Everybody has experienced fear and anxiety at some point in their lives. If you are battling them right now, this plan will challenge you to leave all your worries at His feet, trust in His faithfulness, and replace your fear with His peace!
Hope Media
Day 1
Scripture: Genesis 16:13
The God who sees me
Scripture gives so many examples of God seeing that society did not see, from the outcast Samaritan woman to the blind man on the side of the road. Genesis describes one encounter with a woman called Hagar, who was alone in the wilderness after running away in fear. God saw Hagar when no one else did, and He sent an angel to speak to her, impacting her greatly. In response, she says, ‘Have I truly seen the One who sees me?’ ‘El Roi’ is the Hebrew name used for God in this encounter—the God who sees.
In recent times, challenges around mental health are not only isolating and debilitating, but they are also often unseen. I’ve walked with friends and family members who have battled the very real isolation that comes with these challenges, and I pray above all that they would find a level of peace in amongst the immense complexity – and that I, their community, would have eyes to see.
A friend of mine, Jonathan Browning, is a mental health professional working in Sydney and wrote a book reflecting on pastoral ministry and mental health care. The book was called Do You See Me? In it, he writes: ‘To be seen is to be both heard and known. It is a place of intimacy and vulnerability, which is the very crucible for healing and restoration.’ The road to healing from fear and anxiety is not always easy, but maybe the journey begins with rest in the knowledge that even amid everything, we are known and loved by a ‘God who sees.’
Written by LUCY WEIL
Day 2
Scripture: Psalms 91:1-4
You are safe
I don’t know if you’ve ever had a moment of pure fear or anxiety. If you have, I’m sorry. Fear and anxiety grip you and steal your mind from the joy and carefree experiences of the things going on outside of yourself. It can feel like you’re falling into a deep, dark hole, unsure if there’s an end. It’s that horrible moment when you realise you just don’t know how or if this moment will end. In those moments it’s really difficult to know how to relate to God. It’s a moment when the Father you know and trust just feels at odds with the panic that seizes your heart.
Psalm 91 reminds me that it’s not about me and what I do in those moments of feeling afraid and anxious. It’s about what God is doing and that He protects me and gives me refuge. And more than that – I haven’t fallen into some separate place where all that exists is a black hole to fall endlessly through. I’m still protected by the almighty and safely gathered under His wing.
But, like a feverish child who dreams about monsters grabbing them in their restless sleep, there’s a real battle in my mind. While this battle goes on, He gently holds onto me, shielding me from more and providing for my recovery. We live under the protection of the most high, even when our mind is at war. We are given refuge under His wing, and He is almighty! You are safe in His hands, brothers and sisters. I’ll say it again. You are safe. God is almighty.
Written by KATIE SMITH
Day 3
Scripture: Psalms 94:19
The great comforter
Fear and anxiety have become common issues these days. Many of us are uncertain and afraid of what’s happening in the world around us. Whether it be global issues or personal trials, fear and anxiety can easily creep in and take root. As followers of Christ, we are not immune from this. In John 16:33, Jesus warned us that we would have trouble, telling us: ‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.’
Notice that Jesus doesn’t tell us that the trials will go away or that we won’t feel fear or anxiety. He tells us that in Him, we can have peace! He tells us to take heart because He has overcome. We haven’t overcome. He has. We need God to overcome our fear and anxiety. We need to remember that, whilst God can break through any situation or stop any trial, He never promises us that He will.
In Psalm 94, the psalmist speaks of the joy God’s consolation gave him during great anxiety. God didn’t take away the anxiety, but He brought comfort and solace to him. We may never understand why God doesn’t always take away fears and anxieties. That doesn’t mean that we stop praying for it or that we stop seeking God in it. We keep praying and seeking and remind ourselves that He is with us. We remind ourselves that He is faithful and that His consolation brings peace and joy. And if we find ourselves facing fear and anxiety, we remind ourselves that we are not facing them alone but with the great overcomer.
Day 4
Scripture: Psalms 23:4
Same problem, same solution
From when I was a child until now, so much has changed in the world. One sign of our current times is the focus on mental health and wellbeing. Stress, anxiety, and depression are labels that seem to fit all too many of us. And why wouldn’t it? There’s the financial crisis, the threat of war, the ever-changing rules in society, and the daily challenges.
Though it seems to be a bit of a buzz right now, these challenges are not new. As Ecclesiastes repeats, ‘There is nothing new under the sun’ (1:9).
In scripture, we first see the words, ‘Do not be afraid,’ in Genesis 15:1. From the very beginning, people have succumbed to fear and its consequent strong association with anxiety and worry.
‘Do not fear,’ ‘Be anxious for nothing,’ and ‘Do not worry’ are all phrases we repeatedly hear as the Bible gives us insight into the best way to live. So, what does the Bible offer as the solution? After all, you can’t just say, ‘Don’t be afraid,’ and magically have the feeling stop.
The familiar and comforting words of Psalm 23:4 give us a glimpse. One solution to this age-old problem of fear and anxiety is trust. Trust that God is who He says He is, will do what He says He will do and is with us in all things. When we fix our eyes firmly on Him, it’s hard for fear to get a foothold.
Where is fear, anxiety, or worry winning in your life? May you know that He is with you, and be comforted.
Written by SUSIE HOLT
Day 5
Scripture: 1 Peter 5:7
Rest in God’s faithfulness
Anxiety is a very real, physiological (body) response to a perceived threat. It activates our fight-or-flight system and makes our body highly stressed. Anxiety typically shows itself when we feel that we lack control of a situation. An unexpected circumstance might pop up, there might be a threat to our future livelihood, or we might be walking into a situation where we don’t know what to expect. This is enough to trigger the fight-or-flight system.
Jesus came to earth to demonstrate the Father’s love for us, reminding us that He cares for us and sees everything we go through in our lives. Whilst the trials and situations we experience can feel huge and overwhelming, the Bible tells us to cast all our anxieties upon Him, reminding ourselves that He loves us. For ‘Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?’ (Luke 11:11).
Rest today in God’s faithfulness and love. Cast all your troubles and anxieties upon Him, trusting His holy power to strengthen and walk with you.
Written by EMMA BARRON
Day 6
Scripture: Matthew 6:26
Two things You told me
Life was busy, and my relationship with God was suffering. My quiet times were a tick box, engaging my mind but not my spirit. The anxiety grew too loud to be ignored.
I got quiet, and asked Jesus to still the chaotic hive of bees buzzing in my mind. And He spoke.
He showed me that the root of anxiety was lack of trust and that to trust, I would need to believe two things – that He has the power to protect and provide for me and that He wants to.
Read the verse above again.
Do you feel more valuable than a bird? Do you live your life firmly planted in the truth of your value as a redeemed child of the creator? I wish I did. More palatable is the omnipotence of God. I might know He can… but I struggle to believe He wants to. But it’s actually in this status as His ‘redeemed’ that we find evidence that His intentions are ALWAYS for us… because He LOVES us.
‘But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us’ (Romans 5:8 NIV).
I’m reminded of a line from a Jon Foreman song: ‘two things you told me, that you are good, and you love me’. May we humble ourselves to receive and take hold of the truth of His love for us and embrace our peace in Christ Jesus.
Written by BEK ROBINSON
Day 7
Scripture: John 14:27
His peace is real
As we acquire more life experiences, we’ll inevitably acquire more reasons to be afraid. Not everyone will be diagnosed with clinical anxiety, but all of us will experience very real fear. In this verse, Jesus addressed the fear and anxiety that His disciples would experience once He went to the cross. Jesus knew the fear they’d face. The fear that their faith was a mistake, the fear that they gave up everything to watch a man die, then to be put to shame themselves. He didn’t rebuke them for their fear or dismiss it. Jesus anticipated their fear and met it with His grace.
It’s wonderful to know that Jesus knows what we’ll be afraid of before even we do. He knew what the disciples feared before they experienced it, and He said, ‘Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give you.’ It was precisely for this that Jesus needed to go to the cross. Dying on the cross would buy them their peace, a right relationship with God, and the gift of His Spirit.
Jesus doesn’t offer the kind of peace the world gives – a peace that comes from distancing yourself from what’s real, a peace mediated by alcohol or drugs, a temporary peace. His peace comes from the reality that He faced the judgement we were meant to face. His peace comes from the fact that He has overcome all that can hurt you in this world. His peace comes from His steadfast love and character, which never changes. So, when He says, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid,’ He’s telling you something He knows you can do because of Him.
Written by QUYNH EASTMAN