Prayer stress management
A Prayer for Stress & Anxiety
- Rebecca Barlow Jordan www.rebeccabarlowjordan.com
- 2017 27 Oct
Is stress holding you hostage and keeping you from rest? Do you feel burdens pressing in that seem too heavy to bear? When anxious thoughts pull you in the wrong direction, and you're struggling to find balance, the following prayer might express your thoughts and help you find relief and freedom.
Before praying, consider these 4 steps for praying over anxiety, as suggested by well-known author and speaker Max Lucado:
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Pray immediately.
“Don’t stew over the problems that are besetting you or your neighbor. Ask God for help as soon as you identify a need.” -
Pray specifically.
“When we boil our concerns down to a specific request, they become right-sized. Vague threats loom larger than concrete challenges.” -
Pray for and with others.
“When we consider the problems of others and enlist their help with ours, our concerns become more manageable.” -
Pray with thanksgiving.
“Anxiety and gratitude cannot occupy the same space. When we catalog what are thankful for, our list of challenges grows less powerful.”
A Prayer for Relief of Stress and Anxiety
Lord Jesus, the stresses in my life often reach a dangerous proportion—or so it seems. My body, mind, and spirit struggle to keep up physically, mentally, and yes, spiritually. Some days anxiety stalks me like a deceitful predator, and the temptation to worry draws me in. I know better, but some days the challenges outweigh the truths buried inside. My trust in You fades into the background, giving fear and concerns permission to discourage me.
In those moments of apprehension, help me remember that I belong to You, and that You are not the author of fear or anxiety, but the giver of love and a sound mind. Teach me Your ways to respond to problems by giving thanks in them. Your Word assures me that You are always there with me. You are the Blessed Controller of all things, and nothing escapes Your attention in my life. You have given me every tool and spiritual blessing to fight against those things that try to steal my peace. You’ve promised that when I’m stressed and burdens are trying to weigh me down, I can come to You. You will give me sweet rest!
Whether the anxiety stems from work, parenting, finances, physical issues, or even world conditions, You are there, Lord, to shoulder the weight. Teach me to recognize the stressful trials as tools for you to shape me and rearrange me. Through those difficult times, You will teach me patience, enlarge my faith, and help me see things I couldn't see earlier—if I will only let You.
When I'm clueless as to what to do, Lord, I want to turn to you first, not last.
Forgive me for trying to handle things on my own, Lord. The need to be in control sometimes gets a stronghold on my life. That only makes things worse. I want to trust You more and see things from Your perspective, not my own. No one makes me feel uptight, angry, or stressed, and no one forces me to react negatively. I choose to respond according to my beliefs. Do I believe You are in control? Do I believe You created all things and hold all things in Your Hand? Do I believe You are truly good? When an anxious thought creeps in, help me to stop and relax, to take that thought captive, and to turn apprehension into a calm prayer for deliverance. Revamp my belief system, Lord. Show me a new way to handle life according to Your Way.
No matter what issues I am dealing with; no matter how big the problems or situations, I'm laying them all at Your feet today. Turn these potentials for stress into lessons for growth and trust.
When I can't see any possible solutions, I choose to believe that You are working things out for my good—in Your own time, as you have in the past. Show me what to do, or what not to do. As I focus on You, remembering Your promises and Your words, I believe You will fill me with a peace that is beyond all understanding.
In Your precious name,
Amen
A Short Prayer for An Anxious Heart
Dear Lord, I thank you that I can come to You always for any reason. I’m grateful that when I pray to You, You answer me. Help me to come to You at the beginning of my fears and anxieties instead of waiting until I can’t stand them anymore. The quicker I come to You the better. You want to free me from ALL my fears. Help me look to You for help more often so that I can be radiant with Your joy. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
- Jennifer Heeren
Rebecca Barlow Jordan is an inspirational author, speaker, and passionate follower of Jesus who loves to encourage others heart to heart.
She has written 11 books and over 1700 other articles, greeting cards, and other inspirational pieces. Her daily devotional Daily in Your Presence is available for delivery through Crosswalk.com. You can find out more about Rebecca at www.rebeccabarlowjordan.com.
This article is part of our larger Prayers resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.
Prayer for Healing
Prayer for Strength
Prayer for Protection
Morning Prayers
Good Night Prayers
Serenity Prayer
A Birthday Prayer
Sinner’s Prayer
Prayer for Forgiveness
Prayer for Guidance
Intercessory Prayer
Prayer for Peace
Prayer for Faith
Prayer for Love
Spirituality and Prayer Relieve Stress
The last thing I think of when I’m stressed out with work deadlines and complicated homework projects with the kids is to get on my knees or attend Mass.
