Mr. Graham has written: “Man has always been beset by worry, and the pressures of modern life have aggravated the problem … Many of you are filled with a thousand anxieties. Bring them to Jesus Christ by faith … I am learning in my own life, day by day, to keep my mind centered on Christ, and the worries and anxieties and concerns of the world pass away and nothing but ‘perfect peace’ is left in the human heart.”

Stress, worry, and anxiety come when we do not trust the Lord fully to handle the situation. We are troubled by anxious thoughts of real or anticipated problems when we rely on our own strength and have not learned to cast all our cares upon the Lord. Anxiety chokes out the Word of God in our hearts and keeps us from growing in Christ.

Replace worry with prayer. Thank God in the midst of your problems, and turn them over to Him, as directed in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Praising God is a beautiful antidote for anxiety. Memorize and claim these Bible promises when worried or anxious: “So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper, I will not be seized with alarm—I will not fear or dread or be terrified. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6, Amplified); and, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.

If you do this you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, TLB).