Author: Prayer for Anxiety

I might look strong on the outside, but I’m actually weak on the inside

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Strong on the outside

Get free from the false image of strength

You look like you have it all together, but inside you’re a wreck. Those who experience this know exactly what we mean. You appear tough and confident, but inside you’re vulnerable. What should you do?

You are not alone

First of all, many people feel like this. For example, it’s very common for this kind of situation to occur if you’ve lost a loved one. You might seem okay, but inside you just want to cry all the time – but you can’t or life won’t let you.

Some people have lived nearly all their life like this. Maybe you’re the oldest child, and you always had to be responsible. Or perhaps the display of emotion was frowned upon – or even punished – when you were young. This is also a common reaction to being a victim of abuse.

Over the years you put on a coat of strength. You have been hurt and anyone touching or even just seeing your wounds is unthinkable. Meanwhile, the suffering inside continues unnoticed and un-cared for.

Think back

Try to remember the last time you felt free just being yourself. You might have to go way back into your childhood. Remembering may also bring pain, as you recall things that caused this sense of freedom to disappear. In prayer, ask God to guide and protect you from further damage during this process of remembering.

Reach out

The enemy wants to keep us isolated and quiet. Don’t let him fool you. Just talking heals, so reach out to someone. Be careful though not to talk with just anyone about your situation. Protect your heart, because if you get hurt again it will take even longer to heal.

You can seek professional help, but it’s also important to find someone spiritually grounded; someone with a solid and transparent life testimony. Do you know a person who is strong in their faith and lives a wholesome life? That person might just be the one to reach out to. Don’t seek advice; look for a good listener instead.

The Greatest Message is your key to freedom

What is the central message of the Christian faith? Forgiveness. When we put on a false face of strength, we might be hiding a need to forgive or be forgiven. Even if you can’t pinpoint a specific event, just knowing about God’s great mercy helps you understand what can set you free from a false image of strength.

God’s Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. When we step fully into this truth, we are the same in front of humans as we are in front of God. The truth is that we have all been hurt. The truth is that we have all hurt others. No one is exempt. But all our wounds, scars, and weaknesses can be cause for joy because of how God choose to show his love for us.

Not a magic wand, but Life

Jesus does not offer magic solutions or psychological manipulation for your problems. Instead he offers his life. He offers his innocence and vulnerability in order that you might be free. This is the greatest truth for the Christian, and it is the source of our spiritual life.

You see, it doesn’t depend on what you did or what happened to you. Jesus knows all about it. And he was crucified for all that badness. He died for you. He knows how vulnerable you are. Instead of showing you how to deal with it through control, he shows you how to overcome it through love.

Forgiving does not mean forgetting. It means bringing to light things that hurt us so God’s Spirit can bring us authentic healing. You can finally walk free in God’s presence.

Let the tears fall

If you haven’t cried in a while, then let it all out. Tears cleanse and heal. Present all your weakness, bruises, and shame to God. He will not reject you. He accepts you as you are.

It’s okay to admit weakness. It’s okay to not have it all under control. This only means you’re human.

Understanding this allows you to rise up, resurrected in the truth that there is a great God in heaven that loves you infinitely.

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Prayer for decision making

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This prayer for decision making can help inspire you to seek God’s will. Do you want to have more clarity when making decisions? You can find it in prayer. See our complete list of prayers here. 

Read more: The secret to thinking clearly

Prayer for decision makingLet us pray for you.

If you have to make an important decision, be sure to include God in the conversation as early as possible. Don’t feel rushed. Seek the answer in God’s presence and in His Word. Once you get an answer, you also get something else very special – God’s blessing.

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Can anxiety be due to a lack of character?

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Can anxiety be due to a lack of character

Want to be stronger? Then pray for it.

The cause of anxiety can sometimes be obvious, such as problems with family, health, or work. Anxiety can also be made worse by a lack of character. Let’s see how you can strengthen your character – or better yet, let God make you stronger.

What is character?

Your character is the collection of attributes that determine your actions and reactions. When someone lacks character they tend to look for the easy way out. We don’t want to face our challenges so we:

  • Make excuses
  • Complain
  • Blame others or our past
  • Hide from the truth (denial)
  • Compare ourselves to others

In our hearts though, we know what the problem is. Weakness of character can linger for years and cause great anxiety or depression.

Seek truth

In the areas of your life where you encounter anxiety, ask yourself: In what way is my lack of character making the problem worse?

