God Sees Your Heart| Scripture Meditation for Fear and Anxiety

This guided Christian meditation in 1 Peter 5 will give you hope and peace in the midst of the fear and anxiety that difficult seasons bring. Get your FREE Peace, Be Still Guided Meditation Journal here. When hardship or suffering enters our lives, one reason we begin to feel anxiety is because we have no idea when the hard season will end. This unknown space becomes a breeding ground for the enemy’s lies. Lies that 1 Peter says are intended to devour us. Devour. Meaning that the enemy wants to consume us and render us ineffective. 1 Peter exhorts us to stand firm against his attack and to remember that God cares for us so we can give our worries and anxieties to him. If you’re struggling with anxiety and fear because you’re in a difficult season, I believe this meditation is for you. I’m praying God will use His Word to give perspective or reframing to whatever you’re enduring. And may you remember that you are not alone. God cares deeply for you. Get your FREE Peace, Be Still Guided Meditation Journal here.   Here are some additional helpful links: You can find out more about me, Jodie, at http://www.jodieniznik.com/ Follow me on Instagram @creatingspaceforgod Follow me on Facebook @JodieGNiznik Learn more about Scripture meditation and download a FREE Lectio Divina Scripture Meditation Journal here. Join my Monday email newsletter here, where I send links to the newest meditation every Monday morning. Find out more about my partner, Life Audio, at lifeaudio.com. Download FREE sample chapters from my Bible studies here. The whole meditation text is as follows: 1 Peter 5:6–9, New Living Translation 6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This guided Christian meditation in 1 Samuel will give you space to remember how God sees you, regardless of how you view yourself. Get your FREE Peace, Be Still Guided Meditation Journal here. Rejection not only stings, but it also lingers. Rejection threatens to identify us as unworthy or unwanted, which can create anxiety and fear. If we truly start to believe these lies, then we’ll shrink back, cease, and get small. We stop being who God created us to be. King David may have been one of the greatest kings who ever lived, but he had to overcome being overlooked. In this meditation, we will remember that God looks at our hearts. If you’re fearful or anxious because you feel rejected, this week’s mediation will encourage you to remember … God sees your heart. God sees the very best of you. God sees who he made you to be. God sees you covered in the righteousness of Christ.   Get your FREE Peace, Be Still Guided Meditation Journal here. Here are some additional helpful links: You can find out more about me, Jodie, at http://www.jodieniznik.com/ Follow me on Instagram @creatingspaceforgod Follow me on Facebook @JodieGNiznik Learn more about Scripture meditation and download a FREE Lectio Divina Scripture Meditation Journal here. Join my Monday email newsletter here, where I send links to the newest meditation every Monday morning.   Find out more about my partner, Life Audio, at lifeaudio.com. Download FREE sample chapters from my Bible studies here. The whole meditation text is as follows: 1 Sam 16:6-12, NLT 6 When (Jesse and his sons) arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab (the oldest son) and thought, “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 8 Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “This is not the one the Lord has chosen.” 9 Next Jesse summoned Shimea, but Samuel said, “Neither is this the one the Lord has chosen.” 10 In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” 11 Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.” “Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” 12 So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.” Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Is it possible to find peace in God's presence amidst anxiety? Alan Fadling believes we can. In this conversation, Alan and I tackle the notion that anxiety doesn't have the final say in our lives, and we explore practical ways to shift our focus away from anxiety and toward peace. If you're wrestling with anxiety, know that you're not alone. There's hope and peace to be found in Jesus. Listen in for an empowering discussion full of practical advice. Alan is the president and co-founder of Unhurried Living, which inspires people to rest deeper, live fuller, and lead better. He speaks and consults internationally. He is the award-winning author of An Unhurried Leader, An Unhurried Life, A Year of Slowing Down, and his newest book, A Non-Anxious Life. He is also the co-author of What Does Your Soul Love? which he wrote with his wife, Gem. You can get Alan’s newest book for 20% off and free shipping with code IVPPOD20 at: https://www.ivpress.com/a-non-anxious-life   You can connect with Alan at https://www.unhurriedliving.com/ On Instagram https://www.instagram.com/alanfadling/ Or https://www.instagram.com/unhurriedliving/ On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/alanfadling Or https://www.facebook.com/unhurriedliving   Get your FREE Peace, Be Still Guided Meditation Journal here. Here are some additional helpful links: You can find out more about me, Jodie, at http://www.jodieniznik.com/ Follow me on Instagram @creatingspaceforgod Follow me on Facebook @JodieGNiznik Learn more about Scripture meditation and download a FREE Lectio Divina Scripture Meditation Journal here. Join my Monday email newsletter here, where I send links to the newest meditation every Monday morning. Find out more about my partner, Life Audio, at lifeaudio.com.   