Five Ways to Overcome Stress: A Daily DevotionalSample

PRAYER OR WORRY: THE CHOICE IS OURS

Yesterday, we looked at how you can move from stress to a quiet confidence in God’s plan for you, even in stressful situations. 

Let’s examine that a little more, because it’s one thing to talk about trusting in God when you’re going through something difficult in your life, how do you actually do it? 

If you’ve been to church before, you might’ve heard the preacher say, “When hard times hit: Trust God, trust God and trust God!” You might’ve also read this in the Bible:

Without faith it’s impossible to please him for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

Yet when you’re stressed, that verse almost seems to condemn you. It’s like, “Hang on, here I am, I’m stressing, I’m struggling … and that means I’m not pleasing God?” It makes the situation even worse! 

As always, God has the answers. He tells us very clearly how you and I can practically take hold of that courage and confidence in Him.

In my walk with the Lord over these past twenty-plus years, this has probably been the most important “how-to” I’ve ever learned. Are you ready? Here we go: 

Don’t worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

This is a promise from God through the Apostle Paul, who, by the way, was probably on death row when he wrote it down. And what God is saying here to us, through Paul, is this: Instead of worrying, pray. 

Use the time that you would have spent worrying and stressing to pray instead. But not with a grumbling, unthankful heart. No. Thank God. Let Him know your problems and needs and requests, right there in the middle of your stressful situation. And when you do, God promises His peace will fill your heart, and guard your heart and your mind.

His peace surpasses understanding, which means it won’t make sense to you – or anyone else – how you can have peace in such a stressful time. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to make sense. Because God’s peace is God’s peace, and I’ll take that in place of the world’s stress any day. 

How about you?

LIFE APPLICATION QUESTIONS 

QUESTION 1

Okay, let’s get back to your number-one stressful situation, the one that’s eating away at you at the moment. How much time do you spend worrying about it?

QUESTION 2

When we worry, we tend to think through every possible bad thing that could happen. What bad outcomes are you worrying about today? Take a moment to write them down.

QUESTION 3 

Next time you catch yourself beginning to worry about what might go wrong, make a conscious decision to stop that train of thought and say a prayer instead. Start short and see if you can build up your prayer response in time. 

QUESTION 4 

Why not take some time, right now, to pour your heart out to God, with thanksgiving, and let Him deliver on His promise to give you peace?