1 | Prayer—“Throw All Your Anxiety on Him”

THE BIBLE SAYS: “Throw all your anxiety on [God], because he cares for you.”—1 PETER 5:7.

What That Means

Jehovah God invites us to talk to him about any burden that weighs on our mind and heart. (Psalm 55:22) No problem is too big or too small to pray about. If it matters to us, it matters to Jehovah. Praying to him is an important step toward gaining peace of mind.—Philippians 4:6, 7.

How This Can Help

When we struggle with our mental health, we may feel completely alone. Other people do not always understand fully what we are going through. (Proverbs 14:10) But when we sincerely tell God in prayer how we feel, we will find a sympathetic and understanding listener. Jehovah sees us, he knows our pain and struggles, and he wants us to pray to him about anything that concerns us.—2 Chronicles 6:29, 30.

Talking to Jehovah in prayer reinforces our confidence that he cares for us. We can feel as did the psalmist who prayed: “You have seen my affliction; you are aware of my deep distress.” (Psalm 31:7) Just knowing that Jehovah is sensitive to what we are dealing with can do much to help us keep going through difficult times. But he does more than just notice our distress. Better than anyone else, he understands what we are going through and helps us find comfort and encouragement in the Bible.

How the Bible Is Helping Julian

How Anxiety Affects Me

“I struggle with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Anxiety affects me at seemingly random times. One moment I am fine, and the next I feel extremely anxious for no apparent reason. I especially become anxious when I am around other people. I am intensely concerned with what they think of me.

“Those who know of my struggles are very supportive. I have to admit that sometimes what they say is not what I was hoping to hear. But I appreciate their well-meaning efforts.

“At times, my anxiety and OCD make it a challenge to pray. It takes a lot of mental effort for me to concentrate and talk to Jehovah in prayer. My thoughts move very fast—too fast for me to keep up with most of the time. When I get stuck in my own head, it is hard to put my thoughts and feelings into words.”

How the Bible Helps Me

“I have learned from studying the Bible that prayers do not need to be lengthy or eloquent to be acceptable to God. Sometimes when I cannot put my feelings into words, I simply pray: ‘Jehovah, please help me.’ Even then, I sense that Jehovah understands me and responds to what I need at the moment. In addition to prayer, I have sought medical therapy. I am happy to say that thanks to both of these sources of help, my condition is much improved. It is absolutely worth the effort to reach out to my heavenly Father and experience his loving support.”