Pastor Heather Perdue

Anxiety seems to thrive around any community, and overcoming that anxiety through prayer is the message I want to share with my fellow Colorado Springs residents. We live in such a beautiful city that it might not seem like a place where people are prone to worry. But like all cities, there are things that trigger anxiety. No matter what triggers the anxiety, it is comforting to know that we can trust God to have an answer, and through prayer, we can release our worries into His capable hands.

As a wife and mom, I could easily spend my entire day worrying about my two kids, my husband, the house, the cars, our finances, our health, our neighborhood—the list is endless! I find incredible peace from reading God’s Word. One of my favorite go-to verses for anxiety is 1 Peter 5:7 because it says, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Let that sink in. We get to cast our cares, which means “to throw upon.” Picture taking whatever you’re worrying and fretting about and just heaving it into God’s open arms. Now He has it and can work on showing us the solution while we get to rest in His love and care for us. That’s a better deal than finding something on sale at my favorite stores in town!

So often, I find myself holding onto my fears and anxieties, letting the enemy lead me down a downward spiral of thoughts to the worst-case scenarios. I’m learning to stop those anxious thoughts and submit them to God just like 2 Corinthians 10: 4–5, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” When I can remember to stop that thought and cast it on the Lord, then it doesn’t fester or escalate. I don’t have to say a long prayer; sometimes a simple, “Dear God, HELP me with ___” is enough to hand it over to God’s care. Knowing that I don’t have to face things alone is a great comfort because I have a relationship with a loving God who wants me to succeed in my God-given purpose that He has placed me here in Colorado Springs to fulfill.

Colorado Springs has a lot of churches and ministries headquartered here, but the enemy is roaming around our town, stirring up anxiety and looking to do some devouring, and I’m not going to give him anything to chew on! As a Colorado Springs resident, I want to help you find some places around town and ways to turn your worries into prayers that overcome your anxieties.

Did you know that a local ministry offers prayer rooms and promotes prayer by distributing free prayer maps that encourage prayer for the nations, including our own? Every Home for Christ is a wonderful local gem with great resources, including prayer rooms and a children’s prayer map to help instill the habit of praying for others. One of the best ways to clear my mind and alleviate my anxieties is to pray for others.

I love to walk through the Garden of the Gods or around the property at Glen Eyrie. When I’m in nature, I’m reminded that the God of the universe created all the amazing things I see around me, and He can certainly help me with my struggles right now. I always find it easier to talk to God when I’m out in nature, where I am inspired to praise God. Don’t forget that praise is also an excellent weapon against fear and anxiety.

Maybe you’re anxious about the school year that just started. Whether you have kids in the local schools or not, you can pray for the kids, teachers, administrators, and school board members. There are numerous controversies surrounding the curriculum, challenges to parental rights that can be very upsetting, and demanding situations for teachers. We can live in fear, or we can bring our concerns to God and let Him work in the situation, guiding us to stand firm for what is right. I just conducted an Internet search and obtained the names of the school board members for my district, so now I can lift them up to God and pray for them to be guided by Him in the decisions they make for our children. Don’t forget to pray for your local schools, because those kids and teachers need your prayers.

One last prayer idea is to start a small prayer group in your neighborhood, with other parents from your kids’ school, or at your church. When you gather with other people and invite God into your situations, it’s amazing how God can provide creative solutions, situations can turn around in miraculous ways, and peace can replace anxiety when we pray. Come to Colorado Springs, let’s pray!

You can always pray to God at any time on your own, but it also helps to have other believers join you in prayer. At Charis Christian Center, we have prayer ministers available at each service throughout the week. They would consider it a privilege to pray with you for any of your needs, including healing or alleviating anxieties. Please join us on Sundays at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. MST, and on Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m. MST. If you would like prayer for anything, call us at 719-XXX-XXXX. Please visit our website for more information and download free teachings about prayer at CharisChristianCenter.com.