Psalm 43:5 asks, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." It is helpful to know why we’re anxious, but even if we can’t figure out the source, God is still able to deliver us.

Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines anxiety as "concern…respecting some event, future or uncertain, which disturbs the mind, and keeps it in a state of painful uneasiness." The medical community also has this description: “Intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Fast heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, and feeling tired may occur.”

The American Psychological Association adds this to the mix of definitions: “Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.

If you're thinking to yourself, “I don’t need a definition; I need a solution!” I hear you. These definitions were provided as a foundation to this episode, but I’m with you: knowing what it is that we're dealing with and doing something about it are two different things.

If there is one good reason to go through various afflictions such as anxiety, it is so that we can become a caring, compassionate resource for others. My battle with anxiety began during my husband’s journey through cancer. The anxiety increased to hazardous levels within hours after my Norman’s passing, landing me in the emergency room with symptoms that mimicked a heart attack.

I quietly wrestled with this beast for over a year, until the Lord revealed some things to my soul, little by little. These lessons became exercises for me that I still practice today. Please understand that dealing with anxiety does not have quick fixes, but there are some things that we can practice to help bring our emotions back out of the danger zone. I’ll share four spiritual exercises that I’ve found to be helpful in reducing anxiety. These are routines that I’ve learned from studying the Word and crying out for help in prayer. I hope they'll help you as well.

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