Anxiety, Breaking the Chains of Worry, Peace, Words of Endurance

Don’t worry about anything;
instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need,
and thank him for all he has done.
Then you will experience God’s peace,
which exceeds anything we can understand.
His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7



Nothing aggravates me more then when I am told to thank God for my suffering because I never feel thankful for the adversity that seems to occur continuously – on various levels – in my life. AND while I can verbally go through the motions and thank God for the adversity – God knows my heart. I always find myself asking God for forgiveness for my ungrateful heart.



BUT I have learned that when adversity strikes and I start down that ungrateful worry trail it helps to remember all God has done and promised for me. It does not change my circumstances but my focus is diverted from all my worries and obsessions to our awesome God and His Truth. After I consider all He has done it is then I can go to God with a true thankful heart.



“I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
PSALM 77:12 (NIV)



So when you find yourself on that ungrateful worry trail it will help to remember that no matter what happens to us during this earthly life, as a child of God we know and can be thankful for …



The gift of eternal life …



“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
JOHN 3:16 (NLT)



Jesus is preparing a place for us, Heaven, our eternal home …



“My Father’s house has many rooms;
if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
JOHN 14:2-3 (NIV)



We will live with God in heaven where He promises there will be no more suffering …



I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying,
“Look, God’s home is now among his people!
He will live with them, and they will be his people.
God himself will be with them.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes,
and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.
All these things are gone forever.”
REVELATION 21:3-4 (NLT)



The Lord is faithful to keep His promises …



The LORD always keeps his promises;
he is gracious in all he does.
PSALM 145:13 (NLT)



AND no matter how difficult the circumstance we are going through – He promises the following …



And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. ROMANS 8:28 (NLT)



As I consider all He has done over the span of my life, this gives me great hope for any future circumstance – breaking the chains of worry – for the Lord has been faithful to me.



The thought of my suffering and homelessness
is bitter beyond words.
I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.
Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:
The faithful love of the LORD never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
LAMENTATIONS 3:19-23 (NLT)



On the journey with you,
Jan Dravecky

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Anxiety, Breaking the Chains of Worry, Hope, Words of Endurance

Don’t worry about anything;
instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need,
and thank him for all he has done.
Then you will experience God’s peace,
which exceeds anything we can understand.
His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7



We are told over and over again in the Scripture to tell God what we need. I had faithfully followed this command by presenting my requests to God daily. But sadly, looking back, it was my habit that if I did not receive an answer within my time frame I would then “lose heart” and stop praying assuming that God was not going to answer my prayers.



But all that changed for me when I read the Parable of the Persistent Widow found in Luke 18:1-8. Jesus told that parable to His disciples to …



“… show that they should always pray and never give up.“
LUKE 18:1 (NLT)



Since that time, my prayers to God are like the Persistent Widow’s requests of the Judge. My prayers – filled with His Word and Promises – continually and consistently pound the Gates of Heaven. I believe and trust Jesus’ when He said …



“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.
Keep on seeking, and you will find.
Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”
MATTHEW 7:7 (NLT)



I also trust that my persistence may be accompanied with a confidence that my prayers go directly to the throne of grace – our High Priest – Jesus.



For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way,
just as we are—yet was without sin.
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence,
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
HEBREWS 4:15-16



And when my worries are so consuming that I don’t even know how to pray, I can trust that the Holy Spirit will intercede for me.



And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.
For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for.
But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying,
for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.
ROMANS 8:26-27 (NLT)



How awesome is it that you and I can know that we can take our worries and continually bring them to the throne room of God. We along with King David, can tell Him all our needs and all of our bases are covered!!!!



Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer;
answer me, for I need your help.
Protect me, for I am devoted to you.
Save me, for I serve you and trust you.
You are my God.
Be merciful to me, O Lord,
for I am calling on you constantly.
PSALM 86:1-3



On the journey with you,
Jan Dravecky

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