FEELING BUSTER CH 8: ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

I was in the hospital for depression.  I felt like I lost all hope in getting better.  I cried out to God for help.  In response, He prompted me to begin giving thanks for the blessings He had for me.  I thanked God for the counselor who listened to me pour out my sorrow.  I thanked God for the doctor who was giving me medication to help the depression.  I thanked God for the nurses who were taking care of me.  I thanked God for the people who were leading the groups as they taught me ways of dealing with the depression.  As I took on an attitude of gratitude, my spirits were lifted.  I praised God for providing the needed prescription for me at that time.

MEMORY VERSE

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV).

WHAT’S IN A WORD?

Gratitude…

Gratitude is “a feeling of thankful appreciation for favors or benefits received” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is “the state of being grateful; thankfulness” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).  “Thanksgiving is the expression of joy God-ward, and is therefore the fruit of the Spirit…believers are encouraged to abound in it” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).

HIDDEN GEMS

In the world, there are many stressors that overwhelm us if we allow them to.  Our feelings can run rampant.  However, taking on an attitude of gratitude can change these feelings.  We can praise God for the many blessings in our life.  This will lead to peace and joy.

“Praise the Lord.  Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 106:1, NIV).

Read Psalm 106:1. Who are we to praise?

What are we to give to the Lord?

How long does God’s love endure?

We can give thanks and praise to God.  His love does indeed endure forever.  He is a good God who desires to bless His children.  Feelings of fear and anxiety can overwhelm us.  However, when we come to God, He will replace those feelings with peace and rest.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV).

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.  What are we to always do?

What are we to continually do?

What are we to do in all circumstances?

What are these commands for us?

The commands in these verses are definite feeling busters.  When we rejoice and give thanks unto the Lord, we will be changed from the inside out.  The stressors of the world will no longer have a grasp on us.  We can then praise God for changing us.

“Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.  Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:19-20, NIV).

Read Ephesians 5:19-20.  How are we to speak to one another?

Where do the songs come from?

What are we to do from our heart?

How much are we to give thanks to God?

We are to always give thanks to God.  We can sing songs from the Spirit to praise His holy name.  When we praise and give thanks, we will draw closer to God.

YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28, NIV).  When we are thankful, we rightly give praise to God.  We approach Him in reverence and awe.  When we do so, God will reward us.

Name a time when you were overwhelmed by the cares of the world.

How did you feel?

How did you turn to God for help?

How did gratitude play a factor in bringing you peace?

Gratitude brings us peace.  We can praise God for all of the things He has done in our lives.  We can thank God for the many blessings in our lives.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, I worship and adore You.  Thank You for the many blessings in my life.  Help me to always come to You with an attitude of gratitude.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM

This day and your life are God’s gift to you:  so give thanks and be joyful always!  Jim Beggs

Gratitude is heaven itself.  William Blake

A single grateful thought raised to heaven is the most perfect prayer.  Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

Our favorite attitude should be gratitude.  Author unknown

He who can give thanks for little will always find he has enough.  Author unknown

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FEELING BUSTER CH 7: PRAISE

Put a song in my heart, dear Lord.  This was my daily prayer to God as I started each new day.  This started after my colon cancer diagnosis.  The Lord heard my plea for a new song each day and delivered.  I would sing new praise songs each day.  The praise to God lifted my spirits and gave me the strength for each day.  I thanked God for lifting me up as I praised Him.

MEMORY VERSE

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6, NIV).

WHAT’S IN A WORD?

Praise…

Praise is “to laud the glory of God, as in song; glorify; extol” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is to “worship” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).  “Praise is to be ascribed to God, in respect of His glory…the exhibition of His character” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words). 

HIDDEN GEMS

Feelings and emotions can threaten to overwhelm us.  However, praise and worship is a definite feeling buster.  I learned this during my difficult years when I was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  Whenever a mania or depression hit, I would lift up my voice in praise.  This drew me closer to God as I worshiped Him.

