Stress-Free Living

Scriptures: Isaiah 10:27, John 16:33

We Live in a Stressful World

A recent Gallup poll found that more than a third of the world’s population experiences a lot of worry and stress. Stress is having such a negative effect in the U.S., where nearly half of Americans say they’re suffering from it, that it’s eating away at their overall well-being, according to the American Psychological Association.

Stress itself is not always negative. In its basic form, it is a built-in physiological response that is triggered in emergency situations when we believe we are facing a threat or danger, whether real or perceived. Or, during times when we experience heightened expectations for performance regarding a particular task, whether the expectations are self-generated or come from an outside source.

In a temporary form, stress can help us to function quickly under pressure and motivate us to give the best of ourselves. But when such a stress reaction is prolonged, it can be extremely harmful to us. Our body, mind, and emotions are not designed to live perpetually in an emergency state.

If you surrender continuously to stress, it will enslave you. Whatever people constantly tolerate or consent to becomes their norm. That is why, if we give in to anxiety or fear in our lives, it will begin to define us. This is the point where stress is not just something we experience from time to time in certain circumstances, but has developed into something that has taken hold of us. When this occurs, we are dealing with spiritual factors as well as physical and emotional ones. Many people don’t recognize this spiritual element to their stress, and that is why they remain in its grip.

Two Types of Stress

For the purpose of this devotional, we will define stress in two ways: natural stress and spiritual stress.

Natural Stress

Natural stress remains largely in the physical, emotional, and mental spheres, although spiritual elements can influence it. Natural stress can produce physical symptoms such as headaches, neck and shoulder tension, back pain, fatigue, stomach problems, and sleeplessness. It can also produce emotional and mental symptoms, such as anxiety, sadness, anger, impatience, irritability, trouble concentrating, a certain degree of memory loss, and negative thoughts. Although we might temporarily feel stress when we are placed in new situations or are challenged to meet high expectations, in many cases, stress manifests as a result of upsetting situations we are exposed to over time.

Spiritual Stress

When stress is in a natural stage, an individual has the ability to learn to manage and control it. However, when it has entered the spiritual stage, it cannot be controlled using natural methods, and therefore significant spiritual issues must be addressed.

With spiritual stress, there are several types of controlling “yokes” that can manifest, such as jealousy, fear, anger, and depression. For example, when a person crosses over from feeling under pressure regarding a situation to living in a state of depression, they become imprisoned in despair. The yoke of stress shapes or molds them into certain ways of thinking, which are reflected in their behavior. When we live in depression, we have no expectation of anything good, and we cannot see a way out of our problems—even at times when a challenge may be relatively easy to overcome. 

If we are in a state of advanced stress, but do not understand what has us bound, we will not recognize that we are being oppressed by an outside force and not just our own inward struggles. Only the power of God can free us from such a tyrannical influence. The Bible teaches us, “Do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:27 NIV). When we allow the devil to gain a foothold in our lives through a prolonged period of stress in which we hold on to fear, anxiety, anger, or hopelessness, we will become oppressed.

However, we can be assured that no matter what type of yoke comes upon us through stress, God has more than enough power to break it and remove every burden from us. Jesus Christ has already defeated the devil. He wants to set us free, and we can learn to live continually in His victory.

Managing and Defeating Stress

It is not God’s will for us to live stressed, depressed, and on the verge of collapse. We need to be set free and begin to trust in the One who rules heaven and earth and can help us in our circumstances.

If you recognize that you have some symptoms of oppressive stress, then you need the help of Jesus and the power of God’s Holy Spirit. I invite you to pray the following prayer with me, knowing that if we declare it in faith, your stress can begin to change to peace, your sadness to joy, and your despair to hope. Pray believing in your heart that God will act in your life:

Lord Jesus, I recognize that there are situations beyond my control that have robbed me of peace, bound my emotions, and caused sickness in my body. Stress has progressed into spiritual oppression and taken over. I repent for the mistakes I have made, and I ask You to forgive me for allowing stress to invade my life. Today, I need Your help to be free. I accept the forgiveness You have provided for me by Your death on the cross, when You took my sins and failings on Yourself, and by Your resurrection from the dead. I receive You into my heart, and I ask the Holy Spirit to bring peace, faith, and freedom to my mind, soul, and body. Thank You, Lord Jesus! Amen.

