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Would it surprise you to know that men and women of faith—the ones you read about in Bible stories—sometimes struggled with their emotions, too?

🤰🏽Hannah, who longed for a baby (1 Samuel 1:1-20)

Hannah’s womb is painfully empty, and others taunt her until she weeps and can’t eat. In fact, Hannah’s pleas to the Lord are so raw and desperate that the priest who sees her praying outside the temple thinks she’s drunk.

🌵Elijah, who ran for his life (1 Kings 19)

Elijah is a prophet and a strong man of God, and yet at the height of one of his biggest triumphs, he feels hopeless and terrified. He runs for his life from Jezebel, the wife of Israel’s King Ahab. He’s afraid, exhausted, and prays that God would take his life.

👴🏾Job, who lost everything (Job 1-42)

Job has served God faithfully all his life, and yet in one awful day, he loses everything. His three closest friends, who are meant to be comforting him, suggest that he’s done something to earn God’s wrath (hint: he hasn’t).

👑David, who felt all the feels (Psalm 6)

David is deeply vulnerable in his psalms, and many of them paint the picture of a man struggling with feelings of depression and hopelessness. “I am worn out from my groaning,” he says in Psalm 6:6. “All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.”

🐳Jonah, who wanted his life to end (Jonah 4)

After three days in the belly of a “huge fish”, Jonah is a man on a reluctant mission. But when the Ninevites listen to his words and repent, God decides to show compassion. Jonah isn’t a fan of this; in fact, he’s so angry that he wants to give up on life.

🌳Jesus, whose sweat was like blood (Luke 22:41-44)

Apprehension and anxiety are two emotions we’ve all felt. But have you ever been so anxious that your sweat becomes like blood on your skin? Because that’s what Jesus experienced as he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before his crucifixion.

If you want help processing your emotions with God, comment “retreat” for access to our free resource that helps make space for and guides you through the conversation.

Want help processing your worries and anxieties with God? Comment “retreat”, and we’ll send you our free retreat guide, Experiencing God’s Peace.

There are a lot of things to be worried about. We could list a few… but that’ll probably just freak you out, and doubtless, some of your own ideas have already come to mind, anyway.

We all have moments of worry. And, we know God has called us to cast our anxieties onto him, as he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

Buuut, sometimes our pesky brain chemistry doesn’t make it so easy. Our bodies can physically respond to legitimate worries and anxieties in a way that starts to feel really scary and out of control.

If frequent panic attacks are hurting your ability to be at peace in everyday life, please reach out to a medical professional.

While returning to a place of calm during a panic attack can sometimes feel pretty impossible, here’s a prayer to put on repeat that has helped us find our way through some difficult moments:

𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you” (2 Thessalonians 3:16).

𝐀 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬
Defeater of darkness, give me your peace. As my chest tightens, surround me with the strength of your Spirit. As my breath becomes shallow, let me feel the breath of your life flow through me. Minister to me in truth, even as anxiety and panic attack me. Slow my thoughts to become in sync with your abiding presence. Guard my heart. Help me find rest in your arms. Amen.