anxiety – herbcotton.org

What Is Hindering You In Being Satisfied?

Text:

Philippians 4:5-8 (NIV)

5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.

Observation:

This passage in on my heart today as I observe all of the anxiety, and worry that I see everywhere.

I needed the peace that floods my soul as I sat at my desk to read, reflect, and share what I hear as I listen to God speak through His Word.

Psalm 85:8 (NIV)

8 I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints — but let them not return to folly.

Prayer:

Father God, hallowed be Your most holy, and righteous name. Father, we declare that You are loving, and good in all Your ways.

Father, we ask that You would bend our will, by the working of the Holy Spirit who lives in us, until Your will becomes our will. O, Holy Spirit of God, fill our hearts with love for God, and obedience to Him. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

—

Ephesians 6:10-11 (ESV)
¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

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Are You Willing To Do These 2 Things?

Text:

Proverbs 12:25-26 (NLT)

25 Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.

26 The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray.

Observation:

Do you realize that you have within you the resources to bring joy to many people?

There are people in your circle of influence, and circle of concern who are dealing with worry.

These are the two things that Solomon says the godly can do to help others.

Give an encouraging word.
Give good advice.

You have the power within you to be an agent of healing to hurting people. You can bring joy, and a turnaround to others by loving acts of kindness, and godly words of wisdom.

Proverbs 17:22 (NLT)

22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.

The Holy Spirit of God will guide you, and empower you to do God’s will, and work. Don’t forfeit the opportunity to be a blessing, and to be blessed.

Proverbs 3:27 (NLT)

27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them.

Prayer:

Father, we are so grateful that You equip Your people to be instruments to speak healing, and helpful words to people we encounter who are hurting.

Father, we are so grateful that it is You that provides the opportunity, and that You provide the healing. Father, we acknowledge that You are the Master, and that we are Your servants.

Father, I pray that our service will be motivated by love, and that in Your eyes, You would see us as faithful servants. In the mighty name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

—

Ephesians 6:10-11 (ESV)
¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Read all the Daily Devotionals by Herb Cotton; click here:

http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/

Do You Know How to Be Free of Burdens and Anxiety?

Text:

Psalm 55:22-23 (ESV)

22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

23 But you, O God, will cast them down into the pit of destruction; men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in you.

Observation:

There is nothing in life or in death that is more profound than the knowledge that God loves you. Who wouldn’t want to know the one who created them, and loves them with an everlasting love?

I woke up early this morning with today’s focal passage on my mind. Using the international symbol of surrender I lifted both of my hands toward the skies and said these words, “Father, I lift my hands up to you and in them I cast all of my burdens and anxieties up to you, and I ask You to take them out of my hands; Lord, I give them to You”.

O, what a blessing to know that I don’t have to carry that heavy load that I was not made to carry. If you feel poor, weak and weary in your mind, body, and soul; why not cast those burdens upon the Lord.

Notice what the Psalmist says about the unrighteous, and how they feel based on their prosperity.

Psalm 30:6 (ESV)

6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”

Would you rather be rich in worldly goods or poor in spirit? Let me encourage you to ponder this teaching of Jesus.

Matthew 5:3 (ESV)

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Are you willing to exercise the gift of faith that is within you to be able to raise your hands and say to God, “I trust in you”. This is His promise to you, “I will never permit the righteous to be moved”.

I’m going to pray for each of you now, and my prayer will be that you will be able to sing this song.

“I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,

Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;

And I know that Thou art with me,

Wilt be with me to the end.”

Prayer:

Father, hallowed be Your name. Father, I’m so glad that I am poor enough in spirit that I know I am not built to carry the burdens of living in a fallen world on my own shoulders.

Father, by an act of raising my hands in total surrender I offer my burdens up to You. Lord, I ask You to take them out of my hands, and handle them with Your hands.

Father, I trust in You, O Father, give me faith to trust You more. Father, I pray this prayer for my family, friends, neighbors, and last of all for myself. In the might name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

—

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
¹¹ So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Read the Daily Devotional by Herb Cotton; click here:

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The Rx for Worry with No Harmful Side-Effects

Text:

Matthew 6:25 (KJV)

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Matthew 6:31-34 (KJV)

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Observation:

In our focal passage for today, and in the verses not listed, Jesus warns His disciples about the harmful effects of worry, and gives them a prescription that will cure this harmful disease. The answer is found in this verse.

Matthew 6:33 (KJV)

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

This verse was shared with me over 40 years ago when a friend visited with me in my home after I had major surgery. Some of you may know him; he was Hollis Bryant. The Lord used him to persuade me to exchange my worries for God’s promises.

I want to encourage you who are Christ followers to draw near to God, and stay close to Him. I encourage you to give up being a worrier, and devote yourself to being a worshipper.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (KJV)

16 Rejoice evermore.

17 Pray without ceasing.

18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Prayer:

Father God, my dear Father, I am so grateful that You used Your Word, and a servant of God to help me to learn how to shed my worries, and to lean upon the everlasting arms of my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord, I am so glad that we don’t live on explanations, but upon the promises of a God who is might to save and to sanctify, and who has promised to provide for all of our needs when we cast all of our cares upon Him.

Lord, I rejoice in You, and give praise and thanksgiving to the God of my salvation; my helper and healer. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Why the Child of God Should Pray

Text:

Psalm 107:1-6 (ESV)

1 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble

3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

4 Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in;

5 hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.

6 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.

Observation:

There is so much in our focal passage for today, but the thought I want to focus on is the power of prayer. God answers prayer; we see that in verse six. However, I find something to shout about when I see in verse two that the Lord answers prayer on the basis of redemption.

Why do we spend so much of our precious time worrying when just a little talk with the Lord would fix our problems. The hymn writer recognized this truth when he wrote these words.

“O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer!”

Notice what it took for God’s people to cry out to Him in prayer in the day of the Psalmist.

Psalm 107:5-6 (ESV)

5 hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.

6 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.

Don’t be like the people of God then; and, like so many of us today. Why don’t you forfeit your burdens, and take all of your cares to the Lord in prayer. If you have been redeemed by the Lord, you have access to Him all the time. He is waiting to hear from you.

Matthew 7:7-8 (ESV)

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I am so grateful that You hear and answer prayer based on the redemption we have because Jesus shed His precious and royal blood so that we wouldn’t have to die for our own sins.

Father God, I ask that You would stir the hearts of Your people to pray, and when they pray that You would open the windows of heaven and shower us with blessings from above.

Lord, I’m getting out my umbrella waiting for the showers of blessings; I ‘m praying for a Louisiana size thunderstorm. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.