Thought: God has more than enough power to break your yoke of stress.

Scriptures: Psalms 46:1-7, Philippians 4:6-7

What Is Causing You Stress?

What causes you stress? What is the greatest stress factor in your life? To know how to deal with your stress, you must first identify its cause. Let’s look at some of the most prominent stress-inducers.

Anxiety

Anxiety is based on uncertainty about the future. Some people are anxious and worried about what will happen to them because they feel they are not in control of their lives or a particular situation. 

Fear

Many people live in fear because of distressing events and trends that are occurring in the world today. They may experience restlessness, panic attacks, and even anguish, for fear of what might happen to them, their family members, their job or business, or other concerns.

Unrealistic Expectations

There are many negative circumstances in life that we can change for the better, and we should take action to remedy them. However, if we can’t change our circumstances, but we still keep our original expectations for them, then we open the door to stress.

Excessive Responsibilities

Whenever we are not willing to either give up excess responsibilities or delegate them to others, this can produce chronic stress in our lives. There are times when carrying excess responsibility can’t be helped, especially during certain seasons of life. However, overcommitment is often the result of making a poor decision or an inability to say no when people ask us to do something.

Family Issues

Family relationships can be a major source of stress. Husbands and wives often need to navigate difficult situations and organize multiple activities within their household, especially if they have children. Couples may also deal with issues like infertility, prolonged illness, the loss of loved ones, or rebellious children. They may battle over who is in charge of decision-making or argue about one spouse’s seeming apathy in the relationship.

Work Pressures

In the business world, it is often said that “time is money.” This outlook can lead employees to be placed under heavy work demands, causing them to live in continuous stress. Additionally, in today’s society, making money and spending money on consumer products and services often seem to be higher priorities than anything else. People go deeper and deeper into debt because they purchase items they can’t afford. To pay off these items, they then have to work more and produce more—generating a ceaseless cycle. 

Insufficient Sleep

Research indicates that “35% of Americans don’t get the recommended seven hours of sleep each night” and “three quarters of those who suffer from depression also suffer from a lack of sleep.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports, “Lack of sleep has been linked to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, depression, and anxiety—not to mention safety issues like drowsy driving and injuries.” Insomnia causes stress for people not only because they experience worry and fatigue, but also because they are unable to function well during the day, leading to further issues and consequences.

Financial Shortfalls and Crises

Unemployment, a lack of opportunity to develop a new business, the shaking of the global economy, recession, global indebtedness, and generational poverty can all contribute to stress. Our standard of living can be affected by any of the above, producing a state of anxiety and even despair. The stress of trying to meet a chronic financial shortfall can be relentless, exacting a heavy personal cost.

Illness in the Family

When someone is suddenly diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, such as cancer or heart disease, the whole family is affected. Often, little attention is paid to the stress suffered by the patient’s relatives, who have to be strong in order to give support to their loved one. If the disease is prolonged, the stress is also prolonged, and this can affect the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health of all the family members.

A Dead-End Situation

Stress can become intensified when people face an extreme situation in which there doesn’t seem to be a solution—such as personal bankruptcy, a broken relationship, terminal illness, the death of a loved one, moral failure, national economic collapse, or a natural disaster. People are left perplexed, not knowing what to do or where to go. Despair and discouragement flood their hearts because they feel that “everything is over” for them.

Hope in the Midst of Stress

Even in extreme situations, there is a way out of the damaging cycle of stress. Jesus Christ has the power to heal your emotional and spiritual wounds, strengthen your faith, and give you hope. In coming devotionals, we will look at such topics as “The Secret of ‘Resting,’” “Peace in the Storms,” and “Practical and Spiritual Steps for Overcoming Stress.” For now, if you have allowed anxiety, fear, overcommitment, lack of time, family issues, financial need, serious illness, or anything else to disrupt your peace and oppress your life, please join me in the following prayer. Pray aloud and with faith, knowing that Jesus is listening to you and cares about you.

