When Anxiety is High, Lift Your Prayers Higher

I have anxiety. 

It’s a medical condition that requires a diagnosis from a doctor. It’s a chemical imbalance in the brain that gives you that constant “fight or flight” response to even the simplest everyday activities. 

It’s a brain that races all night long with thoughts—I couldn’t even tell you what they’re all about. But they make my heart race and my feet start fidgeting in the bed because the feeling that I need to run takes over my body.

It’s constantly being distracted from the conversations in front of me to where I’m unable to focus because my mind is somewhere else. I’m either worried about how I’ll respond to you or thinking about something else that’s got me anxious.

It’s fear. Oh, how I hate to say it because I trust the Lord! I do, I really (really) do. But yes, the fear takes over. Any little noise in the middle of the night and my mind goes off. My imagination takes over and has me playing out different scenarios of “what if there’s an intruder in the house?”

It’s obsessing over the little things. Things that shouldn’t matter so much, but your brain fixates on it and makes you anxious because you can’t loosen your grip on it.

I have anxiety. 

You can call it my weakness. You can call it my mental health condition. You can call it an imperfection. 

But what you can’t call it: broken faith. 

Because the fact of the matter is, I rely on Him more every day because of my anxiety.

It’s living with fear, not living in fear. Fear is something that can consume me, yes. But Psalm 56:3 reminds me, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” I’m keeping my head turned to God throughout it all. For when I am weakest, that’s when He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:9). 

So please don’t say my faith is weak. 

My faith is actually stronger because I have to turn to Him every day to face it. 

And so, when anxiety is high . . . 

I lift my prayers up higher.