When you’re overwhelmed by heart-pounding panic, paralyzed by fear, or exhausted from yet another sleepless night spent worrying, you’ll do just about anything to get relief.

More than one in five American adults took medications for psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and depression in 2010, according to new research by Medco Health Solutions, Inc. Titled America's State of Mind ...
The analysis revealed that 20 percent of all adults took at least one drug to treat a psychiatric condition, while among women that number rose to 25 percent—or one in four—reporting having taken such drugs.*

 Faith is complete, blind trust and obedience.  Faith doesn’t understand everything – but it's doing it anyway because you trust God and His perfect care and guidance!

AND faith requires humility. It requires us to admit we don’t have all the answers or the abilities we need, but we know the One who does. Anxieties can flair up when we’re trying to do it all on our own. Therefore the first step is admitting we need help! (Look back at Phil 4:6-7)

 This can be hard because it may cause us to feel weak in an area where others may appear to be strong. There is always going to be the temptation to keep pushing and hope the anxiety goes away on its own.

Which can bring on other coping mechanisms, however. 

Some may try to alleviate stress by snacking constantly on junk food. Some drink wine or other alcoholic beverages to take the edge off. Others may try to find solace in television, books or social media. BUT none of these are healthy ways of dealing with stress and anxiety and can actually end up doing more harm than good.

PRAYER through faith is our answer. 

We need to turn our anxious thoughts and worries into prayer; which requires developing a conditioned reflex, like when we touch something hot our brain  immediately tells us to pull back. We need to recognize what's happening immediately and turn it completely over to God and His word promises that, " the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will mount guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  

No other stress relievers needed.

Paul is pointing out the fact that what we fill our minds with has a profound effect on our spiritual and mental state of being.

We need to remember that we live in a world at war. While God wants us to succeed and flourish, there is another who would love nothing better than to see us struggle and fail. He will come and whisper in your ear lies about your identity, your self-worth, your status before God, your past, your future, your hope; anything that will help him succeed in keeping you stressed, anxious and feeling like a failure. We not only need to recognize these for the lies they are, but combat them with God’s truth.

If you are walking through a valley of anxiety right now, there's hope! Give it all up, and keep turning it over to the One who is able to give you victory over whatever is causing your stress at the moment and fill your mind on the truths found in His word.

I hope you'll also remember this may be an on going battle which may not be won immediately, but He has given us our weapons of warfare and one another to help eventually gain the victory over our fears! If you're ready to fight, we're here to help! Please let us know how we can be praying for you over at Women in the Word!

Blessings!
sue