“I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever” (Psalm 86:12, NIV).

Read Psalm 86:12. Who did David praise?

How much did David praise God?

What did David glorify?

David learned to glorify God in all circumstances.  He praised God with all his heart.  We can also praise God with all your hearts.  The feelings will subside when worship and praise is on our lips.

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Psalm 100:4, NIV).

Read Psalm 100:4. How are we to enter His gates?

How are we to enter His courts?

What are we to give to God?

What are we to do for His name?

Thanksgiving is a powerful feeling buster.  When we enter His courts with thanksgiving, we focus on the positive things in our lives instead of the negative.  In the process, we will have His peace and joy.

“When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen” (Luke 19:37, NIV).

Read Luke 19:37. Where was Jesus going?

How did the disciples praise God?

Why did they praise God?

It can be easy to praise God for miracles we experience.  However, when we have to go through a trial, it can be difficult to praise the Lord.  I learned that when I had to go through the bipolar disorder, God brought good out of it by a closer relationship with Him.  I obtained blessings that I never would have attained had I been healed immediately of the bipolar disorder.

YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3, NIV).  God comforts us in our times of distress.  God will be there for us as He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.

Name a trial in your life where you felt alone.

How did God show up in your trial?

What Scripture spoke to you during this time?

How did you turn your time of distress into a time of praise?

What was the result of this praise?

“Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name” (Psalm 103:1, NIV).  We can praise God with all that we have.  Our inner being is blessed by God.  We can praise His holy name in the midst of trials.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, I worship and adore You.  I give You praise with all that I have.  Thank You for always being there for me.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM

There is nothing that pleases the Lord so much as praise.  Author unknown

God can never receive too much praise.  Author unknown

Mans chief work is the praise of God.  Augustine of Hippo

I was not born to be free.  I was born to adore and to obey.  C.S. Lewis

The sweetest of all sounds is praise.  Xenophon

FEELING BUSTER CH 6: GOD’S WORD

I remember growing up with only hearing God’s Word during the church service.  It was never read at home.  I did not receive my first Bible until I graduated from high school.  A short time after I graduated from graduate school, I moved to Tucson, Arizona and joined a church.  I was humbled by the children knowing the order of the books of Scripture where I had no clue.  However, I was blessed with a pastor who had a passion for teaching God’s Word.  I soaked in his teaching.  During this time, I was also going through the pain of dealing with the abuse I experienced as a child.  God’s Word helped me fight the feelings of helplessness and depression.  I thanked God for His Word as a feeling buster in my life.

MEMORY VERSE

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105, NIV).

HIDDEN GEMS

What a blessing it is to have God’s Word at our fingertips each day.  We have many translations that we can read.  There are those in other countries that treasure having one page of His Word to read.  We can grow in our Christian walk by treasuring and reading God’s Word.

“Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them.  The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:129-130, NIV).

Read Psalm 119:129-130.  How are God’s statutes described?

What does the psalmist do?

What gives light?

Who does God’s Word give understanding?

God’s Word is indeed wonderful.  We are called to obey the precepts found in His Word.  Reading the Bible gives light and understanding to us.  We can look up topics in a concordance to get a better understanding on how to deal with a problem such as out-of-control feelings.

“For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life” (Proverbs 6:23, NIV).

Read Proverbs 6:23. What are His commands?

What is His teaching?

What is the way to life?

God’s Word shines light on our everyday lives.  We are instructed in the way we should go.  When we sin, God will correct us through His Spirit and His Word.  This leads to life.

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26, NIV).

Read John 14:26. Who is the Advocate?

Who will send the Holy Spirit?

In Whose name will the Holy Spirit be sent?

What will the Holy Spirit do?

What a gift we have in the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is indeed an Advocate on our behalf.  The Holy Spirit teaches and reminds us of the teaching of Jesus.  The Holy Spirit prompts us to gain a better understanding of God’s Word and obey His precepts.

YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

God’s Word is a blessing for us.  The Word of God illuminates our mind to understand the ways of God.  We are then prompted to obey what is found in the Bible.  We also may be convicted of sin.  It gives us hope and strength to live beyond our feelings.

Name a time when you struggled with a feeling.

How did you cry out to God?

What did God’s Word teach you?

What Scripture spoke to you during this time?

How did the Holy Spirit give you understanding?

How did God give you the strength to overcome the feelings?

Feelings can overwhelm us at times.  The good news is that His Word gives comfort and understanding when we read it.  The Bible helps us overcome the feelings that overwhelm us.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me Your Word to help fight the feelings which arise in my life.  Help me gain understanding through the Holy Spirit.  Help me to obey Your precepts.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM

I believe the Bible is the best gift God has given to man.  Abraham Lincoln

If you want to understand Christianity, do not shut your Bible – open it, read it!  M. Lloyd-Jones

Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.  Jerome

Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet-anchor of your liberties; write its precepts in your hearts, and practice them in your lives.  Ulysses S. Grant

The Bible easily qualifies as the only Book in which is God’s revelation.  Billy Graham

FEELING BUSTER CH 5: PRAYER

It was almost midnight and I was in the middle of a severe manic episode.  I had run away from my friends and was in an unknown neighborhood.  I believed the rapture was coming and I had to save the lost.  In the midst of this, I came down from my frantic mania to realize that I was lost.  I cried out to God for help.  He diverted my attention to a couple who was getting into a car.  They took me back to the hospital where I called my friends to come and get me.  As I shared my frantic mania, my friend shared that she was praying fervently for me.  I realized that it was her prayers which caused me to come down from the mania and cry out to God for help.  I thanked God for praying friends who were there for me when I needed them the most.

MEMORY VERSE

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” (Ephesians 6:18, NIV).

WHAT’S IN A WORD?

Prayer…

Prayer is “a humble and sincere request, as to God” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is “an address as a petition to God…in word or thought” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).  It is “to ask…or beseech” God (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).

HIDDEN GEMS

Feelings can wreak havoc on our lives.  If we live according to our feelings, we will be lost and anxious.  However, we can cry out to God for help.  God will strengthen us and replace our out-of-control feelings with His peace that passes all understanding.

“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.  He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them” (Psalm 145:18-19, NIV).

Read Psalm 145:18-19. Who is the Lord near to?

How are we to call on Him?

Who does the Lord fulfill the desires of?

What does God do when He hears our cries?

The Lord is near so we have nothing to fear.  God hears our cries and desires to save us.  When feelings arise, we can quickly go to God and surrender them to Him.  Fearing God does not mean that we are afraid of God.  It means to hold Him up in awe and reverence.

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:6, NIV).

Read Matthew 6:6. How are we to pray?

What is the Father?

What will God see?

What will God do?

We need to pray in secret to an Audience of One.  This does not mean that we cannot pray publicly as in a church gathering.  It means to not be like the religious leaders of the day who prayed to be seen and admired for their long, babbling prayers of many words.

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mark 11:24, NIV).

Read Mark 11:24-25 What are we to ask for?

How are we to believe?

What will be done?

This verse does not mean that we will have everything we desire.  God only says yes to the prayers that are according to His will.  When we have the answers to our prayers, whether yes or no, we can thank God that He knows what is best for us.

YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7, NIV).  We are to ask, seek and knock.  We must persist in prayer until we have an answer to God.  God uses time for us to have a closer relationship with Him.

Name a time when you felt overwhelmed by your feelings.

How did you feel?

How did you cry out to God in prayer?

How did God answer your pleas?

