Flourishing in Anxiety

In Daily Devotional by Dean Brenton

Theme of the Week: The Key to Flourishing

Bible Verse: Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon. Daniel 2:17-18

Scripture Reading: Daniel 2:1-49

Are you the kind of person who dreams in your sleep but the next day can remember little about them? Or, are you a dreamer who remembers vivid details?

King Nebuchadnezzar had such vivid and disturbing dreams that the next day he called for all his interpreters and demanded they reveal the meaning. Their unsuccessful attempts, however, caused the king to fly into a rage and threaten their lives. Daniel and his friends were lumped in among the group of “wise guys” who were to be executed.

But Daniel intervened and offered to interpret the dream. Before he did, in the face of the incredible anxiety of his life on the line, he asked his friends to pray and intercede that God would give him the answer to the secret. That night God revealed the meaning to Daniel in a vision, and the next day the king had his answer.

The result: Daniel and crew are elevated to great positions of leadership in Babylon.

In the stress of an impossible task with his life on the line, Daniel did the only thing he knew could turn the situation around: he prayed. It would have been easy to be full of anger, worry, or fear. Instead, he leaned on God and trusted him for the answer.

The Apostle Paul gave similar advice to the Philippian church: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

God has given us a key to flourishing in the face of the things that we can’t get off our mind, cause us anxiety, or keep us awake at night. That key is prayer. What’s troubling you today? Why not take some time right now to quiet your heart and mind, bring that concern to God. He hears you. He is concerned about the things that concern us. He still answers prayer.

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About
Dean Brenton
Dean is the President of Impactus. He has been an active part of denominational, national, and parachurch committees, initiatives and events as well as international and local mission projects. He previously served for 13 years as the Executive Director of Ministry Development and Strategic Initiatives/Executive Director of Church Ministries for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Newfoundland and Labrador (PAONL). He also served as a Part-Time Instructor with Tyndale University (Toronto, ON) and Queen’s College (St. John’s, NL).
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Dean Brenton
Dean is the President of Impactus. He has been an active part of denominational, national, and parachurch committees, initiatives and events as well as international and local mission projects. He previously served for 13 years as the Executive Director of Ministry Development and Strategic Initiatives/Executive Director of Church Ministries for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Newfoundland and Labrador (PAONL). He also served as a Part-Time Instructor with Tyndale University (Toronto, ON) and Queen’s College (St. John’s, NL).