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Shut Worry Out. Let Truth In. 5-Day Devotional Guide
by Jennifer Waddle ~Author of Prayer Worrier: Turning Every Worry into Powerful Prayer
JenniferWaddleOnline.com
Introduction
Women worry.
Some worries come without invitation, while others have been with us most of our lives. But whatever causes your heart to flutter with anxiety, please know this:
You can learn how to shut worry out while letting truth in.
Each day, for the next 5 days, you will be taught exactly how to close the window on worry.
As I type this, I am praying for God to calm the anxious flutter of your heart, filter out the circling thoughts in your mind, and fill you with the peace only He can give. Will you pray that with me?
You see, fellow worriers, this isn’t your typical devotional—the kind you read once and put on the shelf of forgetfulness. This is a devotion to God, the Creator of all things good. This is a guide committed to the Holy Spirit, relying fully on His leading. And lastly, this is an invitation to join me as we shut worry out and bring truth in—together.
God bless you and keep you. I am so very thankful to be on this journey with you.
Always an email away,
Jennifer
Day One
Securing the Window Screen
Even in the middle of winter, I sometimes open a window to let the crisp, Colorado air filter out the staleness. If I’m honest, sometimes it practically stinks in my house because of the pent up odors. (Gross, huh?) There’s nothing quite like the inhale of fresh air along with the exhale of stuffy, suffocating air.
And so it is with worry.
It fills our minds with such staleness, it begins to feel like a cloud of unease that circles around and around. But here is the honest truth:
There are no solutions in worry.
The endless cycle doesn’t breathe life into our situation, it only keeps the stale air cooped up until we feel like we are suffocating.
Can you relate?
So, my friends, let’s open the window wide and let the fresh air in!
But, (you might be asking), aren’t we supposed to be closing our “worry window?”
Yes.
However, in this devotional, we are going to learn how to shut worry out while letting truth in.
So, how does that work?
Picture with me, a heavy-duty window screen—not the kind that tears easily or pops out with the slightest push. This screen lets the fresh breeze in while keeping the unwanted stuff out. It allows all that is lovely, good, and fragrant into our homes, while blocking out the yucky stuff like bugs and flies.
Can you picture it?
When we don’t have a window screen, flies come in uninvited. Then, we waste precious time swatting them away, wishing they would leave.
But truth!
Truth, my dear ladies, never forces its way in. God’s Word flows from His mouth to our hearts like the loveliest breeze we’ve ever felt.
THAT’S what I hope to teach you in this 5-day devotional.
STEP #1 is this:
*Ask the Holy Spirit to be your heavy-duty, indestructible, window screen. Go ahead. Ask!
Remember what the Bible says about asking?
Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because
they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven.
Psalm 107:28-30
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no
doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind…
James 1:5-6
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who
knocks it will be opened.”
Matthew 6:7-8
Dear one, are you desiring a calm and quiet haven? Has worry stirred up so much debris in your mind that you can hardly think straight?
Take heart! When you ask for wisdom—wisdom to discern thoughts of worry that need to be shut out, God will give it. Believe and do not doubt. He will open the door of peace to you.
Let’s pray: Gracious God, full of mercy and goodness, we come to You with worried and weary hearts. We ask, Lord, that You send Your Holy Spirit to be the Screen that protects us from the winds of worry. We pray for discernment today, Lord. Show us the areas of our lives where we have allowed anxiety to overtake us. Help us, O God, to shut worry out and let Your truth in. We pray this in the precious name of Jesus, amen.
*Choose one of the above verses to write on 3 index cards. Post the cards around your house in places where you will see them every day. Memorize that particular passage. Please don’t skip this step. You’re going to need it later on.
Day Two
Eliminating The Trapped Worries
Remember our last devotion, when we talked about how a solid window screen allows the fresh air in while keeping the bugs out?
Well, today, we are going to confront the pests that are already trapped inside our houses.
You might not hear them or see them at the moment, but there are worries you’ve allowed to become permanent residents of your mind, and they are just waiting for the opportune time to bother you.
Do any of these scenarios sound familiar?
> It’s almost time to pay the bills. You are worried, again, about having enough money to pay them. A sense of dread has filled your mind.
> You’re waiting for a call from the doctor. The test results are in, but you are worried about what they might reveal. You’ve been worried for a long time about your health.
> Things have been strained between you and your husband. You don’t know how to fix it. This keeps you awake at night. In fact, it’s kept you awake more nights than you’d like to admit.
> There are some behavioral issues with your son or daughter. You’re not sure what to do. It seems to be getting worse. This is a persistent worry that follows you around day to day.
> You wonder if God really cares about your situation. Will He really come through, or will He let you down? You want to believe He will work things out, but doubt has overshadowed your faith.
