Devotions to Conquer Anxiety and DepressionSample

Do This Instead of Worrying

Your heart is beating fast. Your mind won’t settle. Your breaths barely reach your lungs. You’re anxious, worried about this or that. Truth is, there’s a lot you can choose to be anxious about—family, work, money, health, war, weather, the future. . . . But this is also true: you can’t change anything with anxious thoughts. Even before there was cyberbullying, nuclear weapons, and pages-long to-do lists, Jesus anticipated your tendency to worry. He told His disciples, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?” (Luke 12:25–26 esv). Since worry achieves nothing but more worry, what should you do instead? “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need” (Luke 12:31 nlt). Your God—the one who fills the bellies of the birds and clothes the lilies like royalty—knows your needs, and He is capable and faithful to satisfy them. More than that, it is His pleasure to care for you. So turn every anxious thought into a chance to focus on your Father. With eyes fixed on Him, the kingdom itself is yours.

Prayer: Father, use this anxiety to draw me toward You. I can be calm because You care.

Was this plan helpful? We adapted it from the book Daily Devotions to Conquer Anxiety and Depression .