But a growing body of research suggests prayer and religion rank high among the best stress busters.
In her new book, The SuperStress Solution, Dr. Roberta Lee devotes a section to the topic of spirituality and prayer.
“Research shows that people who are more religious or spiritual use their spirituality to cope with life,” notes Dr. Lee.
“They’re better able to cope with stress, they heal faster from illness, and they experience increased benefits to their health and well-being. On an intellectual level, spirituality connects you to the world, which in turn enables you to stop trying to control things all by yourself. When you feel part of a greater whole, it’s easy to understand that you aren’t responsible for everything that happens in life.”
Among the research she cites is one study of approximately 126,000 people that found that the people who frequently attended services increased their odds of living by 29 percent. Another study conducted by the National Institute for Health Care Research (NIHR) illustrated that the Canadian college students who were connected to their campus ministries visited doctors less often and were less stressed during difficult times than the other students.
The students who had strong religious correlations also had higher positive feelings, lower levels of depression, and were better equipped at handling stress.
Dr. Lee points to the research of Harold Koenig, M.D., associate professor of medicine and psychiatry at Duke University, who surveys more than a thousand studies appraising the effects of prayer on health in his book Handbook of Religion and Health. Among them:
- Hospitalized people who never attended church have an average stay of three times longer than people who attend regularly.
- Heart patients were fourteen times more likely to die following surgery if they did not practice a religion.
- Elderly people who never or rarely attended church had a stroke rate double that of people who attended regularly.
- People who are more religious tend to become depressed less often. When they do become depressed, they recover more quickly.
Why all the benefits of prayer and religion?
First, religion and faith provide social support, a consistent element of happiness and good health.
Regular churchgoers not only get support from their community, but they also GIVE support to others, and the altruistic activity promotes better health.
Second, religion reinforces a belief system. People bond when they hold common opinions and beliefs, even it’s a form of gossiping.
Third, religion and spirituality do what a parent or supervisor at work does: give you 10 laws to abide by. And, although you may not like the regulations set upon you and try to break a few, you are glad they exist, because, for the most part, your life runs more smoothly when you follow them.
Finally, faith attaches meaning to events. It gives folks hope, the ultimate stress reducer. Hope, doctors say, is about the best thing you can do for your body. It’s better than a placebo.
How to deal with stress? Five simple tips from experienced psychologists | Psychology
Rest every day
A simple tip from Herbert Benson, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston:
"Do something every day that breaks the chain of everyday worries.
"
Find a regular interesting activity that requires you to focus your thinking on it. It can be yoga or sports training, meditation or prayers - anything, if only not for business, but for the soul.
Think positive
Coach Laura Delizonna, Ph.D., who teaches people to be happy, recommends:
"Reposition your lens from negative to positive."
What does this recommendation mean? As a rule, we critically evaluate events. Analyzing the situation, we are looking for what and why did not go as we would like. We've been taught all our lives to identify and fix flaws, but this technique adds to stress.
Instead of looking for the negative, why not ask yourself what is good about this situation and what can be done to make things even better? This approach, according to Dr.
Delizonne, not only helps to relieve stress, but also helps to better control the situation. Photo: Depositphotos
Enjoy your breaks
In most offices, pouring and drinking a cup of coffee in your free time is not a problem. But how do we do it?
Co-author of Stress Management: The Complete Guide to Healthy Living, Dr. Ronald G. Nathan, believes there is no need to rush. Get the most out of your cup of coffee. Take your time sipping a hot drink and flipping through the pages of an important document at the same time.
Enjoy the aroma, wait until the coffee has cooled down enough, drink it calmly and slowly.
“Take a few minutes to do this every time you have a hot drink,” advises the psychologist. - Breathe deeply and slowly into your belly. This is the opposite of what we do under stress and therefore induces relaxation.”
Learn to Calm Down
President of the American Stress Institute, Dr. Daniel Kirsch, says that if someone or something makes you angry and stressed, you can deal with irritation within six seconds by doing a simple exercise.
Remember yourself smiling and consciously relax your facial muscles. Take a slow deep breath, imagining how warm air rises from your very feet, feel how it slowly fills your lungs. Then exhale in the same relaxed way, “watch” how the air moves back. Photo: Depositphotos
“This relaxed response will help break the cycle of everyday stress,” says Dr.
Kirsch.
Get rid of unnecessary things
"The more things you have, the more stress."
