Anxiety Feels Like a Thorn
Becky Keife
“Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness …’” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)
“Noah was a righteous man, blameless among his contemporaries; Noah walked with God.” Genesis 6:9b (CSB)
Lord, thank You for the dreams and ideas You place in my heart, even when they don’t unfold as I expect. Help me to trust that when You interrupt my plans, it’s never to harm me but always to lead me into something better. Give me peace when I feel disappointed or uncertain, and remind me that Your purpose is greater than my own. May Your purpose prevail in my life this year and always. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)
“My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” Isaiah 32:18 (ESV)
“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD …” Isaiah 58:13-14 (NIV)
“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16b (NLT)
“You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” Psalm 56:8 (ESV)
“If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?” Jeremiah 12:5 (NIV)
Lord, I confess how often I return to old habits, relying on my own strength and knowledge, only to come up empty. Thank You for gently reminding me that success comes not from striving harder but from listening to Your voice. Teach me to pause, seek You first, and trust Your direction even when it feels unfamiliar. Help me to obey even when I don’t understand and to believe You are at work in every detail. This year, may I cast my nets only at Your command, trusting You to bring the abundance (John 21:6). In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
“He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.” John 21:6 (NIV)
“Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness …’” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)
“Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the LORD tested Joseph’s character.” Psalm 105:19 (NLT)
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 (NIV)
Lord God, it’s easy for me to find things to worry about. But today I cling to the truth in Matthew 10:29-31, which reminds me that I am worth more to You than the sparrows — and You care for the...