Lord Jesus, I thank You for helping me understand what is happening in my life. I recognize that I have given place to fears and anxiety; I have let overcommitment, financial difficulty, health issues, or family problems become a cause of stress for me. I have tried unsuccessfully to control my situation or do more than I am able to—and the only results I have obtained are to lose my peace of mind, injure my health, and decrease my faith. I recognize that, instead of looking to You, I have tried to solve everything on my own, and I am exhausted! 

Today, I release my burdens to you, and I ask You to fill my heart with Your peace. I renounce stress, anxiety, spiritual oppression, and anything else the devil wants to bring into my life. I receive Your presence, Your grace, and Your power to liberate and strengthen me. I receive Your faith to believe that everything that is disordered in my life will become ordered again, and everything that is pending will end well. I rest in Your presence, placing my total trust and confidence in You. I give You control of my life. I worship You. Thank You, Jesus, for the complete provision You made on the cross of Calvary so that today, I can be free. Amen!

Thought: Jesus Christ opens a way where there is no way.

Scriptures: Genesis 2:2, Exodus 20:8-10, Matthew 6:25-26

The Secret of “Resting”

Rest is a principle that is built into creation, and it is a great deterrent to stress. God created the heavens and the earth in six periods that He called days. After He made the world, the Bible tells us, “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done”(Genesis 2:2). When it says that God “rested,” it does not mean that He was tired and had to spend time renewing His energy. Instead, it means that He ceased from working for a time after completing what He had set out to do.

Later, in the law that He gave to the Israelites through Moses, God instructed the people to rest one day a week. (See Exodus 20:8–10.) This was to be a day of rest for the people, and also for their animals. Everything that God created carries in its DNA the need for rest.

God also established other forms of rest for His people to follow. For example, after six consecutive years of planting and harvesting, they were to allow the land to lie uncultivated for a year. (See Leviticus 25:4.) Various periods of “rest” were established not only for people to renew their strength, but also for them to stop and focus on their Creator and other important areas of their lives and to look out for the needs of others. (See Exodus 23:10–11.)

Therefore, when the Scriptures speak of “rest,” they are referring to something integral to our lives. Resting means putting aside all busy, strenuous activity—whether physical or mental—and regaining our strength and focus in the midst of stillness. It means having periods of respite not only physically and in our natural environment, but also in our spiritual being. Each type of rest is important for achieving true freedom from stress. What God wants for us is a rest that is whole and complete, one that covers all areas of our life.

Resting in God

The phrase “resting in God” means to give the Lord absolute control over our life and future. This shows God that we fully trust in Him and His purposes for us. Only God knows the future, and He alone is in control. That’s why we need to learn to surrender to Him and give Him our worries, just as Jesus taught us in Matthew 6.

Stress is always connected to an area of our life that we have not yet surrendered to God. Often, we experience stress because of the struggle that exists between our flesh (our fallen human nature, which we continue to battle against in this life) and our spirit (our inner being, made alive in Christ). If we do not surrender a particular area to God, it becomes a heavy burden to us. When we rest in God, we can have peace and joy in any circumstance, knowing that He is taking care of our needs as we continue to do our part—whatever comes under our human responsibilities. For example, we trust Him to free us from debt while we follow good financial practices. The greatest blessings come when we rest in God’s love, goodness, and faithfulness.

The Bible speaks of God’s rest when it says, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). What does it mean to “cast” our cares or anxieties upon God? It means to relinquish our worry, recognizing that we don’t need to resolve matters in our own strength. We can place our absolute trust in Him to work on our behalf. If situations in our business, church, work, family, or health are causing us stress, we must immediately commit them to God.