According to clinical psychologist Dr. Pauline Wallin. Most of the things we buy require attention and will need repair or maintenance sooner or later. Thus, the more things - the more worries, the more reasons for stressful situations. Conversely, the absence of things gives more freedom. Dr. Wallin gives an example:
"No new car, no worries about parking damage."
Tags: stress, stress state, stress relief, simple tips, how to get rid of stress, recommendations
Prayer, sleep, karaoke. How Managers Cope with Stress
Chronic stress can lead to both mental and physical health problems.
Forbes asked businessmen and top managers how they deal with stress
[[{"fid":"276797","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false, "field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"5":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0] [value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"5 "}}]] Vaselina Kukhta, Vice President, RCG 9 Advertising and Communications Group0070
Over the years of work, I have come to the conclusion that it is much more effective not to accumulate stress, but to engage in regular prevention. There are several classic, well-known ways that help me maintain inner balance: healthy sleep, a psychoanalyst and spiritual practices.
When another unsolvable problem arises, it is best to wish all problems good night and go to bed.
There will be a solution in the morning. This also works in the opposite direction: if I slept well at night, during the day I am not afraid of any stress.
The psychoanalyst is also very helpful. The main thing is not to expect that he will definitely suggest some specific solutions to your problems. A professional specialist does not give advice and does not teach life at all. Even if you do not believe in the benefits of spiritual practices and internal purification, still try a retreat or vipassana, as if it were an attraction. Spending a few days in absolute silence, cutting off all ties with the outside world, is extremely beneficial for oneself, and especially for business.
And the easiest and most effective way for me to deal with stress is to sing. The louder the better.
[[{"fid":"276789","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false," field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"1":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][ value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"1" }}]] Ilya Lantsman, founder of the network of private schools Lancman School
As a believer, prayer helps a lot (in the Christian sense of the word, when I address the one who created us): someone calls it auto-training or meditation.
This helps me put my feelings and thoughts in order, because if we look at the situation objectively, we will understand that we really do not control anything. And any change in any external circumstances can demolish the enterprise that we have been building for decades. If you look at life situations from the point of view of eternity, then these are generally trifles. We are all spiritual beings, and difficulties are not created to crush us, break us down, or unsettle us, but so that we can improve and become stronger.
To calm down, it is important for me to change location, not to be in the same room with the person with whom the conflict arose. You need to go out and sometimes even shout. After some time, I understand that my emotional reaction cannot save the situation and there is simply no point in worrying.
[[{"fid":"276791","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false," field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][ value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"2" }}]] Olga Akatieva, founder of Global Group.
Business Aviation&Concierge
I am the type of person who needs stress. In my case, it only increases productivity. I noticed that being in a stressful state, I am able to better solve work tasks and problem situations, and sometimes even do the “impossible”. But when I start to feel that “productive stress” flows into chronic fatigue and neuroses that lead to body malfunctions, I just pack my suitcase, take off from my seat just to wander around an unfamiliar city. Without guides, without reading reviews in applications, I choose everything intuitively. But to be honest, I don't know how to rest for a long time. On the fourth day, I begin to pull back and I want to quickly get involved in a frantic rhythm. It is these “short rushes” that help me most of all to cope with neurosis and stress.
[[{"fid":"276793","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false," field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"3":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][ value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"3" }}]] Tatyana Bakharevskaya, Deputy Technical Director of Mail.
Ru Group
I have been working in the IT field for many years, over the years responsibility has grown, and I have developed a certain resistance to stress - of course, this skill is acquired with experience. Usually, stress is caused by various situations that at first glance seem difficult or even intractable. When the situation is clear, it is easier to comprehend and translate it into a constructive channel, take control and move forward. Typical examples of situations that cause stress are too little time, too much to do, upcoming negotiations. When you have to do everything at once, planning helps to cope with stress - prioritizing tasks, working out and evaluating the future result, a real assessment of your strengths and deadlines. During negotiations, I try to understand what result I want to get, why I go to negotiations at all, I outline the meeting plan and arguments. In order to prepare arguments, I try to put myself in the place of the opponent in order to understand his motivation, this helps.
Another great way to reduce stress is to be able to switch at the right time. I try to devote time to my favorite activities, communication with family and loved ones, always find something new that will recharge me. Or you can take a break for a few minutes, drink a cup of coffee in a pleasant environment and find the right way out of the situation.
[[{"fid":"276795","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false," field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"4":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][ value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"4" }}]] Ivan Kvasov, founder of Consulting Public Catering LLC, owner of the Stories coffee chain
First of all, stress is the state to which we most often bring ourselves.