Sisters, these worries are legitimate. I won’t tell you they aren’t. However, I will remind you what the Bible says about worry…
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
But a good word makes it glad.
Proverbs 12:25
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and
His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day
is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:31-34
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27
My friend, have you let anxiety linger in your heart so long it’s made you depressed? Pick up the Word of God and read it aloud. The Bible is true when it says that a good word makes the heart glad. Read until your heart is glad. Try Psalm 33 if you are stuck for inspiration.
This brings us to Step #2:
*Make the Bible your “flyswatter,” to eliminate any lingering worries that are filling your mind. Go ahead. Use the living and active Word of God!
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
Even while you drive, clean, or work, you can listen to the Bible and let the words of God eliminate the “pests” that have made their home in your life.
Sister, go above and beyond your normal Bible reading to face this issue of worry with force. It is necessary for ridding your heart from the anxieties that plague it. Trust me on this. Even if you read the same passage over and over, just get into the Word and remain there until your worries are gone.
Remember your selected passage from yesterday? Go find the index cards you’ve posted around the house. Recite the verses you’ve chosen to help you on this journey. Perhaps, you can write the passage again and post it in yet another place. We can’t have too much of the Word of God!
So far, we’ve asked God for wisdom and for His Spirit to be our window screen. Now, we are eliminating the pesky flies of doubt, fear, and worry that are lingering. The Bible is the perfect “fly eliminator.”
Do you believe that?
Tomorrow, we will look at some tangible things to do when worry comes knocking again. You don’t want to miss it.
Let’s pray: Almighty God, thank You for Your Word. Lord, without Your truths, we would be stuck in our anxiety. As worries circle around us, Lord, we ask that Your words will eliminate them. We ask that You lead us to the exact passages You want us to read and say aloud. Keep us faithful, God. Prompt us to turn to Scripture the moment worry tries to bother us. We trust You and love You so much. In Jesus’ name we pray…amen.
Day Three
Enforce Your “No Soliciting” Sign
I’m always amazed by the sales people who clearly see our “No Soliciting” sign, yet ring our doorbell anyway. And then, when we politely show them the sign, (that they’ve obviously seen), they deny that they are selling anything at all.
Sisters, that’s what chronic worry does. It comes knocking. And when we open the door, it convinces us that it’s not there to “sell” us anything. It tries to convince us it has something we need.
But worry doesn’t offer anything useful. Instead, it sells a bunch of “bunk.”
• fear• doubt• anxiety• depression• distrust• confusion• lies
Worry has a whole bag of things it brings with it when it knocks on our door.
This calls for Step #3:
*Enforce your “No Soliciting” sign by refusing to open the door. And if the door is already open, close it firmly and lock it.
So, what does this look like in a practical sense? Let’s use one of the examples from yesterday’s devotion:
It’s time to pay the bills and you are very worried there won’t be enough money to cover them. In fact, you are pretty sure there isn’t enough money. Worry has come knocking. It’s time to come to terms with this worry, face-to-face. No more avoiding, tip-toeing around the issue, or dreading the future. Here are some tangible steps to take:
Open your budget. Look at ALL of your bills with open eyes.
Lay it all on the table as a sacrifice to God and pray.Pray hard over every single bill, over your bank account, and over your heart.In the name of Jesus, surrender ALL of it to Him. Admit to Him that you don’t have enough money to pay them. Admit that you are terribly worried about it.Confess anything that you’ve done to contribute to the problem.Ask for forgiveness and KNOW that God gives it.Order your bills from most important to least important. (tithe, rent, food, electric, etc.)Pay the bills that you can and ask for wisdom concerning the rest. Ask and believe! (Remember James 1:5-6)
My friend, when it comes to legitimate worries in life, we have to make decisions based on fact not fear. This process of enforcing our “No Soliciting” sign can be used in every worry situation that comes. Here are the actionable steps:
1. Enforce your “No Soliciting” sign by refusing to let worry in.
2. If worry does force its way in, use the Scriptures to eliminate it. (Day Two)
3. Be completely honest with God about your worries and your circumstances.
4. Lay it all before Him—the good, the bad, and the ugly.
5. Ask Him to show you the right way to go, the right words to say, and the right things to do.
6. Do what He tells you. Don’t argue, fuss, or fight. Just do it.
7. When in doubt, pray again, search the Scriptures, and move forward in what you know to be true. Trust God. Commit every action to God.
Listen, ladies, you are already making beautiful progress! You’ve asked the Holy Spirit to screen out the worry and let the fresh air of truth in. You’ve chosen Bible passages to write, post, and memorize to eliminate lingering worries. And now, you’ve taken a stand against the solicitor at the door that is lying to you.
