“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” —Deuteronomy 31:8
Most of the time our anxiety stems from a fear of something or someone in the future. The next time it happens to you, try the “Three Ps Remedy”: Prepare—Do what you can now. Simply ponder, What can I do in a proactive way that makes sense? Usually one or two things will occur to you. Do them and watch your anxiety begin to shrink. Present—Live in the present moment, not in the imagined future. Living in the now can help smother the fire of fear. Pray—Know that God is in of control of the future. God has the power and the love to do what we cannot do. Our Father’s love can and does shape the future. Pray and experience the peace that will replace the anxiety, because the God who loves you unconditionally is in control now and in the days ahead. Prayer Lord, show me how to prepare, to live in the present moment, and to pray when fear begins to creep in. Amen.
—from the book Three Minutes with God: Reflections and Prayers to Encourage, Inspire, and Motivate
by Monsignor Frank Bognanno
5 thoughts on “The Best Remedy for Anxiety”
Very good. I like the first suggestion. Anxiety can be put to good use when it gets us to take positive action. We should not let anxiety leave us paralyzed or to panic & do what is hasty & unwise, but it should help us to see what we can do to be prepared for the future. We pray, we do what we can do, and then we leave the rest in GOD’S hands and, with the help of GOD’S grace, work on trusting Him. Trust is the challenging part, since GOD’S ways & timing are often different (or as the prophet Isaiah would say, “higher”) than our own.
This reminds me of the Serenity Prayer: “GOD, give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Thank you! The Serenity Prayer has helped me through a divorce and annulment from an alcoholic. And now through home hospice and death of my beloved husband. Thank you again for this reminder to go back to it again!
So down to earth suggestion.
Thanks
So often I waste so much time being anxious.
Dear Lord,
Help me practice the 3Ps.
Amen
I really need God to help…he never fails me..but I am exhausted
Please sell our house, dear Lord, so I cam be released from this anxiety. 🙏🙏🙏