We should know that as long as we hold on to our worries, the enemy will increase the pressure against us, bringing these concerns to our mind over and over again and creating an oppressive pattern of stress. When we enter into such a cycle, that is when stress becomes a spiritual issue. One of the evidences of demonic activity in a person’s life is impatience, lack of rest, and lack of sleep. If the enemy manages to rob us of our peace—and with it, our sleep—stress becomes inevitable. Little by little, a lack of rest opens the way to demonic activity. As we give ourselves fully to God, cycles of stress can be broken.

Jesus’s Yoke Is Easy

Jesus understands what we are going through. That is why He said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30).

When we follow a path that is the opposite of God’s will, we carry a very heavy burden. Even our thought patterns adapt to the burden we carry and prevent us from seeing a way out. But today, Jesus tells us, “Give Me the burden that the world has placed on you or you have taken on yourself—the burden that oppresses and enslaves you—and in return, I will give you My ‘yoke,’ which is easy, and My ‘burden,’ which is light.” 

Thought: Everything that God created carries in its DNA the need for rest.

Scriptures: Acts 3:19, John 4:23-24, Colossians 3:1-3

Times of Refreshing

The apostle Peter said:

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. (Acts 3:19)

As we read in the above Scripture, we experience times of refreshing or rest by remaining in the “presence of the Lord,” because it is in His presence where we find all we need. In Psalm 23, David describes the Lord as a good Shepherd who provides everything necessary for His sheep so they will not have anything to worry about. The book of Psalms also reveals that, in addition to rest, being in God’s presence gives us joy: “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Signs of Resting in God

There are three unmistakable signs that we have entered into the rest of God:

1. We Have Peace

When we repent of our sins and receive God’s forgiveness, He fills us with His peace. When we give God our burdens, He lifts them from us and gives us His peace. When we surrender our will to Him, He fulfills His will in our lives and immerses us in His peace. The peace we receive is not just a peace in which there is an absence of conflict. Instead, it is a peace that elevates us above any conflict and leads us to transcend the natural and live in the spiritual.

2. We Worship God

Heartfelt worship arises from being in a place of intimacy with God. When we are living in God’s rest, we do not worship Him only when things are going well and we have no problems. Rather, even in the midst of the harshest storm or the darkest night of our life, we choose to give Him the place of preeminence and worship Him in that place of rest. 

There are times when we may start to worship God in the flesh, doing it in our own strength with our mind, body, or emotions, because stress is controlling us. However, seeing our genuine desire to worship Him, God will send His Holy Spirit to come and help us to worship Him “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23, 24). When this happens, our stress fades away as we enter into the rest of God’s presence.

3. We Continuously Allow God to Be in Control

When we are stressed, we cannot see, hear, or discern what is happening in the spiritual world; our spiritual senses are blocked, and we only perceive what is occurring in the natural realm. However, when we enter into the rest of the Lord, we live in continual anticipation of seeing the next thing that God will do. We do not conform to the impossibilities declared by natural minds, but we faithfully expect the Lord to act. The greatest miracle we can experience is to see God do what is impossible for us.

You will not see how God is acting in your favor until you commit to resting in Him, releasing your worries to His care. This is not something that is achieved overnight; it takes time and persistence to change the way we handle problems and to understand the full meaning of “resting.” In one sense, resting in God’s presence makes us spectators of what He is doing. However, this doesn’t mean that we are to be indifferent as we wait for His intervention, because He desires that we participate in His purposes. Rather, it means learning to daily live by faith, always expecting the “something new” that He will do. 

Thought: Only repentance restores our ability to rest in God’s presence.

Scriptures: Exodus 33:12-14, Hebrews 4:9-10

Peace in the Storms

Jesus’s life demonstrates one of the greatest expressions of faith we can manifest: no matter what is happening to us or around us, nothing and no one can cause us anxiety, and we are continually able to rest in God. For example, one time, after Jesus had preached to a multitude and healed their diseases, He and His disciples got into a boat and began to cross the Sea of Galilee. On the way, a great storm broke out, and they were about to be shipwrecked. During the commotion of the storm, Jesus was sleeping peacefully in the stern. The disciples were full of fear, so they woke Jesus up. He stood and firmly rebuked the winds and the sea, and the storm immediately ceased. 

