Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
—Philippians 4:6

I don't know what you're facing, but we all face anxieties that weigh us down with the worries and concerns of this world. The Greek word for anxiety means "to have an unhealthy heaviness or fretfulness." Anxiety can make me feel as though I'm suffocating. I can't breathe if I let it overwhelm me.

Anxiety occurs when we run ahead of God, when we run without God, and when we don't run our own race. To worry wears out the body, the mind, and eventually cripples the spirit. Medically, worry is linked to fatigue, insomnia, asthma, and high blood pressure. Anxiety affects our judgment, decisions, and will weaken our ability to deal with life.

The apostle Paul wrote that the cure for anxiety is prayer. Not just any kind of petition or request, but a call blended with thanksgiving. God doesn't say to thank Him for every thing, but in every thing, which is a critical point, because there are many things that are not what He wants for your life. He says that when you feel the anxiety starting to suffocate you, come to Him in prayer and fill your prayer with thanksgiving for who God is. To "give thanks" when you pray means you are grateful before you receive the answer, because you know that God will answer. Prayer with thanksgiving is the vehicle that will release peace in your heart. Where the character of God is known, there are no worries.

If you are facing anxieties, I recommend that you make a prayer of commitment. God's Word says, "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you" (1 Peter 5:7). It is the declaration of a decision to give all of your concerns, fears, anxieties, and problems to God. It is a conscious refusal to worry or have anxiety. State all of your requests to God with a heart of thanks for all that He has done and will do. Then commit to allowing Him to handle each request without interference from you.

Here's a type of prayer to use: "So God, I come to You in the Name of Jesus, through your Son. Although I don't have two pennies to pay my mortgage at the end of the month [tell Him your specific need], I thank you for your Son, who is Jehovah Jireh, my Provider. I believe You will supply all of my needs according to Your riches in glory. I thank You for who you are, and I look forward to Your abundant provision."

Related Texts: Psalm 31:24; 61:2; 103:13–14; Isaiah 26:3; 59:19; Matthew 6:34; Luke 18:1; 2 Timothy 2:13; Hebrews 12:3; 13:5