"Peace, be still, say the word and I will." Have you heard that song by Lauren Daigle? It's a good one. Scripture reminds us to be still before the Lord. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God." Philippians 4 also reminds us that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Everyone struggles with anxiety at times. Something I'm learning, and something the Lord has been reminding me of lately, is how powerful our words are. Joyce Meyer even wrote a book called Change Your Words, Change Your Life. A very godly man was recently introduced to me, and I was sharing a little of my story with him. At one point, I referred to "my anxiety." He stopped me and said, "Can I challenge you for a second? You said 'my anxiety.' You're claiming it as your own. Anxiety is not your identity. You have the Holy Spirit living inside of you."

That conversation really made me think. Practicing stillness is hard for a lot of people, even Christians. Sometimes it's because they haven't been fully established in their identity yet. Sometimes it's because they struggle with mental health issues. Other times it's because they believe lies about themselves, God, or the world around them.

This is where prayer comes in. Praying for others, allowing others to pray for you, and praying for yourself is powerful. Never underestimate what God can do when we humble ourselves before Him in prayer.

For example, I recently was trying to make a decision about whether I should move back home with my parents or stay where I am, even though staying seemed like the harder route in the short term. I had peace about my decision. Then I had a dream, and over the next few days, I became filled with fear and confusion.

Part of the problem was that I had been taught and believed that every dream came from God. That's not necessarily true, but that's another topic for another day. I would often take dreams very literally instead of bringing them before the Lord and asking Him what He was saying.

Eventually, a man prayed for me. As he prayed, the confusion completely lifted. One of the things he reminded me of was simply this: Be still before the Lord. Sometimes peace doesn't come from having all the answers. Sometimes it comes from remembering who God is and trusting Him with the things we don't understand.

Peace, be still.

References

Daigle, Lauren. Peace Be Still. Centricity Music, 2023.

Meyer, Joyce. Change Your Words, Change Your Life: Understanding the Power of Every Word You Speak. FaithWords, 2012.

The Holy Bible:

Psalm 46:10 — "Be still, and know that I am God."

Philippians 4:6-7 — The peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 26:3 — "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You."

James 5:16 — "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."

1 Peter 5:7 — "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."