“The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous” (Proverbs 15:29, NIV).  God hears the prayers of those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  The righteous will live by faith.  We can believe that God hears and knows what is best for us.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for hearing my pleas for help.  Thank You for knowing what is best for me and answering my every prayer.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM

Be much in secret prayer.  Converse less with man, and more with God.  George Whitefield

You may pray for an hour and still not pray.  You may meet God for a moment and then be in touch with Him all day.  Fredrik Wisloff

God never denied that soul anything that went as far as heaven to ask for it.  John Trapp

The finest of God’s blessings is to be found in secret prayer.  C.H. Spurgeon

Only that prayer which comes from our heart can get to God’s heart.  C.H. Spurgeon

FICKLE FEELINGS CH 4: TRUSTING GOD FOR WORRY

I’ll never forget the lesson God taught me on worry.  During my childhood, I was raised in a group of worriers.  I was led to believe that you worry about people you love.  As an adult, I grew anxious and full of worry.  I finally cried out to God.  God led me to write down my worries and surrender them to Him.  God then had me look at my worries a week or so later.  I learned that many of my worries never came to pass.  I learned to trust God instead of worry about my problems.  When I let go and let God, He always came through for me.

MEMORY VERSE

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34, NIV).

WHAT’S IN A WORD?

Worry…

Worry is “to feel distressed in the mind; be anxious, troubled, or uneasy” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is “mental distress or agitation resulting from concern…for something impending or anticipated” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary). 

Trust…

Trust is “to have…faith; place reliance; be confident” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).  It is “to have confidence” in God (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words). 

HIDDEN GEMS

But God, I can’t trust myself!  I told God after my first manic episode.  I was filled with worry about another manic episode coming upon me.  My worry turned to anxiety.  I had to learn to trust God with everything that I was worried about.  Worry can fill our lives with unrest.  We may not feel like we can trust anyone.  However, we can trust God with everything.

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken” (Psalm 55:22, NIV).

Read Psalm 55:22. What are we to cast upon the Lord?

What will God do for us?

What will God never let happen?

What a comforting verse.  When we cast our cares upon the Lord, we will be free from worry.  We will feel immediate relief.  We can then praise God for removing our worries.

“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy” (Psalm 94:19, NIV).

Read Psalm 94:19. What was great within the author of this psalm?

What did God’s consolation bring him?

I can truly praise God now that He allowed the bipolar disorder to come into my life.  Although I was shaken to the core, I trusted in God and His providence like never before.  As the colon cancer came into my life, I was not shaken by it and held onto God as my rock.  We may have trials in our lives which can bring us worry.  The good news is that when we cling to God, He is right there for us and strengthens us in our faith.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him” (Jeremiah 17:7, NIV).

Read Jeremiah 17:7. Who is blessed?

What do we have in God?

We are truly blessed when we trust in God.  We will not be shaken.  We can have confidence in approaching God and surrendering our worries and have His peace that passes all understanding in the process.

YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5, NIV).  We can indeed trust in the Lord with all we have.  However, when we rely on our own understanding, we will be filled with worry.  However, when we seek God for His wisdom, we will experience peace.

Name a time when you worried about something.

Did it come to pass?

How did you draw near to God?

What Scripture spoke to you during this time?

How did you experience God’s peace?

Do you have any worries right now?

Take the time to surrender them to God.

“And we know that God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, NIV).  What a comforting promise!  God does indeed work all things together for good.  We can approach God with all we have and experience His peace and strength to face whatever comes our way.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, I surrender my worries to you this day.  Thank You for replacing my worry into peace as I trust in You.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM

He that fears not the future may enjoy the present.  Thomas Fuller

Don’t worry about anything.  Worrying never solved anything.  All it does is distort your mind.  Milton Garland

Oh, how great peace and quietness would he possess who should cut off all vain anxiety and place all his confidence in God.  Thomas a Kempis

Trust in God, and do something.  Mary Lyon

He who trusts in himself is lost.  He who trusts in God can do all things.  Alphonsus Liguori

