Stress is real. Would you agree? As a matter of fact, it seems as if stress is a given in some quarters. Chances are that you’ve heard someone say, “I’m so stressed.” You’ve probably said it yourself, either to someone you know or to yourself. Indeed, stress is real and the pressure you and society put on you seems guaranteed to have you feeling strained and worn out. In addition, there are situations that are stressful. Can you then overcome stress? Is there a way out, given all that is happening around you?
In this blog post we’ll be speaking of stress as your inner response to your external circumstances. So, what are these circumstances that lead to your disquiet?
Stressors could have one or multiple sources related to people around you, social situations, job, home and children . . . Your stressors are not the same as someone else’s. Don’t expend energy wondering why someone else is dealing calmly with a situation that has you stressed out. Instead, follow these 3 simple ways to overcome stress, regardless of what is causing it.
#1 Overcome Stress by Quieting Yourself
Control your inner response by quieting yourself within. Anytime you feel stress building up, close your eyes and do a slow countdown to ten. Take deep breaths and get in touch with your inner self. Even more importantly, reconnect deeply with God and remember God’s words:
Therefore, the Lord God,
the holy one of Israel, says:
In return and rest you will be saved;
quietness and trust will be your strength—
but you refused (Isaiah 30:15 CEB).
Move your deep breathing into a breath prayer. Here is a suggestion for your breath prayer: As you breathe in say to yourself, “Lord, grant me quietness and trust.” As you breathe out say, “So that I will be strong.” Do this slowly and meditatively. It is a prayer. Yes. You are praying Scripture with your breath prayer, for this prayer is based on Isaiah 30:15. Here are 10 other breath prayers for you to choose from for your prayer.
Follow this sequence—count to ten, take deep breaths, say a breath prayer—and you will be able to quiet yourself. You will be well on your way to overcoming stress.
Join our online Bible Study to live past stress and live with confidence.
#2 Overcome Stress by Focusing on God
In many ways, the breath prayer refocuses you on God. Stress happens when the external overruns your inner resources. Continue to shift from the external and spend time focusing on God. Worship and praise the Lord. Thank God for all that is happening. Thank God for the positives in your life. You’ll find them if you look for them. Johnson Oatman, Jr. said, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”
Here’s the other thing about focusing on God. God is great and mighty. Everything dwarfs before who God is, including your stressor(s). In addition, you are strengthening the inner person.
#3 Overcome Stress by Taking a Prayerful Look at Your Situation
Now that you’ve quieted yourself and focused on God, you’re ready to take another look at what has been causing you stress. Face it squarely and you’ll find that’s it’s not the giant you thought it to be. Next, ask God for wisdom. First of all, ask for wisdom to know if this is a situation from which you need to exit or a relationship which you need to end or put some distance in between. Secondly, if you are to continue in the situation and/or relationship, ask God for wisdom to know how to maneuver in it. In addition, ask God for strength to deal with it. Finally, ask God for God’s peace and calm. Continue to ask God for “quietness and trust.”
Don’t allow stress to rob you of energy, joy, and peace. Instead, quiet yourself, focus on God, and prayerfully deal with your situation. These are your keys to overcome stress.
In the next blog post we’ll continue this month’s series on overcoming in everyday life so that you get closer to God and gain a deeper understanding of who God is to live with confidence. In the last blog post we looked at overcoming overwhelm. Look out for our next blog post where we’ll deal with overcoming negativity.
Watch this video and get some more tips to beat stress.
Get closer to God and gain a deeper understanding of who God is.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mothers. God bless you.
Photo credit: PDPics / 1363 images of Pixabay.com