Be encouraged! Step-by-faithful-step, you are shutting worry out and letting truth in. I’m proud of you. Remember, we are in this together!
Tomorrow, I’m going to show you how to really fight against worry. And it might be completely different than you think…
Let’s pray: Holy God, we need Your presence more than ever before. Worry is on our doorstep and we need Your strength to slam the door in its face. By your truth we stand firm, Lord. We lay all of our legitimate worries before You and ask for You to make our path clear. Thank You, Father. You are so good to us. In Jesus’ name…amen.
Day Four
Surrounding Yourself with The Best Ammunition
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
If some really bad people were pounding on your front door, would you casually sit by and hope they would go away?
No!
You would probably call 9-1-1.
And so it is when persistent worry comes to the forefront of our minds. It’s no laughing matter. It is serious and needs to be dealt with seriously.
Worry is destructive, my friends. It really is.
The minute we realize how dangerous worry can be, the quicker we will surround ourselves with the best ammunition.
So without further delay, here is Step #4
*Surround yourself with the best ammunition by forming a prayer team of at least 3 trusted people.
Please take 5 minutes right now to jot down the names of several friends who you can trust to pray for you. Will these people actually pray? Are they available any time of the day or night? Are you comfortable asking them for prayer?
Please do not skip this step.
Developing your prayer circle is like surrounding your house with armed guards. The faithful prayers of those interceding for you will be the extra layer of protection you need.
Sisters, we need a prayer team!
Let me drive this point home by giving you an example of a recent call I made to my own team:
A loved one I’ve been concerned about for quite some time recently showed up on my radar. This person revealed a side of themselves that was heartbreaking and highly concerning. I was instantly fearful for that person’s life, salvation, and well-being. My mind was filled with all kinds of “what-ifs,” and I felt desperate to fix whatever was wrong. The problem was, there was absolutely nothing I could do.
So, guess what?
Worry saw the opportunity, came rushing in like a flood, circled around and around, and cast numerous lies on the situation. I began to have thoughts that were not of God, not beneficial, and not helpful. Fear, doubt, panic, and anxiousness were threatening to take over.
Ladies, I had one of two choices.
1. I could give in to the worry and allow it to grow into a cloud of desperation, robbing me of God’s wisdom and peace.
2. I could call on my prayer team and ask them to specifically pray over the situation, ask for God’s divine wisdom, and release it.
As difficult as it was, I chose option 2. Within minutes, my team was contacted, and within a few more minutes of praying alongside them, (each in our own corners of the world), the fear and panic was GONE.
Now, please understand something.
The heartbreaking issue with my loved one was not resolved. Nothing visible to me had changed.
But God…
God revealed, through the faithful prayers of my friends, that HE was in control. He loved my family member more than I ever could, and He was looking out for them. There was no place for worry—no reason for it at all. The peace of God, that surpasses ALL understanding, came over me that night.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which
surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Please let me remind you that I was very anxious for SOMETHING to happen in the life of my loved one. That’s the lie that worry brings. It says, “Hurry! Do something. Do anything to fix it. And if you can’t, keep worrying!”
But, the Bible says the very first thing to do is STOP worrying. Then, it commands us to go to God in prayer and supplication—in EVERY circumstance!
Dear ones, do you know what “supplication” means? It means “humble prayer.” In humility, I called upon my prayer team. And please understand…
Humility is NOT the same as humiliation.
There is no humiliation in calling on trusted people to pray. There is no embarrassment, shame, or discredit. Instead, it is a sign of strength, fortitude, and humble trust.
In my book, Prayer Worrier: Turning Every Worry into Powerful Prayer, I have a whole chapter on “humbled worry.” I share this about supplication:
Did you know that when you go before the Lord in humble adoration, you don’t even need to speak a word? You can simply go to your knees, on your face, and be silent. He knows the depths of every fear. He hears the unspoken lament of our pain. He just knows…
“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says, ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.’ (Isaiah 30:15)
Ladies, please read that verse again. “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength…”
How often does worry allow for repentance, rest, quietness, or trust? How does worry lend itself to salvation or strength? I would venture to say that it does the opposite.
• Worry lies and says we don’t need to repent of its sinful grip.• Worry prevents us from resting, keeping us awake and anxious.• Worry is loud and intrusive.• Worry is the opposite of trust. It shouts, “Depend on me, not God!”• Worry cannot SAVE anyone or anything.• Worry zaps our strength, leaving us wiped out and exhausted.
However, when we choose to present our requests before God with thanksgiving, the peace of God comes, surpassing all of our human understanding.
Imagine the power behind a small prayer team of people doing the same thing on your behalf!