FICKLE FEELINGS CH 2: JOY FOR DEPRESSION

At the beginning of my bipolar disorder, I experienced two severe depressions following my first manic episode.  I was despondent and numb.  I couldn’t respond to others.  I felt lost and alone.  After a depression, I felt overwhelmed.  I didn’t think anything good could come out of it.  Initially, I did not experience any joy.  My fleeting happiness directed me.  However, that all changed several years later when I was diagnosed with colon cancer.  I was filled with joy and strength that I knew came from God.  In the natural, I should have felt depressed.  However, as I looked back at the depressions and manias of the bipolar disorder, I realized that God had strengthened me by His presence.  When the cancer came, I was not set off guard.  God helped me to realize that He can bring good out of anything, including the bipolar disorder.  I thanked God for filling me with His joy instead of depression.

MEMORY VERSE

“Why, my soul are you downcast?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42:5, NIV).

WHAT’S IN A WORD?

Depression…

Depression is “low spirits; gloominess; dejection; sadness” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is “a state of feeling sad; dejection” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary). 

Joy…

Joy is “a very glad feeling…great pleasure; delight” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is “gaiety…delight” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).  “Joy is associated with life…experiences of sorrow prepare for, and enlarge, the capacity for joy” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).

HIDDEN GEMS

We all have times when we feel depressed.  It may be an unexpected diagnosis such as cancer.  It can be a particularly stressful situation.  It may feel as if we have lost hope.  The good news is that God is there to meet us and help us in our time of need.

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4, NIV).

Read Psalm 23:4. What was David walking through?

What will he not fear?

Why is this so?

What comforted David?

We all have dark valleys of trials.  These trials can overwhelm us.  We can reach out to God for comfort and strength to help us in our time of need.

“But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus” (2 Corinthians 7:6, NIV).

Read 2 Corinthians 7:6. Who does God comfort?

How did God comfort Paul?

God may send people in our lives to comfort and strengthen us when we are facing difficult trials.  I know this was the case when I was diagnosed with cancer.  Friends from across the country as well as my own church prayed for me and comforted me during this time.  I was strengthened and felt uplifted from the depression and experienced joy.

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11, NIV).

Read Psalm 16:11. What did God make known to David?

What did God fill David with?

Where did God fill David with joy?

What did God fill David at His right hand?

God fills us with joy when we spend time in His presence on a daily basis.  God desires for us to take the time each day to seek God.  This will fill us with joy in His presence.

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22, NIV).

Read Proverbs 17:22. What is good medicine?

What dries up the bones?

As I was experiencing the early stages of the bipolar disorder diagnosis, I was crushed in spirit.  However, God was right there for me when I cried out to Him.  I now look back on this time and thank God for bringing good out of it.  I now reap the benefits of joy and peace in my current diagnosis of cancer.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12, NIV).

Read Romans 12:12. What are we to be joyful in?

What are we to be patient in?

What are we to be faithful in?

When we have hope in Christ, we experience joy.  We can praise God for His presence during times of trials.  We can be filled with joy and peace instead of sorrow and depression.

YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

Depression can arise when we least expect it.  It showed up for me just yesterday when it was a cloudy day and I could not get out.  However, I cried out to God for help and He filled me with a song which proclaimed that the joy of the Lord is my strength.  The depression lifted and I praised God for His strength.

Name a time when you felt downcast.

How did you react?

How did you reach out to God?

What Scripture spoke to you during this time?

How were you filled with joy?

