Tag: anxiety

Silence and Stillness

Updated October 18, 2024

There have been quite a few times that I’ve retreated to my bedroom for quiet time with God and this furbaby comes to find me. It’s a very cute and cuddly interruption. 😆 Purrcy is my sweet boy.

I recently completed a weekend retreat. During this weekend, I learned how to make space for God. I learned that it’s not nearly as important as what I say in prayer as it is being with God…thus silence and stillness. In this way, it’s much easier to hear God when He speaks. And He does speak to us, we just have to make space and learn to discern His voice. Don’t we need to hear from Him now more than ever?!

A while before this weekend retreat, I had started trying to ask God questions and listening. One Saturday morning before I got out of bed, I asked God, “how do you delight in me?” The first thing that popped into my mind was a picture of Purrcy and my eyes welled up with tears. If God delights in me like I delight in Purrcy, that says a lot to me. I’ve always been able to love more freely with my pets than I have people. I’m guarded with people, but animals are much easier…less risk of being hurt. God knew just how to answer my question that morning. It was an impactful answer…that He delights in me, He loves me freely with no holds barred. He loves me easily and He can use even a special furry friend to show me.

I hope you are seeing and hearing God in all the places, because He is whispering. He is in all the places around us. As your week or day wraps up, I hope you find space for silence and stillness, even just 2 minutes. For me, this practice helps me combat anxiety and the stress from my crazy, busy life.

A Prayer for When Fear Overtakes

Photo Credit: Ben White – unsplash.com

After the year we’ve collectively experienced, I found that the solitude and the quiet of being away from others made me very thankful at times because it allowed me to think and re-order my life and then at other times had me in crippling fear and anxiety. The funny thing is I don’t remember writing this prayer as a whole, bits and pieces, yes. When I was reviewing my prayer journal a couple months ago, I came across this prayer I wrote. I’ve re-worded it to hopefully be applicable to anyone, however, I wrote it when my job was in jeopardy. My company went through a massive re-organization last year and I was so scared of losing my job. I asked the Holy Spirit to come and He truly did because I know the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf when we pray and He certainly interceded on my behalf here. Otherwise this prayer wouldn’t be so powerful. I hope that you can save this prayer and pray it when you are crippled in fear and the anxiety won’t go away. I know sometimes when you are crippled in fear it’s hard to find the words to pray. I hope this gives you words to use. He is always with us.

Heavenly Father,

How easy it is to be thrown off track, to become uncentered. The world feels unstable and instead of clinging to you, I run away and hide or busy myself in busyness to ignore it all. I know you are the King of Kings, the creator of all. You are more powerful and mighty than any trouble, any stress, any worry. The devil loves to play his games with my emotions, my doubts, my fears, my vulnerabilities. Holy Spirit I pray you come. Fill me with your peace and joy. Ground me in your truth. Quiet my mind. Make still my nerves. Help me remember whose I am. Help me remember that you and you alone have control no matter the level of chaos. Lord Jesus, in your name, I cast away the worry and fear. In your name, Father, I cast aside the anxiety. Fear does not come from you! Love comes from you. I need this always in my life. I am open to your love, your peace, your spirit. Lord Jesus, in your name this day will not be overwhelming, it will be successful, it will be okay. This day cannot overtake me, it cannot overwhelm me. This day does not have that power and control over me. This day does not have permission to be these things because, Father, you are with me and you created this day and I will rejoice in it. I am grounded in you. I am grounded in your truth. Regardless of the Goliath in this day or in this season of my life and even if I only have a slingshot and a rock, ALL things are possible with you. Truth always stands. Hope is not silent. I am the daughter/son of a King. My worth and value is found in you. You hold my worth and value. Help me to stand grounded in that. Help me to stand firm and not waver. You created me and blessed me with talents and gifts that have a purpose. You have a larger plan, a greater picture than this small piece that I can see in front of me. Help me to rest in you, in your love. Lift my eyes to see you in the midst of the storm. Quiet my mind and fill me with your peace and joy. Holy Spirit come.

Amen

Prayer by Carlynn Rainey-Crawford