Who will you call on today? Please reach out to a few trusted people and simply ask if they would be willing to be part of your prayer team.
Your team will come alongside you. They will thank God with you. They will offer supplication in humble and sincere prayers. And, my friends, BIG things will happen!
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. James 5:13-18
My dear sisters, please don’t underestimate the importance of this step on our 5-day journey. As we move toward our final devotion, I ask that you follow-through with this, and each of the other steps.
See you tomorrow…
Let’s pray: Gracious Redeemer, Thank You. O, how wonderful You are! You hear the prayers of those who love You and seek You, and we are so, very grateful to You. Show us, God, the exact people we need on our prayer teams. Give us courage to reach out to them and ask them to pray. Thank You for hearing us. Please continue to send the peace that passes all understanding, Lord. No matter how deep our worries are, show us how much greater You are. We trust in You, in Jesus’ name, amen.
Day Five
Rebuking the Real Enemy: What That Looks Like Biblically
Ole’ Worry has taken a lot of hits over the last few days, hasn’t it? We’ve blocked it out with the screening of the Holy Spirit. We’ve swatted it away with the living and active Word of God, we’ve gotten down-right rude to it when it’s come knocking, and we’ve battled it with faithful prayer.
Today, during our last devotion together, I want to remind you who the real enemy is.
My sisters, the real enemy isn’t worry. It isn’t fear. It isn’t doubt.
The real enemy is the father of all of those things…the father of lies.
This is what Jesus has to say about him:
He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth,
because there is no truth in him.
When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources,
for he is a liar and the father of it.
John 8:44
Satan is a murderer, a deceiver, a liar, and the father of lies. He is the real adversary here, girls. And that is what we must remember as we deal with persistent worry.
The final key to closing our “worry window” is Step #5:
*Rebuke the real enemy in the Mighty Name of Jesus!
Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”
Matthew 4:10
And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”
Zechariah 3:2
Whether or not you are accustomed to rebuking Satan, this is our final step in shutting worry out while letting truth in. And the Bible gives us clear direction on exactly how to do it:
• We are to tell Satan to go away. • We are to remind him of what the Scriptures say. • We are to say, “The Lord rebuke you!”• We are to remember the devil’s final outcome.
The devil, who deceived them,
was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are.
And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Revelation 20:10
Dear, sweet, sisters, are you doing a victory dance with me right now?
Please say you are!
The final chapter has been written. Not by me. Not by you. And certainly not by our real enemy.
The final word has been written, signed, sealed, and delivered by God Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth!
Woohoo! Hooray! Yippee!
Our worry pales in comparison to that awesome truth, doesn’t it?
Oh, how I hope you’ve had real breakthrough the past few days. Feel free to go back and review the short devotions. Start over if you like. Share them. Copy them. Live them.
Before we close, I just want to remind you of the beautiful and life-giving truths we’ve been given—the tools to overcome chronic worry once and for all.
#1 The Holy Spirit is our heavy-duty screen, able and willing to keep out anything that is contrary to His Word.
Come, Holy Spirit, come. Be our Screen, our Shield, our Guide….
#2 The Word of God is the POWER to eliminate all strongholds of worry and everything that sets itself up against the living God.
Word of God speak to us, cover us, work in and through us…
#3 We have permission to enforce our “NO SOLICITING” sign and slam the door on the lies.
Lord, help us to stand firm against the worries that knock on the door of our hearts and minds.
#4 When we surround ourselves with a prayer team, God will hear and come to our rescue.
Lord, show me those trusted people who will be faithful to pray for me…
#5 The real enemy is the devil—the father of lies. But Jesus has overcome! Satan’s demise is written in blood—the blood of the Perfect Lamb!
Thank you, Jesus, that worry, doubt, and fear have NO place in my life. Thank You, God, for the promise of victory over the real enemy of our souls. Continue to remind us of that SURE victory. Remind us to rebuke Satan in Your mighty name. And deliver us from every worry that comes.In Jesus’ Holy Name…amen.
Thank you, dear one, for joining me on this journey. Together, we have shut worry out and let truth in. I am sincerely grateful for each and every one of you. AND, I would love to hear from you. Please email me and let me know how I can pray for you. It would be an honor to be part of your prayer team.
Always an email away,Jennifer at [email protected]
More resources for your journey:
My free 21-day devotional Discouraged Again
Free relationship ebook, prayer guide, and more
21 Prayers of Gratitude by my good friend, Shelley Hitz
The Warrior’s Prayer
Your Amazing Life Blueprint: Rediscovering Your God-given Strengths (Jennifer Waddle)
*For more about my books, speaking, and encouragement ministry for Christian
women, read more or contact me here.
