Worry/Anxiety Anxiety Prevention Philippians 4:6 tells us that pray is the way to be thankful.

l. But the prayer in Philippians has two parts : 1) petition and 2) thanksgiving. This tells me that it is just as important to ask about the things that cause you worry as to remember situations that caused you worry and are now resolved. Matthew 6 provides additional ways to prevent worry Do good deeds- in private Pray - in private Fast - in private Focus on heavenly things These solutions tell me that anxiety starts inwardly, so the battle against it requires some inward tools. Having some anxiety is normal... Psalm 94: 16-19 Who will rise up for me against the wicked?Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?Unless the LORD had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.When I said, My foot is slipping,your unfailing love, LORD, supported me.When anxiety was great within me,your consolation brought me joy. Psalm 139:23 says Search me God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. ...but God wants us to strive to rid ourselves of anxiety. Psalm 139:24 goes on to say See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting I Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. We have to be real with ourselves and understand that anxiety IS a sin. Luke 21:34 Reminds us that just like carousing or drunkenness our hearts can be weighed down with anxiety and that will close on you suddenly like a trap. In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:22) worry/the thorny soil choked the word. If we are worrying, we cannot be good soil. Matthew writes, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and chose the work, making it unfruitful. [Also in Luke 8:14] Some anxiety is because of sin. In Ezekiel 4:19, 12:19 and Duteronomy 28:64-66, Israel was told they would face anxiety as a consequence for their disobedience. We have to examine if this is the source of our anxiety. If so, we have to repent. For example, in 1 Corinthians 7:36, the person who is worried about not acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to should marry. If anxiety is caused because of something we are doing for the Lord, He has already stated that he will provide everything we need. In Matthew 10:19, Mark 13:11 and Luke 12:11 Jesus tells the discipled that when they are arrested for preaching about Him, that they should not worty about what to say or how to sat it, for it will not be [them] speaking,but the Spirit of your

Father speaking through [them]. This tells me that if God wants something done, he doesn't need us to worry about it, because its going to get done his way. Because of this, we have to make up our mind beforehand that we arent going to worry. (Luke 21: 14) Sometimes our anxiety is about worldly things that really dont matter that much, and we really need to focus on obedience. In the story of Sauls appointment to become king in 1 Samuel 9:20, Saul ans his servant were sent to look for donkeys. Saul started to worry that his dad would start to worry about them. His servant urged him to take the next step to be obedient to his father Kish; he suggested that they go ask a man of God where to go. Saul agreed, but he then found something new to worry about. (He was concerned that they didnt have anything to give the Samuel/the seer. When he got to Samuel, who was to appoint him king, Samuel told him right away not to worry about the donkeys. Arent we often like that? - Focusing on the minutae when we really should be focusing on our obedience to God or even finding something new to worry about as soon as our first worry is addressed. In the end, the donkey were found, and Saul had nothing to do with it. (1 Samual 10:2) Ecclesiastes 2:22 reminds us that we dont get much out of our anizetys. What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving which which they labor under the sun? All their days their work is grief and pain; even at night their minds do not rest. This too is meaningless. These types of anxieties WILL weigh down your heart. Proverbs 12:25 So what do we do?

1. Figure out what thing/things you are worrying about. When Jesus addressed Marthas worry, he told her you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are neededor indeed only one. If we cannot figure out some of the things we worry about, we cannot address them or conciously hand them over to God. 2. Return to Matthew 6 and Phillipians 4:6. Mary was at the Lords feet while Martha was worrying. We dont have to wait until the physical Jesus comes to our house to be at His feet! Go now! 3. Decide if there is some thing practical to do. Its highly possible that there isnt anything. Luke 12:26 tells us that since we cannot add an hour to our life, we shouldn't worry about the rest. Sometimes we have done all we can or there isn't much we can do. Realize that worrying itself is NOT a practical thing and s.Of then, I think that if I am thinking about something over and over - rehearsing it - , then

I am doing something. WE have to consider if our thoughts are moving towards a solution or if they are just adding fuel to our fire. 3. Do the practical things to address our worries. In Philippians 2:28, Paul states that he is sending Epaphroditus ( a messenger from their congregation) because he was sick/near death, and that this would relieve anxiety/distress for the congregation. IF Paul can do this for an afar congregation, how come we dont do it for ourselves. (When it is a Godly act!) For example, we worry about how someone felt about what we said or did, when we could just ask. 4. Look for the balance between risk taking and being overly cautious. Ecclesiastes is a book all about how things dont matter. It also addresses the question, if things dont matter, how then should we live? the author tells us the following( ch 11) : First he talks about taking risk (cast your bread upon the waters) even though you don;t know exactly how it will turn out. When we have taken a well thought out risk and let our worries go, we can Rejoice, O young man, in your youth,And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. When we Walk in the ways of your heart And in the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these, God will bring you into judgment., then we can remove sorrow from your heart, And put away evil from your flesh, For childhood and youth are vanity. 5. Remind yourself. After we have made sure we are doing 1-4, we have to remind ourselves that our actions are making us a tree planted by the water or someone who trust in the Lord and has confidence in Him. This tree has no worries in year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. So be still. Wait. Keep praying. 6. Seek kind words. The first part of Proverbs 12:25 say Anxiety weighs down the heart, but the second part sates that a kind word cheers it up. We can seek out people who offer kinds words. We can read Gods word so that we can offer kind words to ourselves.