The Bible tells us that we should “be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6) Another word to use for “careful” is “anxious” — be anxious for nothing. Even so we sometimes find ourselves in situations and life circumstances that create great anxiety.
Here are some tips for the Christian on how to overcome anxiety.
Think on the right things
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. (Philippians 4:6-9)
In our Biblical counseling ministry we call this the firestorm passage. It is the place in the Bible that we direct folks to go when they are in the midst of extreme anxiety. We recommend that they memorize this passage and recall it to mind when they feel anxious about anything, Have you committed this passage to memory? If it seems like the passage is too long consider memorizing it in pieces, line upon line, like this:
Be careful for nothing;
but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God,
which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise,
think on these things.
Those things, which ye have both learned,
and received, and heard, and seen in me, do:
and the God of peace shall be with you.
Humble yourself; change your focus
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. (1 Peter 5:5)
Pride leads to destruction and many times this is why we feel as though we need to be the one to control every situation. Don’t be afraid to let someone else be the leader. Humbly accept the help of a good leader so that you can gracefully come through.
Take time to hang around with the people who build up others and have a happy heart. Misery does not need company.
Surround yourself with people who edify
Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad. (Proverbs 12:25)
We have all felt trapped in the gloom of other people from time to time. You know what I am talking about, that person that is continually displaying the “woe is me” attitude. They rarely have anything good to report and often speak poorly of others. Get out of that trap. Take time to hang around with the people who build up others and have a happy heart. Misery does not need company.
Seek the Lord
Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? (Luke 12: 24)
We seldom think about how much the creatures other than humans trust the Lord for everything. He will ease your anxiety just as he feeds the birds of the air. Offer thanksgiving to Him for everything He has given to you. Look for Him in every circumstance and glorify Him with your response.
Related reading: Counting Your Blessings: 7 Things To Be Thankful For
Rest in the Lord
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)
Sometimes you just need to take a break and remember that you can cast your burdens upon the Lord. He is the Lord, He can handle it and when you ask of Him, He will teach you how to deal with your anxiety. But you must give it to God and don’t take it back!
Remember God is always with you
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Hebrews 13:5)
Sometimes we get anxious because we just believe we do not have all that we need. The Bible reminds us time and time again that we should be content with all that we have and never want for anything. All we really need is to rely upon the truth that God is with us and He will give us everything we need … not always exactly when we think we should have it, but when He knows we need it. His promises are true, sometimes we just need to step back and meditate upon that.
Related Reading: Promises of God: 10 Powerful Bible Verses
Trust God
What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. (Psalms 56:3-4)
At times we say that we trust God but our action prove otherwise. Fear and anxiety are the tools of the enemy. The Bible says “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) Don’t let Satan trick you into thinking that God cannot deliver you from your time of anxiety. Remember, God created the entire world in just 6 days. In light of that, your time of anxiety is easy for Him. Trust God!
Final Thought
Anxiety is real and we all get fooled into thinking that we cannot overcome it. As discussed above the Bible has answers for this life issue. Look to the Lord for how He wants you to handle anxiety. Give it to Him, He will deliver you from it.
Related Reading: 8 Prayers For Anxiety and Stress Relief
Resource – The Holy Bible, King James Version
Welcome to What Christians Want To Know! The mission of this site is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians. Look for regular updates including Bible Verses, Bible Stories, Christian Quotes, Christian Answers, and much more. Find out 
