Prayer, the Cure for Anxiety

Philippians 4:6-76 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.“ 7. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
God’s love for us is unconditional but many of his promises aren’t. That means if we want to experience these promises there is something we must do first. For example, in the well known verse 2 Chron 7:14 God promises to hear from Heaven and heal the land but only if his people humble themselves and pray and turn from sin.
God’s promise in verse 7 of Phil 4 for an incomprehensible peace that will protect our mental and emotional health is conditional on our obedience to verse 6, and verse 6 is about prayer. In fact we’re told to substitute prayer for worry.
These uncertain days certainly provide us with many things to be anxious about. The fear of contracting Covid-19, the effect it will have on jobs and the economy. The many unanswerable questions we’re faced with are real cause for concern.
Christians are not exempt from worry, but we are the only people in this world with a true antidote for it. We may have to go through the storm with everyone else, but the storm inside of us can be calmed if we would only allow our Lord Jesus to speak to our hearts, “Peace, be still.”
Such Heavenly peace, found only at the throne of grace will be a testimony to those around us in these fearful times. It will be a visible witness to the lost, of Christ’s inner work in the soul of his children. A peace that cannot be counterfeited or found anywhere else!
God’s unconditional love for us is expressed clearly in his desire to provide us with the means of dealing with anxiety and its ill effects. But, he will not force his peace on us. Instead he invites us into intimate fellowship through prayer where he is able to still our hearts and minds and fill us with his wonderful peace.
Peace, peace, wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above!
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray
In fathomless billows of love!