Did you know that even if you are a Christian, you still may not experience peace? Yes, Jesus promises peace for those who follow Him(John 14:27, Philippians 4:7). That peace is the abiding peace that accompanies the decision to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ(Acts 16:31). It undergirds us and sustains us through all of life until He comes again. It never leaves because we are never left or abandoned by God.

The lack of peace I’m talking about is related to unresolved issues in life. Some examples could be trauma, buried unforgiveness, a bad health report, unconfessed sin, buried grief, or a known enemy in your work. One can call a counselor, declare forgiveness to another, go back to church, change health habits, pray, or start an intentional morning quiet time for ideas.

Some issues require lots of work like long-term counseling. And some need only some self-awareness and a talk, or focused prayer. Whatever method you use to address the emotions, I submit that scripture engagement can undoubtedly heal, even if other action is required. A myriad of emotions that give us unrest will linger until we figure out how to begin to do the work that brings peace( Psalm 119:165). Because emotions are often consuming, it is important to address them. To stare them down, look them straight in the eye, and deal with their root.

I experienced controlling anxiety and angst for years when certain topics were brought up. The topics served as triggers and anxiety would roll in. But one day, the Spirit made me aware of a sin that required my attention, as well as some trauma I’d experienced as an adult. At the time, the teacher of a Bible study I was working on recommended we write concepts from the study on spiral index cards. That one activity started my journey of gaining peace over controlling emotions. Up to that point, I had read the Bible all my life. And I loved His Word, but this was different. From that point anytime a scripture stood out to me I’d write it on the index cards. Anytime a truthful statement from a Bible study captured me, it would go in the index spiral. I went over the Truth Cards anytime I felt angst or anxiety, mostly reading them out loud and the controlling emotions would leave and peace would come.

I began a journey, and the Bible became nourishment for my soul and spirit( Jerimiah 15:16) and medicine for my mind(Proverbs 4:20-22). Beyond my morning quiet time with the Lord, as I followed His plan to engage Scripture, healing looked like many of the practices I write about on this website. https://valerierumfelt.com/2020/08/02/improve-your-quiet-time/ and https://valerierumfelt.com/2023/05/07/5-more-reasons-why-i-meet-with-god-in-the-morning/. Additionally, a book by Elizabeth George became a manual for keeping my thoughts in check. Loving God with All Your Mind should be a classic on every Christian’s book list.

The journey provided immediate results, and over time, I gained a heart at rest, a confident soul, a peace-filled mind, a trusting spirit, and a greater faith. I looked forward to my engagement with Scripture. I wanted to keep my spirit peaceful. Scripture engagement did that. The more I engaged Scripture, the more I loved its Author. The more I loved Him, the more I experienced His presence. Does that seem good to you? Then here is a list to encourage you.

More Ways to Engage God’s Word:

• -Look up passages with instructions about your relationship to God and pray those back to God. Psalm 23 could be a psalm of thanks as you begin, “ Lord, thank you that you are my Shepherd and because of this, I have all that I need.”Keep praying all the way to the end.

• -Dust off an old Bible study and go back over it. Maybe today, you can fill in some of the answers that you didn’t want to fill in before.

• -Look up some verses about your eternal and living hope in Christ and write them on index cards. Look up verses about your identity in Christ. These topics are the opposite of anxiety, angst, fear, self-pity, and others.

• -Find a notebook, pick a Bible passage, and start writing it. Draw a picture underneath it or make a song from it. Diagram it https://valerierumfelt.com/2023/01/29/diagramming-scripture/.

• -Turn on your Bible app and listen to the audio Bible with all the lights out. Or listen while you’re working on a hobby. Whether you hear or focus on it the whole time is not important. Because it is alive and active, it is going effectively into your mind and spirit.

• -We can learn a lot about God’s Word by reading the Bible’s longest chapter. List all the ways Psalm 119 speaks about God’s Word.

• – Read any part of the Bible out loud. Reading out loud personalizes it and enables comprehension.

• – Look up all the scripture references in this article and read them out loud, or write them.

Sitting alone with God can feel awkward if you are coming out of a time, season, or lifetime of being anxious. But as you let His Word penetrate your mind, your new habit will seem right, and you will desire the times you get in Scripture. You will become aware of God’s presence. You will perceive your transformation in Christ, and your faith will grow(I John 1:5-7, Romans 12:1-2, Galatians 5:13-26). All of this makes you an effective witness to God’s saving work and gives your life meaning and authenticity to your friends and family.

Your relationship with Christ(salvation) is a work He did in you and continues to do until He returns(Philippians 1:6). But if you want to experience Him and sense His holy and loving presence, you must make different choices to sit with Him.

Are you ready to engage with Scripture and be healed?

©Valerie Rumfelt

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