C. TURN YOUR WORRIES INTO PRAYER.
Prayer brings value into our lives, even if we don’t see immediate response. Sometimes our own anxious thoughts can overwhelm us and paralyse us. But as we take these issues and concerns and begin to pray about them, the weight and burden of them is carried over to the Lord. He has promised to care for us, and this care includes helping us with the very practical issues we may be confronted with.

Philippians 4:6 ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.’

The Lord desires that we would know peace in our lives and not anxiety and fear. The secret is to take those fears and make them a matter of prayer so that the Lord can actually lift the load we are carrying and bring answers and breakthrough to those areas where we need help.

D. LOOK FOR THINGS TO BE THANKFUL ABOUT AND FOCUS ON THEM.
We often focus on all the negative things when we are facing challenging times. We can just see the negative and the problems, and this hinders us from being about to see solutions and answers in the middle of all the issues. The strange thing about life is that regardless of the challenges there are always things to be thankful for or thankful about. Every person’s situation will be different and unique, but in every instance there will be things to thankful about.

Psalm 100:4 ‘Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His Name.’

As we adopt this attitude of thankfulness, it brings certain advantages in our lives

1. It helps us to be optimistic in God and aids us to overcome pessimism and negativity.
2. It helps us to overcome stress. Anxiety and fear are forms of stress that we do not need. Thankfulness shifts this and brings peace and appreciation in exchange.
3. Thankfulness helps us to remember how God has helped us in the past, or in other situations, and as a result gives us the assurance of His ongoing help for today and for the future.

E. LIVE IN CHILDLIKE DEPENDENCE ON GOD.
Don’t overthink or over complicate matters. Live one day at a time. I have often had to deal with people facing challenging times. When I have suggested an alternative, or perhaps a solution to the issue, they often give me many reasons why what I am suggesting can never work. In challenging times it becomes difficult to hear the solution that perhaps God is bringing across our paths. There was a blind man in the Bible who wanted Jesus to heal him. Jesus made mud and placed it on his eyes and told him to go and wash. When he did this, he regained his sight. It makes you wonder if he would have been healed if he had not done the simple thing of going to wash, as instructed. (John 9:1-12) Simple childlike faith and obedience can turn things around in challenging times.

If you have a PRAYER REQUEST, please send us an e-mail at Prayer@AliveToGod.com  For more information about Alive to God, or to subscribe to our free DAILY BIBLE VERSE, please visit www.AliveToGod.com