The full Serenity Prayer - a great resource to combat anxiety

I find that using the Serenity prayer is a great way of reducing anxiety in my life. The full version of the prayer is very helpful and teaches us to trust in the Lord's work in our lives. If you are struggling with worry at the moment, then I invite you to pray this prayer as often as you need to.

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace,
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it,
Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will,
That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen."

Matthew 6:27 - Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? 

Living in Grace

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Don't let yourself be disturbed!

 

Have you felt yourself becoming restless and disturbed lately? It could be down to a lot of different reasons, but we can easily become anxious and worried about many things. Life is complex and we are facing may tough situations all around us. 

When Jesus was preparing his disciples for his imminent departure, he encouraged them not to be afraid. He says to them in John 14:1 - "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and also trust in me."

In the Complete Jewish Bible, the verse reads like this: "Don’t let yourselves be disturbed. Trust in God and trust in me." I like the variation in this translation because it really speaks to me. 

I pray that whatever you may be facing at the moment, that you would Trust in Jesus, and allow God's Spirit to keep your heart from becoming too anxious and disturbed.

Living in Grace

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Do not worry

I find the following words of Paul quite disturbing. 

"Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." - Philippians 4:6

They disturb me because of the many times I easily slip into worry mode. Afterall, I know this scripture - and you know this scripture, yet how many times do we still worry. It seems that worry becomes a default setting for many of us. 

This verse does however remind us of the gift of prayer. We are instructed not to worry, because we can make our requests to God. I suppose, it simply invites us to ask God to do the 'worrying' for us. 

What do you make of this verse? Do you also sometimes slip into worry-mode?

"And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?" - Luke 12:26

Living in Grace

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Do not Fret!

"Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;" - Psalm 37:1

I know that we don't use the word 'FRET' much anymore, but when we spend a little time dwelling on its meaning, one realises what a powerful word it is.

Fret can mean - “be constantly or visibly anxious” (verb)

Or it can mean - “gradually wear away something by rubbing/gnawing”

After doing a little digging around I realised it comes from an old English word ‘freton’, which literally means ‘to devour like an animal.’ And if we analyse, we conclude that this is what worry does to all of us – it eats us up from the inside. 

Question: What are you fretting about at the moment? Are you able to hand this over to the Lord?

Living in Grace

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Where are you casting?

If you know anything about fishing you will understand that it is very important to cast your line into the right places if you want to catch fish. Sounds simple I know, but it really makes the world of difference to your ability to catch any fish.

When Peter urged the Church to cast their cares unto Jesus he was passing on the same message to the believers - this time in a spiritual sense.

We are not going to decrease our burdens if we cast them in the wrong directions. For example, if we allow our burdens and stress to damage our relationships then we are not 'casting' them into the right space. Just a thought...

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:17)

So, let me ask us all - "Where are you casting your anxiety?"

Living in Grace

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Coping with Anxiety

As we draw near to the beginning of Advent and the Christmas season you may be dealing with your own worries and great stress. Here is an article I wrote this week for Scripture Union Magazine entitled Coping with Stress. 

You may find it interesting. A lot of it is written from my own personal experience. Hope you enjoy it and find it helpful. Bless you.


Living in Grace
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What is helping you?

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." - Hebrews 6:19

When the storms of life come, we will all need something to give us strength and keep us firm and secure. What are you turning too when you encounter these tough times? Paul mentioned that they were able to put their HOPE in the person of Jesus - that sounds like the best idea of them all.

“Pray, and let God worry.”- Martin Luther

Living in Grace
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Anxiety

When I first read this next quote I wasn't sure how I truly felt about it. Initially I was indignant, but then I thought about it a bit more and recognised some of the profound truth in it.

"Anxiety is the mark of spiritual immaturity." - Thomas Merton

Is this what Jesus was getting at when he remarked:

Matthew 6:25 -  “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear.

And also the apostle Paul....

Philippians 4:6 - Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 

Does my anxiety reveal my lack of trust in Jesus to "be in all things of my life?" Does it reveal a side of spirituality that I refuse to acknowledge? Tough to ask myself these questions, but important to be honest.

Living in Grace
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Do not be anxious

Philippians 4:6 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Sometimes the things we worrying about come to pass, but more often than not, they actually never materialise. So, if you find yourself as a "worrier" then the words from Paul in Philippians 4 are for you today. He gives us this solid advice:

1. Don't be anxious
2. Pray about these things
3. Ask God to help you in these tough times
4. Offer thanksgiving to God for his deliverance (in advance)

Hope this helps us all today. Go with God.

Living in Grace
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Fear drives me to ...

John 20: 19 – “On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews."

Fear can do all kinds of things to us. It can make us run away, it can paralyse us and it can make us hide away from others, just like the early disciples. In the end, it is our fears that can rob us of the peace that God offers all of us. 

What are you afraid of today? 
What are your fears doing to you? Are they making you feel helpless, lonely or so anxious that you feel sick?
Will you invite Jesus to come into your life situation and bring his peace?

If you read the rest of John 20:19, you will see that is says the following:

"...Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!”

May God grant you his SHALOM today.

Living in Grace
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