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How God Heals Anxiety

…If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. ROMANS 10:9-17 ESV

God heals my anxiety by dealing with my heart  

Say to those who have an anxious heart…  ISAIAH 35:4 ESV

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. PSALM 139:23 NIV

For with the heart one believes and is justified. ROMANS 10:10 ESV 

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? JEREMIAH 17:9 ESV

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  EZEKIEL 36:26 ESV 

You don’t need to run away from your life, you need to run to Jesus for a new heart.

God heals my anxiety with his security

For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  ROMANS 10:11-13 ESV

God secures me by covering me with his love  

For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” Romans 10:11 ESV

God secures me by giving me his peace

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 TNIV

God secures me by protecting my future

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” ROMANS 10:13 ESV

God heals my anxiety by refocusing my life 

I want you to be free from anxieties. 1 CORINTHIANS 7:32 ESV   

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ROMANS 10:14-15 ESV

My Notes

Personal Reflection Guide

Find a place where you can take a few minutes to contemplate the message. As you settle in, ask God to meet with you and reveal his heart. Do you worry and have anxiety? God has invited you to find rest in his presence and promises. Have a conversation with God asking him questions like, “How do I cope with the stresses of everyday life? Are you my go-to when life gets hectic? Do I pull from your word the promises that I need to claim to fight against hardships? Do I find it easier to escape through television, hobbies or addictions?” Thank him for what he reveals to you. God does not promise peace through any avenue other than by relying on him. Recall a recent hardship in which you felt his peace because you relied on him. Imagine what your life would look like if you made it a habit to turn to him instead of a substitute when anxiety begins to rise. Ask God to help you make it a habit of going to him when life is challenging. “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3 NLT). 

Discussion Questions

  1. What have you been learning about yourself, God or others in your personal Bible reading time? What stood out to you this week?
  2. Read Psalm 139:23. When you really stop to look, what types of things, places or people bring out your anxious thoughts and feelings, and what do you typically do with them? 
  3. Read Jeremiah 17:9. When have your heart or feelings led you astray or to regret and what connection do you see between your deceptive heart and the potential false roots of your anxiety in these situations?  
  4. Read Romans 10:11-13. If anxiety is a physical manifestation of not feeling safe or secure, then in what practical ways can you hold on to the security you have in Jesus to combat your anxious thoughts and feelings? 
  5. Read Philippians 4:6-7. In what ways have you seen prayer help you overcome your anxiety, and what are you anxious about right now that we can pray with you about?
  6. Read Romans 10:14-15. Anxiety finds fertile ground in a self-focused mind. Of the three steps shared in the weekend message (ensure the good news is preached, children are taught and God’s people are loved and cared for), which can help you refocus your mind on others and what’s your next step?