The following was recorded live in our Facebook group, Every Day Incredible Ladies: finding Christ-centered life balance.

The passage that I’m going to share with you tonight a passage comes from some becomes our Psalms chapter 139 verses 23 and 24 and it says,

Psalm 139:23-24 New International Version (NIV)

23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

I love this prayer, and actually I have a printable that I’m going to be sharing with you guys in this thread, so if anybody’s interested in printing that off and putting it somewhere you can see it, it can be a reminder and you can choose to pray the whole prayer. I want to just talk about that for a minute. When you think about the things that create our anxious thoughts and how often those things are rooted in believing lies from the enemy that are not truths about God, and that’s what can be so powerful about this prayer. When you’re asking God to search your heart, to search you and determine if there’s anything that’s not lining up with God’s truth and who God is, and who God says you are in Him, then those thoughts can bring anxiety and create a lot of conflict in your lives.

Praying that regularly, asking God to really show you if there’s anything offensive in there, anything that that isn’t God’s way of thinking, anything in those thinking habits that needs to be resolved- when you’re asking Him to reveal those things to you, He will. He is faithful to do that. When you’re asking for wisdom, guidance and discernment, those are things that He freely gives us, so when you’re seeking that, He’s going to let you know. If there’s something that is creating anxiety in you, when you are actively asking Him to point that out to you and lead you, then you’re going to know. That can help you resolve a whole lot of anxiety.

So our breath prayer for this week is, ”Search me and lead me Lord.”

We’re going into the Christmas season here- well, we’re already full swing, but there are a lot of things that can create anxiety. Whether it’s spending time with family or other gatherings when there’s a lot people around- I don’t know the different dynamics each family has, but sometimes when big families get together, there’s conflict. But even beyond that, just having such busy schedules around the holidays. It seems like we get so busy with so many expectations and Christmas parties and different things we’re supposed to be going to, and like a lot of pressure to make sure you get everything cleaned and purchased and all of those things we have to do, but take moments throughout the day to just stop and say, “search me and lead me, God.” Just stop and ask Him so you’re not getting caught up in the details and the stresses and all those things.  Do  that when there’s something that is creating anxiety. When you first notice those traits of anxiety, when you first notice those symptoms, check yourself and ask God to guide you and open your eyes to whatever may be creating that anxiety for you, because He will.

So again, the breath prayer is, “search me and lead me, Lord.”

On that note, I also want to share with you guys, I mentioned to you recently that I am working on another book. This book expands on a webinar I did in the beginning the year. The book is on learning how to “fear not.” It’s talking about learning to tackle anxiety from a faith-based perspective. So, it looks at the whole counseling approach and goes over some of the different factors/components and some of the different symptoms, and what we do in counseling to address anxiety. Then it goes deeper and it really focuses a lot on what scripture says and about putting on  our spiritual armor and really tackling it from the root of the problem.

I’m really excited about getting that done. I’m just finishing up the rough draft, so it’ll be a little while, but I just wanted to tell you let you guys- know that it is coming and I’m excited about that. It goes back to the topic of this prayer about the anxious thoughts and being able to take those thoughts captive and bring them into obedience to God, as scripture says.

Just to wrap up, I hope you guys have a fantastic week, and just remember your breath prayer this leak. ”Search me and lead me, God.”

I hope you all have a wonderful week and Merry Christmas, because I can start saying that! It’s the season now!