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Be anxious for nothing Bible verse

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Be anxious for nothing Bible verse

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, New King James Version, NKJV)

Anxiety is defined as “the state of feeling nervous, worried, or afraid that something bad is going to happen” (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 9th Ed.).

So when you are anxious, it simply means that you are nervous, worried, and/or afraid.

What causes anxiety?

Anxiety arises due to our inability to put our entire trust in God. Somehow, we usually find it very difficult to surrender all that we are and all that we have to God. In our limited minds, we erroneously think or believe that we should be in charge, that we should be in control of our lives. We think that at least we must ‘do something’ to secure our lives and our future. While it may at times be true, it is not always the case.

In this article, we look at what the Bible says about anxiety and how to overcome it.

What does the Bible say about anxiety?

In Matthew 6:25–27, Jesus teaches about an element of anxiety called worry as follows:

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they are? Which of you, by worrying, can add one cubit to his stature?”

Here, Jesus puts plainly matters that cause anxiety to man, namely, life, food, and clothing. Since times ancient, man has been busy ‘working’ for food, clothing, and a better life. However, despite our relentless efforts, there have always been inadequacies in one thing or another because we pursue these things without putting God first, as recorded in Matthew 6:31–34, that says

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘what shall we drink?’ or ‘what shall we wear?’ For after all these things, the Gentiles seek Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Here, Jesus gives a hint about how we can deal with anxiety. He tells us that if we can just focus on seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then in His own way and at His own appointed time, He will supply whatever we are in need of, according to His will.

How to deal with anxiety

In Philippians 4:6-7, the Apostle Paul highlights three strategies that every believer can employ to successfully overcome anxiety. These include

#1. Dealing with anxiety through prayer

The Bible teaches us to call upon the name of God in times of trouble, and He will help us. We read this in 2 Samuel 22:7, which says

“In my distress, I called upon the LORD, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry entered His ears.”

In this verse, we see David experiencing distress as a result of his situation. His decision to call on God was the best, as He states that He was heard and delivered from all his troubles.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, The Apostle Paul encourages us to pray without ceasing. This means that at all times, we should be in constant communication with God. By so doing, we will leave no room for anxiety to eat us up.

Jesus himself encouraged us that men ought to always pray and not lose heart in order to keep the Faith. We read this in Luke 18:1–8, which says:

“Then He spoke a parable to them, saying that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: ‘There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city, and she came to him, saying, Get justice for me from my adversary. And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ Then the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect, who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on earth?’’”

From this verse, we learn that by always praying, our faith in God grows stronger and stronger, despite how difficult our situations might be.

#2. Dealing with anxiety though supplication

Supplication is defined by the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (9th Ed.) as the act of asking for something with a very humble request or prayer. For example, praying while kneeling is a form of supplication.

The book of Daniel 9:17–19 gives us a model prayer of supplication by the prophet Daniel; this is what it says:

“Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake, cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds but because of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

From this prayer, we learn that supplication involves praying in total submission to God with all humility. It also involves asking God to forgive us all our iniquities, sins, and trespasses. It implies total surrender to the will and purpose of God for our lives.

#3. Dealing with anxiety through thanksgiving

The Bible teaches us to give thanks in all things, no matter what we are going through. We read this in the book of 1 Thessalonians 5:18. It says

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

When you give thanks in whatever circumstances you are facing, it shifts the focus of your heart and mind away from your troubles and toward the power of God available for your deliverance. In so doing, anxiety goes away and is replaced by hope and faith that things will work out for the best.

The story of King Jehoshaphat of Judah gives us a very good example of the power of praise and thanksgiving in the face of threatening circumstances. We find this story in 2 Chronicles 20:20–22, which says:

“So they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:

Praise the LORD, for His mercy endures forever.’

Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, and they were defeated. The people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.”

According to this passage, God defeated the armies of Ammon and Moab as a result of the praise and thanksgiving given by the praise team positioned in front of the army of Judah.

Paul and Silas sang while in custody until the prison shook due to the power of God. We read this in Acts 16:25–26, which says

“But at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.”

#4. Dealing with anxiety through casting our cares on God

Another way to deal with anxiety is to cast all your cares on God, as recorded in 1 Peter 5:6-7, that says

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

The same message is recorded in Psalms 55:22, where the Bible says:

“Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Psalms 56:3–4 echoes the same sentiments as it says:

“Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? ”

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed anxiety and how to overcome it within the Biblical context. The scriptures have taught us that we can overcome anxiety through prayer, supplications, thanksgiving, and total surrender of all our cares and burdens to God. On top of all these, our faith in God is crucial as we wait on Him to fulfill His purposes for our lives. I leave you with this scripture found in Proverbs 3:5–6.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

I hope the information was helpful. Thank you.

Related Post: Be strong and courageous bible verse

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Source: https://www.biblegateway.com/

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