Relieving stress—leading a peaceful, happy life, free from exhaustion and burnout—does not need to be complicated!
It is helpful to have a general understanding of the physical effects of stress; it's also important to have a spiritual understanding of the source of stress and the solution to relieving it through Jesus.
But we don't need to learn all the details of the medical causes and cures or go into a deep theological study of stress to be relieved of it!
The Lord told me if we will begin to exalt Jesus, we won't be exhausted. If we will begin to exalt Jesus by giving Him first place in our everyday lives, the place of preeminence, through listening to Him, obeying Him and doing what He shows us to do, we won't be exhausted.
Obey Him In Everything
We may lift up our hands and say, "We exalt You," but we are truly exalting the Lord when we obey Him in everything He asks.
The apostle Paul mentions "the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Cor. 11:3 KJV). There is a wonderful simplicity available to us through Jesus.
Relieving stress is simple: Obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Obey immediately. Do exactly what the Lord says to do, no more and no less.
You can probably think of specific areas in your life in which obedience to small things God is telling you to do would relieve a great deal of stress. I think you will be quite amazed to discover that by beginning to apply this principle of immediately obeying the prompting of the Holy Spirit, a week later you will be able to say you experienced less stress than you did the week before.
When you feel like that rubber band all tied up in knots stretched out to the point of breaking again, take a deep breath and remember: Jesus left us His peace. He gave us the power to be on top of stress and not under it.
We can live in the world and not be of it by drawing on the power of the Prince of Peace, listening to His voice and responding with prompt, exact obedience to live peacefully, happily and free from exhaustion and stress.
A Prayer To Combat Stress
Father,
I set as my priority spending time with You to hear Your voice clearly and to obey You. Help me to keep my priorities in order.
I know that as I place You first by spending time with You, You will cause me to do supernaturally all the things I need to do.
I know that You want me to have peace in every area of my life and have made that peace available to me. I thank You that when we ask for wisdom, You give it to us.
I ask that You guide me and give me wisdom so that I know clearly the commitments to make. I thank You, Lord, that I use my energies in the way You want them used. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Joyce Meyer is one of the world's leading practical Bible teachers. A New York Times bestselling author, her books have helped millions of people find hope and restoration through Jesus Christ. Through Joyce Meyer Ministries, she teaches on a number of topics with a particular focus on the mind, mouth, moods and attitudes. Her candid communication style allows her to share openly and practically about her experiences so others can apply what she has learned to their lives.
