How to Trust God Better: A Daily Exercise

You don’t have the peace of God.

Not really–not if you’re honest with yourself.

You’ve had a few impactful experiences in your life when God gave you supernatural peace, but most of the time you feel worried, stressed, and anxious. You know you’re not living the abundant life that Christ wants for you, but you feel powerless. You don’t know how to maintain a constant state of calm.

I want you to try an experiment with me.

Multiple times throughout your day, every time you start to worry, pause to pray. Say these exact words, either mentally or verbally: “I trust You.”

Daniel Swanson Photography

Daniel Swanson Photography

Daniel Swanson Photography

Daniel Swanson Photography

Every time you start to worry, pause to pray.

I’ve been having some trouble with insomnia lately, and when I got into bed the other night, I started to feel a wave of anxiety, picturing the sleepless night ahead. Instead of allowing the dread to build, I told God, “I trust You.” That tiny prayer took a surprising amount of emotional effort because I had to let go of the outcome.

I fell asleep quickly that night and stayed asleep.

Since then, I’ve started incorporating that one-sentence prayer into my little anxious moments throughout the day. Here’s what I’ve discovered:

1. I have a lot of little anxious moments.

Every time I express my trust to the Lord, I realize how tight my shoulders have become. I remember to exhale. I relax the muscles around my eyes. Momentary prayers seem to serve as a subconscious body check. I hadn’t realized how often I allowed worry to take control of my body. No wonder my stress levels have been so high!

2. Jesus wants to participate in my life.

Somehow I manage to forget this lesson over and over again. In college, I learned that Jesus wanted to help me write essays and study for tests. During my tour as an actress and dancer for Dare2Share, I learned that Jesus wanted to perform on stage with me. Now I’m learning that Jesus wants to help me send emails to my boss, too.

3. Peace is possible.

I’ve barely begun developing this habit. Already, though, I’m beginning to see that God wants to move me toward obedience. He commanded me not to be afraid–many times, in fact. I have been disobedient, and I tried not feel guilty because I thought it wasn’t my fault. It couldn’t obey Him. It was impossible … and I was right, sort of.

Daniel Swanson Photography

Daniel Swanson Photography

Daniel Swanson Photography

Daniel Swanson Photography

Invite Jesus into every moment of your life.

You literally cannot experience peace by trying harder. God intentionally created you with a major flaw called worry. Why would He do that? Because He wants to be with you. It all comes back to that breath-by-breath, active encounter with the living God. I’m so, so bad at it. Sometimes I think I’m growing closer only to relapse for months or years.

Try it. Next time you feel your stomach start to tighten with stress, say to God, “I trust you.” See what happens. Maybe you’ve already been practicing for longer than a few days, and you have even more thrilling illustrations and lessons to report. Tell me!

I’d love to hear how you experience peace by experiencing Jesus.

Love,

The Reluctant Bride