in their life that they never expected, that line that says, the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. That is the best thing that you could say to anybody going through a loss. That is the best prayer that you could pray over anybody. Because truly, there is a peace that we will never understand, that only the Lord can give. And when that peace comes, it fully guards your heart and your mind. And I want us to note something about this verse. Because Paul isn't saying in this verse, he's not talking about, you know, just stop worrying. Don't don't worry about anything or stop being anxious. He doesn't just say, Don't be anxious. Okay, now don't steal. Okay, now don't lie. No, no. He's saying, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything. And what he actually tells us to do is he's saying, do something with your worry. So he says this: turn your anxiety to prayer, turn your worry to thanksgiving, and turn your fear into trust. The truth is we all have things that we carry around in our minds. Will I get that job? What if this relationship doesn't work out? What if this business endeavor falls through? What if they leave me? Or what if I can't afford it? What if this is a big one? What if I'm not enough? And we can kind of dwell and carry these thoughts of worry and anxiety and stress. And Paul's answer to us isn't denial, it's actually prayer. He's saying, bring all of that, bring everything that you're carrying. Bring it to the Lord. And I'd say this too: it's not just spiritual things. It's not just things that we feel like are for church or for church people, or the things that you struggle with that church, or the things that are just in your mind. No, he says, bring everything to the Lord. Maybe it's something going on with your kids. Maybe it's a way that you're talking. Maybe it's something at work that's really bringing you down. I think often we we split up my business and my spiritual side, or my my uh private life and my person or and my my public life. And we kind of make these things different in front of people, it's one way, but then my spiritual side is another thing. Paul says, no, bring all of it. He says, in everything by prayer and supplication, bring your requests, make your requests known to the Father. And notice that Paul doesn't promise that prayer means we'll get the answer that we want. He actually promises something different, which is what we talked about at the beginning. He says this the peace of God will guard your heart and your mind. This is the greatest part, but the hardest part. Because sometimes we want God to change our circumstance. When God wants to use the circumstance to change us. It's not that God created it, but God will use it. It's not that anxiety comes from him, but God will redeem that. And God will use the things that so bring us down and feel like we can't move with that thing. I can't operate the same. I can't hang out with people. I can't leave my house because of this anxiety and this worry and this pressure. My life, I just can't handle it. He will actually use that to change something within you. But in the midst of that, he'll send peace as a guard. He will send peace as protection over your heart and your mind. So here's my question for you today. What is one thing that you've been carrying that you need to hand over to God? Because before we can receive the peace, we have to submit the things and give over those things to the Lord. So, what are you submitting to Him today? What piece of anxiety or stress or worry are you going to bring to the feet of Jesus? Because let me remind you this: anxiety is not of the Lord. Stress does not come from him. Worry was not created by our Father, but submit it to Him, set it at His feet, and watch as He pours out His peace among you. Let's pray. Father, we just thank you for today. Lord, you know what's been weighing on us. You know what's been bringing us down. You know what's been keeping us inside of our homes or inside of our shell, God. And so right now, today, we give you the things that we can't control. I just pray that you would guard our heart, that you would guard our mind, guard it with your peace, and help us trust you with what comes next. The things that we have no idea what's coming next, or the things that we have anxiety over, Father, I pray that you would just help us. We trust you with what's ahead. In Jesus' name, amen. So there you have it, your five minute daily dose of heaven. Thank you so much for tuning in today. We pray these devotionals empower you to take on your day. 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