Worship leader, songwriter, author and educator, Toni LaShaun Wortherly tackles the issue of anxiety in this devotional plan. This devotional plan, and the song of the same title, are written to encourage those who have ever struggled with worry through Scriptures, practical steps and prayers. The hope is that readers will be able to turn anxiety into adoration, trade panic for praise and transform from a worrier into a worshipper!
Toni Wortherly/Elevated Values
Day 1
Scriptures: Philippians 4:6, James 1:2
The Struggle of Anxiety
Raise your hand if you’ve ever worried about something. I’m sorry… The proper Christian term is “concern.” Raise your hand if you’ve ever been concerned about anything. I don’t know about anyone else, but there is not a time in my life that I remember not struggling with anxiety. I didn’t know it was anxiety until a doctor gave it that label; I had just been called a worrywart since I was a child.
My mind, for as long as I can remember, automatically jumped to catastrophe. If it rained, a giant storm was coming to blow away the house. If a boss wants to meet, they were firing people. If someone didn’t answer a phone call or text, that person must be hurt or worse. The what-ifs of life were terrifying. And, on top of that, the Bible said not to be anxious…about ANYTHING!
Who else has read that verse and had their anxiety flare-up about being anxious for, well, nearly everything? So, what defines anxiety, or worry? Merriam-Webster defines worry as (verb) to afflict with mental distress or agitation: make anxious; and (noun) mental distress or agitation resulting from concern usually for something impending or anticipated: ANXIETY. Strong’s defines it as μεριμνάω (merimnáō) to be anxious about: —(be, have) care(-ful), take thought.
I don’t think God intends for us to be careless or thoughtless, but rather to trust that He is in control. When we truly trust that God is in control, knowing His promises are true, we may have cares, thoughts, concerns, worries, and anxieties, but they should not control us. Having been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, I know there are varying levels of this from a physiological standpoint (I won’t get into that now). But, from a spiritual standpoint, we trust God or we don’t.
And, there are plenty of Biblical examples of what happens when we don’t trust God. Abraham had a son with Hagar, Elijah asked God to take his life, and Peter…oh Peter…sank when he walked on water, cut someone’s ear off, cussed people out, and denied Jesus. Anxiety is a natural, human emotion, which is why God gives us a supernatural solution for dealing with it:
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Philippians 4:6 NLT
Pray about everything. Talk to God about EVERYTHING. Thank God for EVERYTHING He has done. There is not a problem that is bigger than God. There is not one issue that surprises Him or that He cannot handle.
Don’t You Worry reminds us that God has already got a plan and it’s for His glory and our good! Turn that anxiety into adoration! Trade that panic for praise! Transform from a worrier into a worshipper! It won’t make the trials of life disappear, but it will make your faith and your relationship with Christ grow. You will learn how to count it all joy (James 1:2)!
Father, when life is presenting us with reasons to worry, let Your Love remind us to place those anxieties in Your very capable Hands and leave them there. Thank You for being Faithful and Trustworthy in every circumstance. In the Mighty Name of Jesus, Amen!
Day 2
Scriptures: Psalms 29:11, Luke 12:25-26, Romans 5:3-5
The Sneak Attack
Worry creeps into your mind
Like a thief in the night
Worry always feels like a sneak attack to me. Can anyone else relate? You’re going through life, doing just fine, and something happens that is not what you anticipated. It could be something big like job loss or major illness. It could be something small like losing your keys or canceled plans. Sometimes, and maybe, for many people, most times, you handle it well. Sure, you may panic a little at first, but then you pray, and then there’s peace. (Psalm 29:11)
That is the best-case scenario. but don’t you wish panic was not the first response? For me, it seems like any time something out of the ordinary comes up, my mind automatically jumps to analyzing every possible worst scenario. Then, those scenarios play over and over again in my mind on a loop until the situation seems hopeless. Does that ever happen to you?
