I Am Anxious - Part 1

Are you worried? Are you overwhelmed by restless thoughts? Have you ever said, “I’ve always been a nervous person, I can’t change.” Today, I share three tips on exchanging your anxiety with God’s word, so you don’t need to worry at all.

Tip #1 – Go to God’s Word for Help. Scripture gives wisdom to overcome anxiety as we open our hearts to restoration. Psalm 139:23, “Heavenly Father, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.[ii]” In Jesus’ name, amen Psalm 34:4, “I will seek “the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.[iii]” 

Proven Way #2 – Refuse to Think About Things that Haven’t Happened. Projecting your thoughts into the future does you no good. God is the only one who knows the future. 

Proven Way #3 – Remember to Thank God for His Provision. Anxiety and worry are rooted in fear, the remedy is thankfulness. Phil 4:6 and 7 says, “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.[xii]” 

Thank God we can sing to Him. “I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks.” Nehemiah 12:31

Thank God, we can praise Him. “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Psalm 100:4 

Thank God, we can praise Him for triumph over sin. “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57

Thank God, He guides us. “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.”  2 Corinthians 2:14

Thank God, we can thank Him in every circumstance. “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Remember God’s Word is your weapon to fight your anxiety.

Proven Way #1. Go to God’s Word for Help. Praying scripture is effective. Heavenly Father, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.[xiii]” In Jesus’ name, amen 

Proven Way #2. Refuse to Think About Things that Haven’t Happened. Psalm 94:19, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”

Proven Way #3. Remember to Thank God for His Provision Phil 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Print the Thank You Therapy list and speak it aloud every day this week. Let God’s truth change your worry to worship. You will be thankful and full of peace in His Son.

Thank you for joining me, I am excited to be part of your journey. Please share this episode and hit subscribe so you don't miss any new episodes. I can't wait for you to experience God's peace, comfort, and wholeness.

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Transcript

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Are you continuously worried? Are you overwhelmed by restless thoughts? Have you ever said, I've always been a nervous person, I can't change? Today I share three tips to help you apply God's truth so you're able to rest in His peace. Restore Your Heart starts right now. I'm your host, Cheryl Giespreck Turner. Each week I bring tips and tools from God's Word to help you identify and overcome triggers, trauma, or tragedy. When your heart is hurting or broken, God's heart breaks right along with yours. If you're anything like me, you've asked questions like, Why am I going through this? Or when will my suffering end? Or will my pain ever stop? You felt abandoned and alone. Be encouraged. You've found a friend here who knows. God understands each hurt. God cares about each loss. Everything that has happened to you has broken God's heart. Let's get started. I remember as a young mom, I was anxious. For the first five years of each of their lives, my children endured months of illnesses, ear infections, bronchitis, and pneumonia. There were so many visits to doctors, pharmacies, emergency rooms, and even hospital stays, I became overly worried about the health of my loved ones. Maybe you can relate. Did you know anxiety disorders affect over 40 million adults in the United States? Charles Vergens said, our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strengths. I learned I don't have to be a victim of my anxiety, and neither do you. Here's how. Tip number one, go to God's Word for help. Scripture offers wisdom on how to overcome anxiety as we open our hearts up to restoration. Like a Jeep driving through mud, cutting ruts into the road, if you continually drive over the same ruts, the tire retread the same path. If your mind keeps visiting the same anxieties over and over, you become stuck in a rut. Only through renewing your mind through God's word can you cut new ruts of peace and hope. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. In Jesus' name, amen. Psalm 34, 4, I will seek the Lord, and he answered me. He delivered me from all my fears. The word anxious, typically translated merim nao, defined as worry in the New Testament, means to be anxious about. Jesus talked about it in Matthew 6. Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Jesus understood the emotional injury worry and anxiety can bring. Worry, fed by fear, left unchecked, grows into anxiety. Here's another scripture for you: Psalm 46, 1 through 3. God is our refuge and strength and ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Proven tip number two, refuse to think about things that haven't happened. Projecting your thoughts into the future does you no good. God is the only one who knows the future. If faith is the evidence of things not seen, but hoped for and believed, then anxiety is the opposite. Anxiety is the evidence of things not seen, but feared and believed. The Bible talks about how restoration from anxiety works. In Proverbs it says, anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. That's from Psalms. And then from the New Testament, 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. It's no wonder that the Bible mentions do not fear, do not be afraid, and be strong nearly 3,000 times. You might remember we discussed fear in I Am Afraid, episode 19, part one, and I am afraid part two, episode 20. Fear and anxiety are like sisters. They often go hand in hand. So it might be helpful for you to review those episodes. That's why Jesus says to intentionally cast your cares upon the Lord, and he will sustain you. He will never let the righteous fall. That's Psalm 55, 22. And here's another scripture that's encouraging, Luke 12, verse 7. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows. Luke 12, 22 through 26 says, Do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens. They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable are you than birds? Who of you, by worrying, can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Proven tip number three remember to thank God for his provision. Anxiety and worry are rooted in fear, and the remedy is thankfulness. Philippians 4, 6 and 7 says, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. I know it might seem easier said than done, do not be anxious, but if you choose to replace your anxious thoughts with thank you therapy, you will find peace. You and I are not to carry our cares, but to share our burdens with Jesus. Returning thanks to God puts perspective around our situation and helps us reorganize our feelings. We can actually move from anxiety to peace. Thank God we can call on his name. First Chronicles 16:8, give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known among the nations what he has done. We can thank God we can sing the hymn, even though some of us might call it a joyful noise. Nehemiah 12 31 says, I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. We can also thank God, we can praise him. Psalm 100, verse 4, enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. We can also thank God for triumph over sin. 1 Corinthians 15 57. But thanks be to God. We can also thank God that he guides us. 2 Corinthians 2.14. But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. We can also thank God in every circumstance. 1 Thessalonians 5.18, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. And that means even in the midst of our anxiousness, we can choose to give thanks to God. We can thank God for thank you therapy. Philippians 4, 4 through 7, rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all, the Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Remember, God's word is your weapon to fight your anxiety. Here's a review of our three proven tips about how to exchange your anxiety so that you may abide in God's peace. Proven tip number one, go to God's Word for help. Praying scripture is essential. Heavenly Father, search me, God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. That's Psalm 139, verse 23. Psalm 34, 4 says, I will seek the Lord, and he answered me. He delivered me from all of my fears. Matthew 6 24, therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life. Proven tip number two, refuse to think about things that have not happened. Psalm 94.19, when anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. Proven tip number three, remember to thank God for his provision. Philippians 4.4, rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, rejoice. In today's show notes, you can print the thank you therapy list and speak these declarations aloud every day this week. Let God's truth change your worry to worship. God already sees you thankful and full of peace in His Son. Thanks for joining me for restore your heart. If you're anxious, remember, greater is He that is in you than He that's in the world. In Christ, if God is for you, who can be against you? You can exchange your worry and anxiety for God's peace and rest. Please subscribe and leave a review at Cheryl G T.com. That's S-H-E-R-Y-L, G as in Go, T as in Tom. And don't forget to download the Thank You Therapy list. It's a powerful tool to help you renew your mind with truth every single day. This is Cheryl Geesbreck Turner. I hope you join us for the next episode as In Christ, we hear his word spoken over us Bible verses about overcoming anxiety and worry. See you then.