If you struggle with worry or anxiety, you are not alone. This common challenge affects most of us. Yet God declares we can be set free. NY Times bestselling author Bruce Wilkinson and Heather Hair have teamed up to guide you toward personal peace with this insightful reading plan and guided prayer.
Bruce Wilkinson
Day 1
Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:7
If you struggle with anxiety or worry, you are not alone. Best estimates say that over 40 million Americans suffer from chronic anxiety, and those are just the ones who have asked for help or are willing to admit it. Many more suffer in silence.
Being anxious about what food we eat, how our health is, whether or not we’ll get to keep our job, if our marriage is going to survive, driving, flying, public places—you name it—can lead to another form of anxiety. And that is being anxious about anxiety itself.
As anxious thoughts race through your head, hindering you from sleeping or enjoying peace during the day, guard against allowing them to spread into other areas of your life. Don’t dwell on anxious questions like: Will my emotions ever be stable? Do I have a chemical imbalance? How do I get rid of this fog? Why can’t I just be happy?
Such questions plague the worrying soul. When you don’t guard your thoughts and emotions, anxiety can become a terrible beast of our own making. But you can take control of your anxious thoughts, which is the first step toward lasting freedom.
Day 2
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:5
There are some practical steps you can take if you are concerned about your mental and emotional health. Since anxious and worrisome thoughts often lead to physical depletion and loss of energy, you may not “feel” like doing any of these. But if you will gradually add one or more to your daily routine, in time you can experience their benefits.
Meditation.Replacing anxious thoughts with sound thoughts of peace, harmony, hope, truth, God’s Word, love, and positivity goes a long way toward reducing feelings of worry. Try to spend at least 15 minutes a day clearing your mind of clutter and focusing on Scripture or other positive thoughts. Meditating on the love of God each day has demonstrated significant health benefits. In particular, MRI scans of the brain reveal that the practice of meditation reduces the connection of neural pathways in the medial prefrontal cortex. By loosening these connections, the brain’s ability to send signals of fear through these channels is diminished. Because of this, anxiety decreases as well.
Exercise.Working out may be the absolute last thing you want to do when you are feeling worried or anxious, but the act of exercise will reduce your anxiety and have a calming effect on your body. Not only is exercise good for your overall health; when you physically exert yourself, you are releasing neurotransmitters and endorphins that will provide your brain with the capacity to overcome worrisome thoughts. Even if you’re simply walking, any amount of exercise opens up the brain’s creativity and thought processes in a way that serves to alleviate your stress and anxiety.
Caring for others.God knew exactly what He was saying when He told us that it is better to give than to receive. The very act of thinking of someone else’s needs above our own, or bringing happiness and delight to another human being, has been shown to increase our own levels of happiness as well. Somehow the simple act of taking our minds off of ourselves and putting them on someone else helps free us from that which holds us hostage. Make it a habit of helping someone else. Visit a shut-in regularly. Go to a nursing home and spend time with someone who receives few or no visitors. Offer to help a neighbor or coworker. Pray for others. Mentor a child or teen. The list of ways to shift your thinking from yourself to someone else in need is endless.
Try these three practical ways to reduce your worry and anxiety about your own mental health. In addition, pray according to God’s Word—in faith, knowing that He who began a good work in You will be faithful to complete it. He holds the sun, moon, and earth in place. He can hold you together as well. 
Day 3
Scripture: Romans 8:6
Use this prayer as a catalyst for your own prayer, or simply pray it word for word.
Practice of Prayer
Loving God, You have not given me a spirit of timidity. You have not given me a spirit of anxiety. You have not placed these worries in my head and in my heart. In fact, You have given me a spirit of power and love, and a sound mind. When worries plague me and cause me to question my mental health, I will resist them and renew my mind based upon Your promises. I will not allow myself to stop trusting in You! You are gracious and come to the aid of those with a humble and dependent heart. You are my strong tower and an ever-present help in times of trouble. I rest knowing that the Christ who could calm the waves and the storm with His words can also calm my heart and mind. Your name Jehovah Shalom signifies a God of peace. Today, I embrace Your shalom into my body, cells, thoughts, emotions, hormones, and soul. Cover me with shalom, Lord.
My mind is kept in perfect peace when I keep my mind focused on You. Remove me from distractions that take my thoughts in the wrong direction. Give me strength to resist the temptation to fill my head with negative thoughts. Help me to resist the fear and danger spoken to me through television, the news, and conversation. Bless me, Lord, with the fruit of a secure heart and a stable mind. Bless me with Your love everlasting, and let it flow gently through my emotions, bringing me calm. I trust in You, God, and You alone, for You are worthy of my faith. In Christ’s name, Amen.