I’ve come to realize that part of this can be due to a chemical imbalance, but mostly, it’s due to a spiritual imbalance. When I give in to the panic, it’s because I have a misperception that I am somehow in control of all of my circumstances; treating myself like a little god, as if I have to have or know the answers. I’m not minimizing the physiological aspect. I’ve done therapy and medication. But, even those treatments were not effective when my spiritual life was out of whack.
Worrying about problems has never once resolved them. Not. One. Time. Admittedly, it just gives us something to do and, sometimes, gets us attention from other people. The more we feed anxiety, the bigger it grows. But, it really is useless.
Like Jesus said, “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?” Luke 12:25-26 NLT
So, the best way to stop the sneak attack of anxiety and not let worry win is to surrender to God’s Will. This doesn’t mean you are not responsible for your actions, mistakes, or choices that lead to worrisome circumstances, it means you take a realistic look at what you actually have any control over. Once we admit that only God is fully in control, we can submit to His Plan.
There’s no need to stress about what God’s already got worked out. God knows exactly what you are going through (keyword: through), exactly when He will get you through, exactly how He will guide you through, and exactly where you will grow while you go through (Romans 5:3-5).
Heavenly Father, when worry, fear and anxiety try to attack us and steal our joy and peace, please remind us that You are in control. Please guide us with Your Truth and drown out the lies that worry whispers. Help us to surrender to Your Will in every situation, knowing that You have every answer we need. Thank You for getting us through. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen!
Day 3
Scriptures: Psalms 30:5, Isaiah 55:8-9, Matthew 6:26-30, Psalms 118:29, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, Lamentations 3:23, James 1:17, Hebrews 13:8, Psalms 23:4
The Savior’s Abilities
Don’t you worry ’bout a thing
God is faithful and He will take care of you…
God is able to carry, carry you through
As I mentioned before, worry is the result of not trusting God. And, I get that sometimes, it feels like our lives can’t possibly be going the way God intended. Still, one of the most helpful realizations I came to as an adult is that God doesn’t promise us happiness. Happiness depends on what happens. It’s a reaction to favorable circumstances.
God does promise joy (Psalm 30:5). Joy is different from happiness. Joy is a lifestyle. Joy exists regardless of circumstances. Joy is a choice. Joy is choosing to trust that God is faithful no matter what our lives look like.
There is not one verse in the Bible that says when you choose Jesus, life is easy and happy. It actually says the opposite quite a few times. Jesus warned that in this world, we would have trouble (John 16:33), but thank God that verse doesn’t stop there! It goes on to tell us how to have joy. “But take heart because I [Jesus] have overcome the world.”
So why worry? Sometimes, our worry and our lack of trust come from the simple fact that God’s Ways are not ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). We are seeing the situation from a limited perspective. God sees the whole picture and He gives us daily examples of how faithful He is.
Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, He will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? Matthew 6:26, 28-30 NLT
And, if we are not trusting God, who do we trust? Ourselves? Others? I can’t speak for anybody else, but I’ve definitely proven on many occasions that I cannot be trusted to handle life’s issues on my own. And, as loving and helpful as our family and friends and church may be, when it comes down to it, they are all fallible humans. Therefore, no one should be trusted more than God. And, if we trust Him, there is no need for worry. Trust and worry cannot co-exist.
- We trust God because He is faithful. (Psalm 118:29; 2 Thessalonians 3:3)
- We trust God because His faithfulness is great. (Lamentations 3:23)
- We trust God because He is forever faithful. (James 1:17; Hebrews 13:8)
- We trust God because He is able to see us through any circumstance. (Psalm 23:4)
Because God is trustworthy, there’s no need to trust our worries.
Lord, thank You that You are faithful even when we are not. We praise You because you are the same yesterday, today, and forever. help us remember Your Faithfulness. Help us remember how much You care for us. Help us to overcome our worries by trusting in You alone. In the Precious Name of Jesus, Amen!
