Biblical Plan For Anxiety

Biblical plan for anxiety

Phil. 4:6-8 2kings 19:14-19

1 Peter 5:6-11, 1 Chronicle 4:9-10

Prayer-

Father today, I pray that we would see our future through the eyes of our savior Jesus Christ.

I pray Lord that we may have our times of anxiety, but we will not live there. It may be something we go through but it is not a place that we will stay.

I do not know Lord what each of us has ahead of us but I know who does and I pray that we each seek Him out to be Lord of our lives and that He will give us victory to live our lives according to His riches and glory.

According to the power that is given to a believer to accomplish all that is given us and that we see the future as a positive instead of a negative.

We would become who we are supposed to be in a time that we are to be it.

I feel like I have been to church already! If we would come to this altar of God with that kind of boldness, this community would be set free by the power and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Believers would be set free by the power of Jesus Christ.

Introduction-

This morning as we look at Philippians chapter 4, I want each of us to be encouraged by the words the Apostle Paul shares to the church concerning anxiety and the power there is in prayer for our lives.

I want to tell you this morning, if we did more praying and less worrying, there would be less anxiety in the world.

Paul tells us in Colossians 4 to be devoted to prayer. Be watchful. Thankful. Praying for others and praying that doors would be opening for the gospel and chains f bondage would come off believers.

Text- Philippians chapter 4:4-7 read from the Bible

People worry about things that never happen-

People worry about things out of their control

Stress is at an all time high

More medicines are given today for anxiety now than ever before.

This generation which is supposed to be more connected technologically than ever before seems like we struggle for inner peace and time for ourselves.

We never disconnect. That mini -computer in your pocket called a phone never lets you have a moment to decompress.

Don’t believe me, we check our phone for messages on average of every 6 minutes.

I have turned around and drove back to get my phone, even if we are only going to be away for a few minutes.

Some of you sleep with the phone on your bed with you and never get a good night’s sleep.

We text someone and they do not get back to you right away- you become agitated.

We have information at our figure tips, but we don’t have a pause button for our life to take a breath. It Is 24/7.

We go on vacation and feel like we are strapped to the phone because someone would be mad or needed you and you weren’t there.

Everyone is busy. I don’t care who you talk too. “I am busy” BUSY, BUSY, BUSY! What are you doing with yourself, why are you so busy?” I don’t know I am just busy. Never shut down.

Multi tasking on every level of your life. Not being able to just sit and relax.

I never hear someone say that they have free time and just living the dream.

I do not even hear retired people say that- they say things like, I have been so busy that I don’t know how I found time to work.

When you get that busy, you know what suffers first?

Devotion time with god

Prayer time with God

Fellowship with your friends

Church/ Sunday instead of a time of worship at church and a time of fellowship with friends becomes a time of exhaustion.

Paul in much conversation with the churches is telling them to slow down and make sure they are praying and seeking the Lord in the midst of ministry and working.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again rejoice!” he says it twice so you would listen at least once.

It is hard to rejoice when you cannot get a breath!

It is hard to be gentle like Christ or Christ-like when the weight of the world is riding on your shoulders and most of the time, we are putting it on ourselves.

Let your “being in Christ” be evident to all who you come into contact with.

Paul calls us to Joy and peace in all circumstances.

He commands us to rejoice in the Lord

As a verb, he says that we are not to have spontaneous outburst of joy but live in an attitude of joy and praise and live a lifestyle of the Lord working in our lives. Would that not be a welcome relief?