A prayer for anxious hearts

Read

‘I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips…

I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are attentive to their cry…

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all;
he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.’ (Psalm 34:1, 4-8, 15, 17-20)

Think

All of us face seasons of fear and anxiety, but the Bible invites us to bring our fears to God, trusting that He hears our cries, and is able to comfort us in the midst of them, and deliver us from them. 

Take some time to reflect on the following questions, resisting the urge to dwell on your fears, but listening for the whispers of the Holy Spirit, guiding and encouraging you:

• What practical steps can you take to limit your fears from playing on your mind, and instead bring them to God in prayer? 
• What particularly helps you to experience God’s presence? And how can you find ways of integrating those things into your day?
• Do you think of yourself as being surrounded or protected by God? How does the idea of God positioning angels to protect you make you feel?  
• The verse about the Lord protecting the bones of the righteous one, points to Jesus’ experience on the cross (John 19:36). How does knowing what Jesus went through give you hope and courage today? 

Pray

May the taste on my lips
be your goodness.
May the words on my lips
be your praise.
May the tremble of my lips
speak not of anxious fear,
but of the joyous fear of the Lord.

In every hour of my day,
waking or sleeping,
may I have the experience of being surrounded,
not by fears or foes,
but by a presence,
angelic, powerful,
and unshakeable.
My God and my refuge. 

Amen

Share

Take some time today to speak to a trusted friend, perhaps someone from your Connect Group, and do some of the following: 

• Share a testimony of a time where God has provided for you, delivered you, protected you, or comforted you. Speaking those things out to someone can give you confidence that what He has done before, He is able to do again. 
• Express to someone the specific nature of your fear and ask them to pray with you and check in with you. You may want to offer to do the same for them.

If you would like further help and support, please do speak to a member of the Pastoral Support Team ([email protected]) or Prayer Team ([email protected]). Or find out about the next STEPS course, which is an excellent place to work through some of your fears.