Day 4
Scriptures: Psalms 55:22, 1 Peter 5:7, Philippians 4:6
The Simple Answer
Cast all your cares on Him
Kneel and pray, just give thanks, and keep believin’
There are several places in the Bible that address how we are to handle our everyday cares and our unexpected adversities. First, God encourages us to cast our cares on Him. In fact, this command, not guideline or preference, appears in the Old and New Testaments (Psalm 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7). So, obviously, He really means it. And, God wants them all; the great and the small.
God wants us to bring every care to Him; not just the ones we cannot handle ourselves. God is not too busy. We are not bothering Him. Yes, God loves our adoration and praise. Yes, He longs for our confession and repentance. But, God also listens to our every care, every desire, every need, and every obstacle. Why? Peter says, “for He cares for you.” God’s love for us is so great, and, as if sending His Son to die for our sins was not enough, He wants a real, intimate relationship with us where we talk to Him about all the things. So, once we realize that we can bring all of our cares to God, the next step is simply to do it.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Philippians 4:6 NLT
God doesn’t just say “don’t be anxious”; He tells us what to do instead. Pray. Pray about everything. Prayer is a simple conversation with God. Tell Him what’s on your mind; what’s troubling your heart. But, it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. Also, think about how God has blessed you. Thank Him. There’s nothing you can say to God that will shock or surprise Him. He already knows, but because of His Love and Grace, He wants to spend time with us.
This prayer time is not about giving God your wish list (or worry lists) and then suggesting to Him how to fix everything. This is about seeking God’s face, spending time in His presence, and submitting to His Will. God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. He knows exactly what He’s doing and when and how and why. Our job is to simply trust Him. When we reflect back on what He has done, we’re sure to realize that He’s always worked things out for our good.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the simple answer to anxiety. Thank You for listening to all of our cares. Thank You for desiring a real relationship with us, so that we don’t have to be afraid to bring anything and everything to You. Lord, please help us lay it all down and leave it with You. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen!
Day 5
Scriptures: Philippians 4:4, Psalms 94:19, Philippians 4:7
The Solution To Anxiety
Why does God expect us to be anxious for nothing? Because He gives us the solution to anxiety. The anxiety antidote is rejoicing. Finding joy in our journey takes away anxiety’s power over us.
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Philippians 4:4 NLT
Sometimes, I wonder why God had Paul repeat that we need to rejoice. Then, I remember that we probably need the reiteration. Has this ever happened to you? God blesses you, whether it’s something you prayed for or something unexpected, and you get super excited and praise and rejoice. Then, not long after some unexpected trouble comes your way, and you’re crying, “Why God, why?” and trying to figure out how you’ll fix it. Perhaps, that’s just me, but I believe that’s why God inspired Paul to add the “again I say rejoice.”
When we fully acknowledge the joy found in Jesus, we realize that we don’t have to crumble or shatter when facing difficult trials. It’s not that we should deny our feelings, but we can process those feelings in light of the fact that God will work it out.
When doubts filled my mind, Your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. Psalms 94:19 NLT
It’s when we acknowledge that our circumstance isn’t good, but God still is that we can be filled with hope and cheer rather than anxiety. In fact, the Bible says that when we pray about everything with thanksgiving, bringing our cares, concerns, worries, and anxieties to God, we will experience His Comfort; His Peace that transcends all comprehension. (Philippians 4:7).
One of my favorite hymns, What A Friend We Have in Jesus, puts it this way:
Oh, what peace we often forfeit
Oh, what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer
Rejoicing in Who God is and what He’s done, praising Him, thanking Him, and talking openly to Him about whatever is causing our anxiety is the solution to anxiety. Don’t you worry about a thing. God can and will hear and answer your prayers. Find joy in knowing that He is faithful and He is capable of handling any and everything that comes your way. He is not surprised by anything you have to say.
God, please forgive us for relying on ourselves instead of rejoicing in You. Lord, please help us to not forfeit the peace that passes all understanding by holding on to anxiety. Remind us that anxiety has no use other than prompting us to pray to You and praise You for all You’ve done, are doing, and will do in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen!