A Prayer When You Need to Step Away from Stressors in Your Life
By Vivian Bricker
Bible Reading:
“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” - Psalm 94:19
Recently, I have been facing major stressors in my life. They have become so severe that I have been having regular nightmares. These nightmares are vivid and frightening, and they even cause me to wake up in a panic. When I was doing research on nightmares, I found that only 2-8% of adults struggle with nightmares (https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/nightmares-in-adults). This was a shocking finding because I was under the impression everyone struggled with nightmares from time to time.
Upon further research, I found that adults who have nightmares are normally going through an intense time of stress or anxiety. Moreover, frequent nightmares can also be connected with depression, generalized-anxiety disorder (GAD), and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) (https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/nightmares-in-adults). As someone who struggles with depression and GAD, I can attest this might be the root cause of my nightmares in combination with the stress I’m currently going through. It is fascinating to know that our brains are trying to process everything we went through during the day while we are asleep, but it is terrifying to discover that massive stress and anxiety can manifest in nightmares.
While this is scary, we can trust in God and allow Him to help us. From studies, it seems to show that decreasing stress levels, improving your sleeping environment, and addressing your pre-existing mental health concerns can significantly decrease your rate of nightmares. This is something I have been trying to do, yet it is hard to manage stress levels. Due to my home life, I have constant stressors, most of which I cannot avoid.
However, through God’s help, I know I can improve in these areas and reduce my daily stressors. You can do this as well, although it can be very difficult, especially if people you have to see everyday are causing you unnecessary stress. Sometimes we might have to remove ourselves from stressful situations and stressful people because we cannot stand under the weight of stress anymore. There is no reason to feel bad for removing yourself from a stressful situation or a stressful person because they will only negatively affect your wellbeing.
For me personally, this looks like removing myself from a family member who causes extreme stress for everyone in the household. Even though I won’t be able to avoid this person every day, I will be able to set boundaries. With time, this should help my overall stress levels and decrease the nightmares I am facing every night. This is true for yourself as well, therefore, give stress reduction a try and utilize the Lord’s help.
The psalmist of Psalm 94 says, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy” (Psalm 94:19). As the psalmist says, God’s consolation brought him great joy when anxiety was great within his heart. Anxiety is a common symptom of stress; therefore, we can apply this passage into our stressful situations today. Whenever anxiety or stress is great within us, we need to trust in God and find comfort in Him.
His consolation will fill our hearts, and He will bring immeasurable joy into our lives. Rather than continuing on with a heart of stress, we need to step away from the stressors we are facing. Even though we are taught from a young age to “grin and bear it,” nowhere does God teach us in the Bible. Instead, we are told to bring our worries to Him and allow His consolation to bring our hearts joy. This is what we must do to truly move forward and release ourselves from the prison of stress.
Let’s Pray:
Dear God, please help me to step away from the stressors of my life. I don’t have to endure stress to be ‘strong.’ I know that when I am weak, You are strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Allow my weakness to show Your strength even more. Please also help me to manage my stress levels and to give all my concerns over to You. Only You can truly give my heart the peace that it needs. Thank You for allowing me to give my worries over to You and carrying them for me. I praise You, God. Amen.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/olegbreslavtsev
Vivian Bricker obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry, followed by a Master of Arts with an emphasis in theology. She loves all things theology, mission work, and helping others learn about Jesus. Find more of her content at Cultivate.
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