By Pastor Steve Nickodemus

Letting Go of Anxiety

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on the SoundCloud link

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests  to God.”
Philippians 4:6 New International Version

Do you want to be free of anxiety and stress in a world that feels super anxious and stressed right now?  In a world that is fearful about covid, civil unrest, global warming, school openings, employment, wars and rumors of wars?  In a world that has no peace and no rest and no hope?

Listen to today’s verse.  “Do not be anxious about anything….” Someone has a way to not be anxious about anything?  Even in “every situation”?  Yes, God has a way to not be anxious about anything, even in every situation.

This is the way: “Present your requests to God.”  Pray and give thanks.  That is the solution to anxiety.  Why? Because we are not praying to just any God, but the God who loved us so much that He sent His own Son into the world to die for us.  Who promises to be present with us, even to the end of the world.

Offering our prayers to God and giving Him thanks at the end of the day changes everything.  It removes our need to be fearful and control everything.  It changes the way we look at our life purposes and goals.  It removes the fear of death and the dread of failure.  It places everything in our Father’s hands.

I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger and I pray that you would keep me this day from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please you.  For into your hands I commend myself, my body and soul and all things.  Let your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe would have no power over me.  Amen.  (Luther’s Morning Prayer)

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