When we face problems, most of us would like to rest in the way Jesus did on that boat, without anything disturbing us. We would also like to be able to overcome our storms in the power of God. And this is possible! However, it requires applying the finished work of the cross, remaining in God’s presence, and receiving His supernatural grace.

Apply the Finished Work of the Cross

Jesus died on the cross to pay for all the sins, diseases, and misery of the human race. He delivered us from anxiety, fear, depression, and every other yoke of the enemy. Rest comes to us when we understand and have total confidence in the finished work of the cross for our life.

Everything we need—now and in the future—was provided for us on the cross two thousand years ago. By faith, we can receive salvation, healing, miracles, transformation, provision, deliverance, and much more. Jesus paid for everything completely. 

Therefore, speak to your circumstances—your financial problems, your marital conflict, your sickness, your depression, your children’s rebellion, or anything else that is tormenting you—and say, “Jesus paid for this on the cross. Right now, I rest in His finished work and God’s promises. I’m not going to become stressful. Jesus has already given me the victory; He has paid for the debt of sin I owed, and He has completely defeated the enemy.”

Remain in God’s Presence

Jesus’s sacrifice opened the way so that all who believe in Him and confess Him as Lord and Savior of their lives can enter into His presence. When we are in the presence of the Lord, nothing that might happen around us or in the world can cause us to enter into a cycle of worry or fear, because we know that God is in control. 

There have been times when I have become worried and stressed due to the many burdens and responsibilities I carry, not only locally but also globally. Yet whenever I enter God’s presence, everything changes. When I finish praying, worshipping, and communing with God, I feel rested. Why does this happen? Because daily, in His presence, I recognize anew that God is my Father, and He loves me. With these assurances, I simply give Him all my burdens. They are no longer under my control; I leave them in His hands. 

I want to emphasize again that if you are facing situations that cause you stress, you urgently need to enter God’s presence. When you go to your Source, He will remove every burden, because in His presence, there is total provision.

Receive God’s Supernatural Grace

“Grace” refers to being granted a favor, talent, or gift from God that we do not deserve. It includes the bestowal of His heavenly power, which enables us to be and do what we cannot achieve in our human capacity. In other words, grace is the ability God gives us to walk in the supernatural.

We must understand that living in God’s grace doesn’t mean we aren’t to give anything back to Him. On the contrary, we are to serve Him and His purposes with love, devotion, and faithfulness—all by His grace. In this regard, the apostle Paul writes, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

Paul worked hard, not to earn grace from God, but by taking hold of the grace he had been given in order to do the will of the Father. The only way to serve God free of stress is to do so as He planned for us—in the strength of His grace.

I urge you to stop trying to work for God in your own strength. Understand that everything He commands us to do is impossible to accomplish with human strength; we can achieve it only by His grace. If you believe this, then from now on, seek to continually rest in God, and your life will begin to flow better. By the grace of God, we can overcome the temptations of the enemy, do the work of the ministry, and fulfill the will of God. If you work in this way, you will not become exhausted, because you will depend on divine grace, not on your limited strength. As long as you try to work according to your own power, you will feel burdened and tired. But if you hold on to God’s supernatural grace, He will renew your strength, and you will live in an atmosphere of rest.

Thought: In God’s presence, there is total provision.

Scriptures: 1 Peter 5:6-7, Romans 8:28

Practical and Spiritual Steps for Overcoming Stress

There is a solution for stress! When we are stressed, we often do not know what to do, and everything becomes chaotic. After God sets us free from stress through the grace and power of His Holy Spirit, we must learn to stay in His rest and peace and not fall back into a stressful lifestyle. As we surrender to the Lord and let Him work in our lives, there is no type of stress that can control us, and any adverse situation can be resolved with His supernatural power. His grace will be our strength, we will receive His wisdom, and everything will work together for good if we remain in His love. (See Romans 8:28.)

Here now are some practical and spiritual tips to help you live stress-free as you continue to have faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, remain in God’s presence, and live by His grace.