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This guided Christian meditation in Luke 1 will give you space to talk to God about any fear and confusion you are experiencing due to the disruptions.   Get your FREE Peace, Be Still Guided Meditation Journal here.   There are moments in our lives that have a clear before and after. Moments that make us wish we could stay in the before. The way life was, with the life we knew. But usually, we don’t get a choice. Disruptions have a way of hoisting themselves upon us. In this guided meditation, we will consider Mary’s reaction to the angel Gabriel when he told her she would be the mother of Jesus. This will lead us to ask the Spirit to help us identify disruptions in our own lives and how they are challenging us. Finally, we will move to a time of prayer, asking the Lord to help us pray as Mary did, surrendering to God and his plan ahead of our own. Disruptions cause fear and anxiety because they bring uncertainty into our lives. But God will not let us falter. He is with us, and he will see us through. I pray this guided meditation brings you peace and helps you trust God and his plans. Get your FREE Peace, Be Still Guided Meditation Journal here. Here are some additional helpful links: You can find out more about me, Jodie, at http://www.jodieniznik.com/ Follow me on Instagram @creatingspaceforgod Follow me on Facebook @JodieGNiznik Learn more about Scripture meditation and download a FREE Lectio Divina Scripture Meditation Journal here. Join my Monday email newsletter here, where I send links to the newest meditation every Monday morning. Find out more about my partner, Life Audio, at lifeaudio.com. Download FREE sample chapters from my Bible studies here. The whole meditation text is as follows: Luke 1:26-33, 38, NLT 26 … God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This guided Christian meditation on Psalm 136 will help you stop ruminating on lies and instead dwell on God's faithful and enduring love. Get your FREE Peace, Be Still Guided Meditation Journal here. Unhelpful thoughts easily get stuck in our minds, like a broken record that plays over and over again. This kind of thinking wakes us up at night, distracts us during the day, and makes us physically sick. It does us no favors! And the worst part is, it’s not even real. They’re lies. Lies aimed to keep us bound and stuck. It’s not easy to break the pattern of ruminating in destructive thinking. It takes consistent and steady effort to identify the lies and replace them with the truth. Psalm 136 is a great place to start. Over and over again, the truth His faithful love endures forever is repeated. When you discover yourself stuck in a lie, try repeating this phrase instead. I pray this meditation will help you know more of God’s faithful and enduring love for you and that it will alleviate some of the fear and anxiety that’s been rolling around in your mind.   Get your FREE Peace, Be Still Guided Meditation Journal here.   Here are some additional helpful links: You can find out more about me, Jodie, at http://www.jodieniznik.com/ Follow me on Instagram @creatingspaceforgod Follow me on Facebook @JodieGNiznik Learn more about Scripture meditation and download a FREE Lectio Divina Scripture Meditation Journal here. Join my Monday email newsletter here, where I send links to the newest meditation every Monday morning. Find out more about my partner, Life Audio, at lifeaudio.com. Download FREE sample chapters from my Bible studies here.   The whole meditation text is as follows: Psalm 136:1-16, CSB 1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His faithful love endures forever. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever. 4 He alone does great wonders. His faithful love endures forever. 5 He made the heavens skillfully. His faithful love endures forever. 6 He spread the land on the waters. His faithful love endures forever. 7 He made the great lights: His faithful love endures forever. 8 the sun to rule by day, His faithful love endures forever. 9 the moon and stars to rule by night. His faithful love endures forever. 10 He struck the firstborn of the Egyptians His faithful love endures forever. 11 and brought Israel out from among them His faithful love endures forever. 12 with a strong hand and outstretched arm. His faithful love endures forever. 13 He divided the Red Sea His faithful love endures forever. 14 and led Israel through, His faithful love endures forever. 15 but hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea. His faithful love endures forever. 16 He led his people in the wilderness. His faithful love endures forever. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This guided Christian meditation in Matthew 6 will give you peace as you embrace the truth that you are valued and cared for as a friend of God. Get your FREE Peace, Be Still Guided Meditation Journal here. Many of us have been tricked into believing we are valued for what we do, not who we are. And this creates deep anxiety. And in some of Jesus’s final words, Jesus made sure we knew that we are valued because we are God’s friends. And as friends of God, we have been chosen by Him. We are loved by Him. We matter to Him. That’s the foundation of our lives. As you listen to this meditation, I pray that you will be reminded that you are loved because you are a friend of God. And even when you fall short, because we all will, you will not let the enemy use that to create fear and anxiety in your life, but you will release this shortcoming and turn back to God in love. Because, as a true friend, you have nothing to worry about.   