The 2nd Spirituality Tool For Coping With Anxiety

Don't be anxious about anything, but in everything with prayers and petitions, with praise, present your request to God, and the peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard you hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Paul

Okay, so here we go again... I feel anxious and so what do I do? I see that it is okay to get anxious because Jesus demonstrated this in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Next I pray.  Now what?

I petition God.  Say WHAT?  I petition God.  What does that mean "Petition God?"  Good question.  And the most simple answer is tell God what you want.  That's what you do when you petition congress or the President of your Governor or your legislature.  You get a group of people who tell what they want.  You tell God, therefore, what you want.

One problem many have is they have never been allowed to express what they want.  And when they do so as a child, they may have gotten in trouble.  Therefore they do not exercise their "want" muscle.  As a result, if you ask them what they want, they just may feel guilty or anxious or selfish.  Indeed they may just believe they are selfish for asking for something.  All of this can lead to anxiety.  So give yourself permission to want...no matter how you feel... and say it out loud.

Here are some examples:  "God my child is sick and I am anxious.  I want my baby to be well.  God I want help with my school work, and I need you to help me figure it out.  God I am out of work, and I want a job.  Please God show me how to go about getting a job and keeping it in this bad economy.  God, spiritually I am running on empty.  Here, Lord, here is my cup.  I lift it up to you.  Please Lord I want you to quench this thirsting in my soul.  Bread of heaven please feed me until I want not more.  Here is my cup.  Fill it up and make me whole. God I am worried about the direction my child is taking.  Help me have wisdom in making the right choices that will help my child change course."  In Gethsemane, Jesus wanted "this cup to be removed." Do you get my drift?

It seems to me that many folks are anxious because they don't have what they want, and they don't know what they want, and they are afraid to ask God specifically for what they want because they have-- as I said-- been taught that asking for themselves is selfish... which it is not.  So they get more anxious rather than find a way to get power to relieve their anxiety by asking God for what they want. They simply do not petition God for what they want.

I remember decades ago, when I was at Annual Conference in North Alabama.  It was early in the morning, and I walked into the cafeteria and saw a small line of older guys waiting behind a chain just looking in toward the huge silver looking  coffee pot.   Across the chain was a man wearing a white hat. He had set the coffee up earlier and he was working getting ready for breakfast.   You could smell the great aroma that java was putting off.  I ask those standing there, "Hey guys what are you doing?"  They responded, "We are waiting on some coffee."  I said..."Okay."  After waiting less than a minute, I asked the gentleman wearing the white hat, "Hey friend, can you let us in to get some coffee?"  He said, "Certainly."  He removed the chain, I went and got a cup of coffee, while the others stood there.  Once they saw me drinking coffee, they came in to get them some good ole java as well.  I never did figure out why they had waited so long.  But I do know that "You have not because you ask not"  is a clear teaching of Jesus.

Many folks remain anxious today because they have NOT turned their problem (s) over to Jesus.  They are still chained away from the blessing of God's peace because they do not pray... they do not petition God for their needs.

When you are anxious, take some time to pray, and take some time to petition God.  Let him use these tools to help you use your God given spirituality to cope with anxiety.

Then you will be... blessed 2day

Especially 2day

Sojourner