Prayer is one of the most powerful weapons we at our disposal against anxiety. Psalm 107:28-30 tells us that: “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.” Prayer is our direct connection to God, where we can have deep, hard, and intimate conversations with him about what we are going through and what may be tempting us to feel anxious.
If you need a place to start in prayer or just feel like you need to reset your prayer life, you can start by simply carving out 15 minutes every morning to spend with God before you do anything else. Get in a secluded place where you know you're not going to be interrupted, get down in your knees, and just thank God for yesterday for seeing you through everything. Then you present today and ask God to anoint you for today in each encounter that you anticipate. And remember, there's nothing going to happen today that you and the Lord can't handle together.
In everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God with intensity and confidence. Make your prayer with thanksgiving. There's something extremely therapeutic about first giving God thanks before you present your prayer requests. When you pray with thanksgiving, your thinking and your attitude are transformed because you're mindful of how God has provided for you to this point, and you become confident he will provide for the next day.
Reflection/Discussion Questions: Do you begin your prayers with thanksgiving before presenting your requests? How might switching this order impact things?
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