A prayer to invoke Jesus in anxiety

Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a pillow. The disciples woke him up and said to him: "Master, don't you care if we drown?" - 

We have all experienced a certain amount of anxiety in our life. My anxiety has often led me to the story of the disciples on the boat with Jesus. “A raging storm arose and the waves crashed on the boat which nearly submerged. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a pillow. The disciples woke him up and said to him: "Master, don't you care if we drown?"

Imagine this, as the storm raged around them in the ocean, Jesus was sleeping. Many might read this passage and think why Jesus would sleep in the midst of their fear, in the midst of a storm in which they felt they were about to drown? This question is valid. One, I'm sure, we all found ourselves asking in seasons that looked like we might even drown. Does Jesus Really Sleep While We Cope With Anxiety? No.

As you continue reading the story in, you will see that Jesus woke up when the disciples called Him, "Master, don't you care if we drown?" Of course, Jesus cares about them and I love that he woke up to this question. He made it clear that he wanted to be invited into their anxiety. He was not unaware of the raging storm around them, he was not caught off guard by their fear, what he wanted was to know that they trusted him completely.

The more I have been faced with feelings of anxiety or anxious thoughts, the more opportunities I have had to invite the Lord and have confirmation that He is with me. I have seen the Lord increase my faith by not only solving my problem quickly, but by calling me to seek Him obediently when I am facing the seasons when I felt alone.

You see, our faith in the Lord does not dispel affliction and anxiety, but what gives us security when we go through it. What started out as a place of loneliness, doubt and wondering where God was, ended up taking me to a place where I felt seen and understood by our Creator. The next time you are faced with events that flare up your anxiety, worsen, or trigger old thought patterns, remember: You have Jesus in your boat. Call on Him, trust Him, and hold on to Him as He sees you through your raging storm.

Pray with me ...

Sir,

Help me grow by seeing you in my anxious moments. Guide my heart to places in your word where I can pray out loud about myself when these feelings come. Father, help me to remember that my feelings are not the boss of me and I am always able to deliver them to you and seek you as my peace and refuge.