This is not to place blame, but an attempt to see clearly where you can improve things. Only in the trials of life will we find the weak spots in our character. This is why James said that we should “consider it pure joy” when we face difficult situations (James 1:2).

Sometimes we know we handle things poorly, but we don’t know why. We might think it’s laziness when really it might be vanity. Or we might believe our weakness is anger when in reality we are envious. In the light of prayer and introspection, God helps us to see the truth which leads to healing and strength.

A strong character means peace

Weak moments take away your peace. In these cases, when you overreact – or don’t react at all – you don’t feel peace. Did you try to force your will upon others? Did you fail to be loyal to your convictions? At what point did you lose your peace? Answering these questions help you achieve peace which is at the heart of a strong character.

This does not mean that you have to be emotionless. Peace allows for the true and proper expression of feelings.

Put the tempter in his place

The enemy will come to tempt and accuse you during this process. He wants you to be blind and weak. He will tell you things like:

  • He/she is completely wrong; they are always making mistakes.
  • You are completely wrong; you always make mistakes.
  • Change is impossible, this is just how I am.

Satan tempts us to accept the death of hope. These are power situations where you feel a false sense of control by not having to act or react. Too many times we listen to the accuser and rest upon these lies. But none of it is true since there is always a chance for change.

These accusations can also come from people. Don’t listen to people that try to break you down. Don’t listen to the sweet talkers either that tell you that you don’t have any responsibility. Seek truth instead.

Finally, if you fall into the same temptation again and again, this is an opportunity. The measure of your character is how you respond to temptation. Every single time you say “no” you make a habit of strength.

Love is the way

Jesus said:

  • “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34)
  • “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)

How did Jesus do this? He came down from heaven to live as a human being. He became one of us to show us how much he understands our suffering. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Do not condemn, but be merciful and forgiving and seek forgiveness. This is hard work and requires discernment and spiritual effort. The things that stop you from loving, stop you from having a strong character.

The strength of your character will increase with your capacity to love.

Find courage

You cannot build a strong character without facing tough times. Some people wish they could win the lottery, thinking only then can they live their dreams. But the easy way out delays – or destroys – the process necessary to develop a strong character. Integrity and character are elements that dispel anxiety, depression, and fear. Nobody can take away your integrity – except yourself.

Instead of winning the lottery, for example, it’s better to find joy in an honest day’s labor. Instead of a magic wand to take away your trouble, accept your situation and let God mold you through the struggle. Stop looking to place blame and know that Jesus took all the blame upon himself.

Begin to hope that you can be committed. Begin to believe that you can be strong.

Prayer Time

God may not send you trials, but he does offer to help you with them. When the going gets tough; get on your knees. Cry out to God to show you what he wants. In the places where we are strong, God doesn’t have much room to work. But in the places where we depend on him, his Spirit can produce miraculous results.

A strong character is built day by day, trial by trial, and prayer by prayer. It’s not an easy process, but the rewards are eternal.

The secret to thinking clearly

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The secret to thinking clearly
Cluttered thinking leads to wasted time and anxiety. So how do you organize your thoughts?

Running around makes you worry

When you chase after the worries of the world, you dedicate attention to things of little value. How much time do you waste looking things that don’t enrich your life? Before the Internet and smartphones it was just television, but the same source is behind it all.

The Tempter

The modern world tries to tell us that Satan does not exist. Still, we see exaggerated forms of evil every day in the news. Some people may even suffer from demonic possession. Where does this come from? In some ways, clear thought depends on knowing that the devil exists, and he does all he can to distract us. In the Bible we see how he tempted humans from the very beginning. Even Jesus was tempted. Understanding that temptation is largely external helps us to resist confusion.

Thinking clearly

When you get confused, stop for a moment and say, “The enemy is at work here. He is trying to distract me. He’s tempting me to believe that there is no way to see things clearly.” This doesn’t mean a demon is lurking around trying to control you. But if something takes away your peace, what might be the source?

Some say it’s natural, but animals don’t suffer from this problem. Have you ever seen a pet dog anxious about if their owner is going to feed them tomorrow? Wild animals have to find or kill their meal everyday – do we see squirrels frozen with worry? Satan prefers to work unnoticed by us. He wants us to think he doesn’t exist. He convinces us that our problems are just a part of us.

Nobody’s life is perfect

Everybody has trials and tribulations, but worry only exaggerates them. Our brains go around and around causing us to waste energy. We lose our way and focus on worry instead of solutions. Even if there is no immediate solution, there is a way to have peace.

Do you believe?