Get your FREE Peace, Be Still Guided Meditation Journal here. Here are some additional helpful links: You can find out more about me, Jodie, at http://www.jodieniznik.com/ Follow me on Instagram @creatingspaceforgod Follow me on Facebook @JodieGNiznik Learn more about Scripture meditation and download a FREE Lectio Divina Scripture Meditation Journal here. Join my Monday email newsletter here, where I send links to the newest meditation every Monday morning. Find out more about my partner, Life Audio, at lifeaudio.com. Download FREE sample chapters from my Bible studies here. The whole meditation text is as follows: John 15:14–17 NLT You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This guided Christian meditation in Matthew 6 will remind you that you matter to God and he will take care of you. Get your FREE Peace, Be Still Guided Meditation Journal here. It’s easy to let worry consume our thoughts and energy. So easy. It can be difficult to trust that God will help us through what we’re facing. But today, for this moment, I want to invite you to take a lesson from the birds. Breath deep. See how God takes care of them. They’re going to be ok. So will you. As you listen to this meditation, I’m praying the Lord helps you lay aside whatever you’re carrying and rest in his capable care today. Get your FREE Peace, Be Still Guided Meditation Journal here. Here are some additional helpful links: You can find out more about me, Jodie, at http://www.jodieniznik.com/ Follow me on Instagram @creatingspaceforgod Follow me on Facebook @JodieGNiznik Learn more about Scripture meditation and download a FREE Lectio Divina Scripture Meditation Journal here. Join my Monday email newsletter here, where I send out links to the newest meditation every Monday morning. Find out more about my partner Life Audio at lifeaudio.com. Download FREE sample chapters from my Bible studies here. The entire meditation text is as follows: Matthew 6:25–27, NIV 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This guided Christian meditation in Mark 4:35-42 will help you exchange fear and anxiety for the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding. Get your FREE Peace, Be Still Guided Meditation Journal here. Jesus fell asleep in the middle of a raging storm. The disciples saw the waves crashing in, and as the water filled the boat, they became fearful, even accusatory. They woke Jesus and demanded an answer. Jesus, don’t you care if we drown? Jesus calmed the storm with these power-packed words. Peace. Be Still. Words spoken over nature, but also spoken over our hearts. As you listen to this guided meditation, you will be given space to talk to God about what is bringing you fear and allow him space to calm your fears with his peace and stillness. Here are some helpful links: You can find out more about me, Jodie, at http://www.jodieniznik.com/ Follow me on Instagram @creatingspaceforgod Follow me on Facebook @JodieGNiznik Learn more about Scripture meditation and download a FREE Lectio Divina Scripture Meditation Journal here. Join my Monday email newsletter here, where I send out links to the newest meditation every Monday morning. Find out more about my partner Life Audio at lifeaudio.com. Download FREE sample chapters from my Bible studies here. The passage we meditated on in this episode is: Mark 4:35-42, NLT 35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. 38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” 39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!” Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

He has risen! He has risen, indeed. Prepare your heart for the glory of Easter as you meditate on the resurrection of Jesus. You can download your Lent Guide here. It has the meditation passage and reflection questions printed out for you. Here are a few additional helpful links: You can find Jodie at http://www.jodieniznik.com/ Instagram @creatingspaceforgod Facebook @JodieGNiznik Learn more about Scripture meditation and download your free Lectio Divina Scripture Meditation Journal here. Join my Monday email here, where I send out links to the newest meditation every Monday morning. Find out more about my partner, Life Audio, at lifeaudio.com. Download free sample chapters from my Bible studies here. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This is a guided meditation for Holy Saturday to help you prepare your heart for Easter as you meditate on this silent day of waiting and wondering. We are meditating on Luke 23:50-56. You can find the passage and reflection questions in the free lent guide. You can download your Lent Guide here. Here are a few additional helpful links: You can find Jodie at http://www.jodieniznik.com/ Instagram @creatingspaceforgod Facebook @JodieGNiznik Learn more about Scripture meditation and download your free Lectio Divina Scripture Meditation Journal here. Join my Monday email here, where I send out links to the newest meditation every Monday morning. Find out more about my partner, Life Audio, at lifeaudio.com. Download free sample chapters from my Bible studies here. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.