1. Practice a Healthy Lifestyle

Many times, stress accumulates because we do not take care of our physical, mental, and emotional health on a regular basis. To live free of stress, it is important to follow these foundational good practices: exercise regularly; eat a healthy, balanced diet; get enough sleep; stay active; and engage in activities that refresh your mind, such as a favorite hobby or sport. These are natural components of life that play an important role in the prevention and reduction of stress.

2. Keep Everything in Order

Disorder is stressful. It does not allow you to think clearly, hinders creativity, lowers performance, and increases the time it takes to complete a task. This means that, where there’s disorder, everything requires more effort, time, and energy. Make a decision to start putting everything in good order in the various aspects of your life, including your family relationships and finances.

3. Disconnect from Your Daily Routine

When we never disconnect from our routine, not even occasionally, we can fall into apathy or frustration. As our stress level rises and our creativity diminishes, we are pulled away from God’s purposes. However, when we take time for a change of pace, whether to explore a new idea or place, or take a refreshing break, our mind can be recharged and our attitudes can be renewed.

4. Give God Control

If we give God control of our lives, He will take care of all our needs. What He has called us to do is actually His work, not ours! We must allow Him to take full charge. Many people fall prey to stress because they have not surrendered their will to God. While they struggle to maintain control of their lives, they continue to carry the heavy burden of their problems. Today, surrender your will to God, and see how He manifests His power!

5. Rest in God’s Peace

We truly have a God of peace, so we do not need to live in a stressed-out state. Quite the opposite: we will have peace even in the middle of life’s storms. “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). Let us follow the example of David, who, before a decisive battle, knew how to rest in God. That is why he declared, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37). Similarly, we can say, “The Lord has delivered me before, and I am ready to see how He will do it again.”

6. Let Go of All Burdens

We need to learn to surrender all our burdens and anxiety to God. “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). No matter what burden is causing you stress, do not carry it any longer. Let it go, right now; give it to the Lord, because He will take special care of that situation. You need to let God deal with your financial problem, illness, past failings, lack of forgiveness, and so on. When we let go of our burdens, we can rest in God. 

7. Do Not Worry About Tomorrow

God’s Word urges us not to anticipate bad things happening to us: “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25). If you live stressed by something that causes you fear, that’s what you will attract. But if you live by faith, God’s blessings will come upon you.

8. Meditate on God and His Word

We must meditate on the Word of God, the Bible, which shows us the way of truth and will guide our thoughts and life. To meditate is to slowly consider an idea—to ponder it, think about it, reflect on it, and mull it over in the mind. As we meditate on God’s Word, or His thoughts, we will become filled with Him, and everything in our life will change for the better. 

Meditating on the Word also makes it easier for us to hear the voice of God in our spirit. When we get used to meditating on God’s Word, the next thing that will come is revelation, or a deep understanding by the Spirit of the truths we are reading. Keep in mind that it is not enough just to meditate. We must remain in the Word on which we are meditating. This means that we must act in accordance with what it says. “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).

9. Seek Inner Healing and Deliverance

If you find that after following the previous tips, you still cannot live free of stress, there may be a malignant spiritual influence at work from which you need to be freed. Look for a church that believes in the complete work of Jesus on the cross and ministers it. Jesus paid a high price for our freedom, and the work of the cross includes inner healing and deliverance. Sometimes we require the help of a mature believer who can minister to us and break the spiritual bondages that have come upon us and are hurting us, so that we can walk in the freedom of Christ. Today is the day the Lord wants to heal your heart and deliver you! He is waiting for you with open arms.

10. Maintain a Continuous Relationship with God

Living without stress requires an ongoing relationship with God through Jesus Christ that includes prayer and reading the Word. If you have not yet recognized Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please say this prayer:

Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and that my sin separates me from You. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and that You raised Him from the dead. I repent of all my sins and voluntarily confess Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I surrender every desire that is contrary to Your will. I renounce all worldly thinking and behavior. I ask Jesus to enter my heart and change my life. Amen!