Prayer is more than just asking for help. In many ways, prayer organizes your thoughts. When you stop to pray, things fall into perspective. First of all, you get a chance to think about what you have to do. You are reminded of important tasks. It might be something like “pay the heating bill,” or something much more important like “call your mom.”

Pray specifically to put order and clarity into your thoughts.

Besides putting day-to-day order in your life, you also receive a heavenly order. In prayer, you remember who Jesus is and what he did for you. You might understand this with your head, but in prayer it sinks deep into your heart. Your focus shifts away from temptations, and you are nourished by eternal truths such as mercy, forgiveness, and love. It becomes easier to see what really matters. The clutter falls away, and you see with a clear eye.

Time spent in prayer even reveals “hidden” secrets. You see things for how they really are without complications. A situation unfolds before you in the light of God’s truth, and suddenly you’re not confused anymore.

Practice makes perfect

This kind of thinking doesn’t happen overnight or with just one prayer. You have to work on it. But as Paul explained, this practice gives us a peace that “transcends all understanding.” You rise above the worries and distractions of the world. In Christ’s resurrection you know the tempter has no power over you. You rise again with your triumphant Savior. You are free to think clearly.

Meditate on Paul’s words: “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).

Full list of Prayers                        Ask for prayer

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How To Stop Negative Thoughts

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How To Stop Negative Thoughts Prayer For Anxiety Explains

Let God blow your fears away

In some ways negative thinking is protective. It prevents us from leaping into danger. The problem occurs when negativity dominates our lives and affects interpersonal relationships. So how do we stop negative thoughts?

Are the walls really crumbling down?

When things aren’t the way we like  we are tempted to paint a gloomy picture. So we think, “Well, if I assume the worst, I can’t get hurt.” If disaster strikes we want to be ready, so we adopt this anesthesia against bad news. The problem is this can lead to a constant state of hurt affecting those around you also. Let the truth free you instead.

Stop labeling

The first step in how to stop negative thoughts is to stop labeling. Labels get you stuck. So do your best to avoid saying things like:

  • I always make mistakes.
  • My life stinks.
  • I’m a horrible person.
  • There is no hope for my family.
  • He/she is always a problem.
  • I’m always unlucky.

None of these labels are true. Don’t be fooled into believing them.

See our complete list of over 180 helpful prayers.

Stop projecting

Nobody can predict the future, so stop trying. If you keep telling yourself that you are going to fail, then you might just ruin any chances of success. Or if you keep imagining someone is going to end up in a mess, then you might not be able to see clearly in order to help. Try not to project doomsday upon the world.

Also, you can’t read other people’s minds, so avoid imagining negative thoughts into their heads. A person might not have returned your phone call or text for many reasons other than they hate you. Maybe they have a life to live first, right?

It’s not all about you

Remember, you can’t control the universe no matter how much you worry. This includes the bad things that happen. So much is out of your control. Accept this reality and free yourself from taking all the blame on yourself.

What are you really afraid of?

It’s time to dig a little deeper. What are your true fears? Coming to grips with these will help you even more than the coping mechanisms mentioned above. Perhaps you have had a traumatic experience in the past. Have you looked for a way to reconcile this?

Maybe you are afraid of failure, scared to try, or afraid of risk. Are you scared to live and trust in God? Maybe you feel that you deserve to control the world. Put away these self-centered ideas and begin to focus on something much greater: HOPE.

So what if you make a mistake? All people – great and small – have made great mistakes. But never give up hope. Life is an experience, not perfection. It’s often messy and sometimes even bloody. When a baby is born there’s pain, suffering, and blood. But then new life appears. And before all this goes great hope.

Prayer time

When you pray, let your negative thoughts blow away and unwind in God’s presence. Even if it takes a while, let his Spirit cleanse you of negativity. Then, when you’re ready, ask God for help. Ask him to put order into your thought process. The perfect order that he wants for you consists of faith, hope, and love.

When you stop to pray, you break out of the vicious cycle of negative thinking. Sometimes you have to force yourself at first. Begin with this simple prayer: “Jesus, I trust in you.” Repeat this over and over until you calm down enough to start seeing things more realistically.

Ask to be freed of negativity. Ask with confidence, and ask in Jesus’ name.

Even in moments of true darkness you can run to him. Focus on God’s great compassion and mercy. He will help you accept things as they are without worry. He might not change your situation, but he is guaranteed to change your heart.

Jesus showed us the way. His prayer to his Father? Thy Will Be Done. Let God take control.

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