Day 21: Walking With Anxiety

• Transcript

  Beyond Blue says that in Australia, 1 in 4 people will experience anxiety at some point in their lifetime.
  That’s nearly 7 million Aussies walking around with the weight of anxiety on their shoulders.

  Even if it’s not you, it’s likely someone you love.
  This isn’t a niche issue. It’s an epidemic.

  And yet… it still feels so isolating.
  Like something we’re supposed to hide.

  But anxiety wasn’t meant to be carried alone.
  We need support. We need prayer. We need real conversations, safe people, and sometimes professional help too.

  If you’re walking with anxiety — or walking alongside someone who is — you’re not alone.
  Even when it feels like you are.

  There’s a whole boatload of us out here, trying to row through the storm.
  So how about we stop pretending we’re fine… and walk together?

Let’s Talk

Anxiety has a way of making you feel like you’re the only one.
Like everyone else is handling life better than you.
Like something must be wrong with you for struggling this much with things that seem “small” to others.

But here’s the truth: you’re not alone — you’re part of a massive group of people trying to hold it together behind the scenes.

Some people are anxious about the future.
Others about the past.
Some about what might go wrong. Some about what might go right.

It doesn’t always look like panic attacks.
Sometimes it’s chest tightness.
Sometimes it’s irritability.
Sometimes it’s that relentless loop of overthinking or the constant feeling that something’s just not quite right.

And even though it’s common, it’s still heavy.

That’s why true community matters — not the surface-level kind where you smile and pretend everything’s fine, but the kind where honesty is welcome. The kind of community that says, “If your chest tightens at 2am, text me — I’ll be there.” The kind that doesn’t demand explanations or polished answers, but simply says, “You don’t have to explain it — I get it.” It’s in those raw, real connections that healing begins and the weight feels a little lighter.

Growth happens in relationship.
Not always because someone fixes you, but because someone sees you.

Scripture

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (NIV)

“Praise be to the God… of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our troubles,
so that we can comfort those in any trouble
with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

Mental Health Moment

Anxiety doesn’t make you weak — it makes you honest.

It’s not just nervousness or worry. It’s a storm in the mind and body. Sometimes it’s a full-blown panic attack. Other times it’s that constant edge — tight chest, shallow breathing, intrusive thoughts, or the dread that something’s about to go wrong… even when everything looks fine.

Sheila Walsh, Christian author and mental health advocate, writes:
“Sometimes we don’t need a miracle. Sometimes we just need to be reminded that God is with us in the middle of the mess.”

You’re not a bad Christian for being anxious. You’re not failing spiritually. You’re human — and being human means sometimes we need help. God’s comfort is not a reward for getting it all right. It’s a promise for those in trouble.

That’s why real community matters — not just church attendance or surface-level small talk, but relationships where it’s safe to say, “I’m not okay.” Where someone listens, prays, sits beside you in the tension, and doesn’t demand that you “get over it.”

Managing anxiety takes a whole toolkit: prayer, people, therapy, Scripture, rest, medication if needed. That’s not weak faith — that’s wise faith.

So breathe. You don’t have to carry this alone. God is with you.

Practice for Today

If you’re anxious:
Take five minutes to name what your anxiety is telling you today.
Then ask yourself: Is this true? And what would God say in response?
Write down a sentence that reminds you of truth.

If someone you love is anxious:
Send them a message. Not with advice — just a reminder:
“I know things feel heavy. You’re not alone. I’m with you in this.”

A Prayer for the Anxious Souls

Jesus,
You see the thoughts I can’t control and the fears I can’t explain.
You’re not overwhelmed by my overwhelm.

So meet me here — in the tension, in the chaos, in the quiet dread.
Give me breath when I feel like I’m suffocating.
Give me peace where anxiety has built its fortress.
Give me people who remind me I don’t have to carry this alone.

And help me trust that I’m not broken.
I’m just in need of help.
And that’s okay.

Amen.

Reflection Prompt

What lie does anxiety keep whispering to you — and what truth can you say back?

Who could you reach out to this week — to ask for support, or offer it?