Overcoming Anxiety And Resting In God’s Peace

2020 was mostly filled with anxiety and fear. For some of us, it might have been fear of catching the virus, being afraid that our loved ones might get affected, not being able to pay our bills, losing jobs, natural disasters destroying our homes, lockdown slowing down businesses, pressure in the family, feeling depressed and tied up, and much more. Sometimes two or more of these problems would stack up to cause unmanageable stress and pressure that every morning we would feel like we don’t have a reason to get out of bed. The anxiety would cripple us, making us blind to see a future.

While writing and recording for my album, Journey, back in June 2020, I was going through much stress and anxiety in my personal life. I would not be able to go to sleep at night. During the day, I would smile and laugh with my family and play with my cousins but a moment later, I would be reminded of the stress and go into panic mode. Before going in to film messages for TV programs or record the songs for my album in the studio, I would get anxiety attacks, as my body would shake, I would get dizzy and lose my breath. I would constantly wonder if I had a future and if my life would be destroyed.

When I was feeling extremely overwhelmed, I took a step back and sat with my thoughts. I remembered a verse from the Bible flash before me. It’s in Philippians 4:6-7. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I learned a valuable lesson from this passage through the words of Paul. I put this verse exactly into practice when the anxiety was too much to handle.

Lay Down All Your Worries.

I started pouring out my worries, anxiety, stress, pressure, hopelessness, sin and getting out every single thing that was stuck in my heavy heart. I was as raw as possible. I asked God for forgiveness for the sin in my life. I listed out the things I did and also any thoughts I might have had which were against God while feeling anxious about my problems. Sometimes we simply think about how to get out of problems in ways that do not glorify God. Either doing something to hurt others with our words or actions, something illegal to get out of our situation, or even thinking about ways to end our lives. We have to ask for forgiveness for that as well because God knows about those thoughts too. Only if we are 100 percent open with God, we will see Him and His glory more in the way He speaks to us. There shouldn’t be any hindrance in our relationship.

Next, list out your worries, problems, and fears regarding the situation. What happened, what might happen, what are all your fears and worries about yourself, others, and everything involved in the situation. Be as real as possible. Pour out everything. Get everything out. Then the next step will be easy.

Thank Him.

Okay, now that you’ve finished rambling, going over what was, is, and will be. Now pull it together and give Him praise. God is all-powerful. He knows our heart. He knows our intentions. Now give Him glory for all that He is. Forget about your situation for a bit and praise Him. Thank Him for His goodness in your life so far and be grateful.

Then, thank Him for the help He is going to provide and how you are going to come out of the situation with a victory. Thank Him for forgiving you by His mercy. Thank Him for the wisdom He is going to give regarding the situation. Thank Him for the people He is going to send you to help you. Thank Him that he removed all fear from your life. Thank Him for everything you can think of.

As you thank God, you are saying a prayer in faith that God will help you overcome the situation. You are believing that He will help you and that everything you prayed for will come to pass.

Receive His Peace.

As you present your requests to God, the peace that passes all understanding, the peace that God gives, will fill your heart.

How do you feel God’s peace?

So, as I started thanking God for all that He has done, is doing, and will do for me regarding my situation, my heavy heart felt lighter and lighter. I could feel it being filled with faith and confidence to face my future. I knew that my future was in God’s hands and He knows the plans for me. I was created for a purpose and He is not going to leave me until I fulfill it on earth. I was filled with a new confidence that I didn’t have before making that small prayer. So I trusted Him and left the situation in His hands and my heart felt so light. The peace that surpasses all understanding, an overwhelming feeling I can’t explain, filled my heart and I was strong in the fact that God had everything under control.

I took the situation as a lesson. A lesson to be more cautious, humble, sympathetic to the people who go through the same thing as I did, to believe in the power of prayer, to trust God more, and to obviously handle things in a better way in my life. While I was going through these emotions, I was also able to write a song about it called ‘It’ll Happen.’ It resonated with so many people when it came out as the song reassured positive affirmations when they were going through similar situations. So God brought out a beautiful thing in the midst of my anxiety and kept me as a testimony and enabled me to motivate others. I am grateful for the lesson that I learned and for the gift it brought out.

As you list out each of your worries and thank God that He is going to help you through them, you’ll feel lighter and lighter. As you speak about each worry, you’ll feel the stress regarding it leaving your heart and in turn, God’s overwhelming peace fill it. It is filled with faith that God is fighting for you. That faith in your spirit will give you peace. Simple.

2021 will have its ups and downs. But keep this small prayer in mind whenever you feel stressed or anxious. Lay it down, thank Him, trust Him and rest. That’s all you gotta do.

I wrote a song called ‘Rest In You’ which talks about how we declare the power that Christ promised us through His Spirit. Even while recording vocals for this song in the studio, I was having an anxiety attack. But singing the declaration of casting out fear, sickness, weakness, and shame as He forgives us and gives us healing in our mind, soul, and body refreshed me as no medicine can. As you go through situations like these and overcome them through prayer and faith, God will keep you as a testimony of His goodness to others who are facing similar situations. Have a listen and rest in God’s peace this year.