The joy of the Lord is indeed our strength.  We can praise God for being there for us when we cry out to Him.  God will then replace our low spirits with His joy.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being there for me when I feel down.  I ask You to fill me with Your joy unspeakable each and every day.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM

Before any great achievement, some measure of depression is very usual.  C.H. Spurgeon

When you come to the bottom, you find God.  Neville Talbot

No matter how low you feel, if you count your blessings, you’ll always show a profit.  Author unknown

Christ is not only a remedy for your weariness and trouble, but he will give you an abundance of the contrary, joy and delight.  Jonathan Edwards

Joy is the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved.  Henri Nouwen

FICKLE FEELINGS CH 1: PEACE FOR ANXIETY

Before my first manic episode and diagnosis of bipolar disorder, I was still working as an occupational therapist.  I began having mood swings which I attributed to PMS.  The mood swing worsened and I became anxious because I had no answers.  I began having panic attacks at work which affected my work.  I finally had to take a leave of absence.  Without the occupational therapy, I felt worthless.  The anxiety still creeped into my everyday life.  A couple of weeks after I took a leave of absence, I had my first manic episode.  I felt like I had lost all control.  It took a few years for the bipolar disorder to get under control due to medication.  I found out that I learned many lessons from the bipolar disorder.  I felt strengthened and the anxiety was replaced with His peace that passes all understanding.  I praised God for His peace and His presence in my life.

MEMORY VERSE

“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” (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV).

WHAT’S IN A WORD?

Anxiety…

Anxiety is “a state of being uneasy, apprehensive, or worried about what may happen” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is “painful or apprehensive uneasiness of mind usually over an impending or anticipated ill” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).  It is “to draw in different directions, distract…that which causes this, a care, especially an anxious care” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).

Peace…

Peace is “an undisturbed state of mind; absence of mental conflict; serenity” (Webster’s New World College Dictionary).  It is “a state of tranquility or quiet” (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary).  It is “the sense of rest and contentment” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words).

HIDDEN GEMS

Anxiety is prevalent in today’s society.  “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up” (Proverbs 12:25, NIV).  It indeed weighs a person down.  Anxiety fills us with unrest and discomfort.

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken” (Psalm 55:22, NIV).

Read Psalm 55:22. What are we to cast on the Lord?

What will God do in response?

What will God never let happen.

We all need the sustaining force that God offers.  When we cast our cares on the Lord, He will indeed sustain us.  We can then praise God for helping us through every trial we face.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1, NIV).

Read John 14:1. What are we not to let our hearts be?

What did Jesus desire for us to do?

When we believe in God, we can believe in Christ.  God has the best in mind for us.  However, anxiety can weigh our hearts and trouble us.  Anxiety interferes with the peace that God offers.

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3, NIV).

Read Isaiah 26:3. How is peace described?

What must our minds be to keep in perfect peace?

What do they do in God?

Trust brings peace.  We must have steadfast minds to obtain perfect peace.  When peace comes, we can draw near to God for help.

“Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14, NIV).

Read Psalm 34:14. What are we to turn from?

What are we to do?

What are we to seek and pursue?

When we seek peace and pursue it, our relationship with God is strengthened.  Anxiety is not present in peace.  We can then praise God for being close to us to help us do His will.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27, NIV).

Read John 14:27. What did Jesus leave with His followers?

What did Jesus not give as?

What should we not let our hearts be?

What did Jesus say for us not to be?

What a marvelous gift of peace that Jesus left for us.  We do not have to let our hearts be troubled or afraid as we seek God in all we do.  We do not look at what the world gives because the world is filled with empty promises.

YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

We all experience anxiety from time to time.  The good news is that we can turn to God for help in the midst of our trials.  This will bring us His peace that passes all understanding.

Name a time when you felt anxious.

What trial was you facing?

How did you cry out to God?

What Scripture spoke to you during this time?

How did God bring you peace?

What marvelous peace we can have.  We can praise God in the midst of our trials and obtain peace.  We can then find the strength to face whatever comes our way.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, I surrender my anxious cares to You this day.  Fill me with Your peace that passes understanding.  I praise and worship You for this peace.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

NUGGETS OF WISDOM

Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.  Author unknown

Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.  C.H. Spurgeon

No God, no peace.  Know God, know peace.  Author unknown

Peace is the tranquility of order.  Augustine of Hippo

There is never any peace for those who resist God.  Francois Fenelon