Archive for the ‘Panic Attacks’ Category

A New Mind!

Posted in Abolish Anxiety, Anxiety & Stress, Christian Living, Panic Attacks, Psalms to Conquer Anxiety!, tagged , , , , , on March 3, 2017| 1 Comment »

romans12_2
Romans 12:2 (NIV) “Do not conform anymore to the pattern of
this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you
will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing,
and perfect will.”

Someone once said, “If you were to be arrested today for being a Christian
would there be enough evidence against you to convict you?” We Christians
don’t have to do the things we did before, we don’t have to follow the crowd,
we can be brand new.

For myself, after I became a Christian I lost the few friends I had, because
they did not understand me anymore, because I had changed. I knew I was
different because their foul language and bad behavior bothered me and it never
did before. When they would take the name of Jesus in vain, it was like a sharp
knife stabbing me in the heart. The good news is that God gave me another
group of friends who are really much better for me.

Today’s verse says, “be transformed!” We do this by renewing our mind, by
rejecting old patterns of thought and concentrating on new ones. I’ve found that
to renew my mind I must keep in the Word. As I read it, study it, and meditate upon it, it sinks down into my being and actually does renew my mind. It is a process. As it takes place, I discover what God wants for me.

God wants good things for all of us, just as any good father would want for
his children. When Christ comes in, instead of living just to please ourselves, we
begin to please him and lift up others.

God wants to help us fight fear and anxiety. His Word is full of suggestions
for achieving good mental health. Search and find a promise for yourself
today. Then claim it and stand on it. He is faithful!

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Panic Buster: Learn to Conquer Panic Attacks & Agoraphobia

Posted in Christian Living, Panic Attacks, tagged , , , , , , , on September 29, 2016| 1 Comment »

Panic Buster

Now you can read my book Panic Buster for free.  I would welcome any comments or questions you may have as you study through this helpful book. May God bless you as you do so.

This book is in the .pdf format.  You can read it with Adobe Reader.  Please click on the link below to read. Or, you can right click and download.

panicbusternew9-16

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Why do we Suffer?

Posted in Christianity, Panic Attacks, tagged , , , , , , , on March 8, 2014| Leave a Comment »

How do you suffer?  Perhaps you suffer because you have some form of physical illness.  Or, you may suffer because you have anxiety, and panic attacks keep you from doing what you’d like to do.  There are many ways we suffer, but have you every thought about why we suffer.  Do you realize that Christians suffer and that we will keep on suffering until we reach heaven?  That is the truth of the matter.

There are many reasons  we suffer, but as believers we might wonder why God allows it.  Doesn’t He love us?  I believe that many people who come to Christ think they will get out of all the hardships of life.  They think everything will be peachy if they raise their hand in a service and say, “I invite Jesus into my heart.”  Sometimes that is what they are led to believe by the pastor.  Yes, get Jesus and live your best life now!  Things will be great!

I’ve sat in churches like that and I can remember the pastor leading us.  He would say something like this:

“There may be someone out there right now who is hurting.  They might be having trouble in their marriage.  There is someone who is physically ill today but they are here anyway.   Do you want to be well?  God will heal you.  There is someone who needs financial assistance.  They need money for a bill they can’t pay.  Receive Jesus right now and he will take care of all of your needs.  If you’ve never invited Jesus Christ into your heart do so now and feel His comfort.  With every head bowed and eyes closed raise your hand so that I can pray for you.  Yes, I see that one.  There is another, and yes, I see you too.”

On it goes till the pastor is satisfied that enough people have given their lives to Christ. This is sad because that is not how a person becomes a Christian and it gives them false hope.  They think they have just received Christ and their lives will be so much better from then on.   Sorry folks, but that is not the way it works.   They are not taught the truths of the Bible.  They go back out into the world and try to live right, but it doesn’t seem to work.  That is because they are not truly saved, and they don’t have the power of the Holy Sprit working in them.  They think they are  saved, but they are deceived.   These people need to hear the true gospel message, repent of their sins, and get saved.

If you are a true Christian you will still suffer.  How do I know this?  Because the Bible tells us so.  Take a look at Philippians 1:29-30 with me:

For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.  (emphasis mine.)

Yes, you saw right.  We will suffer for His sake.  It says that this has been granted to us on behalf of Christ.  That would indicate that it is Christ’s will for us to suffer and that we should think of this as a privilege.    Have you ever thought of suffering for Christ as a privilege?  I hadn’t.

Now let’s look at I Peter 5:10

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.  (emphasis mine.)

Again we see that the Bible says we are going to suffer, and the purpose of it is to perfect us.

Here is another interesting scripture on suffering:  2 Timothy 3:12

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. (emphasis mine.)

The apostles all suffered persecution and were killed in many horrible ways.  We too will suffer persecution if we live for Christ.  In this country, at this time, it isn’t that bad.  People may shun us and not like us if we stand for Christ.  In fact, in some families if a person becomes a believer their family might turn against them.  Sometimes, as in my case, I lost many of my old friends as they did not understand me anymore and we didn’t have much in common anymore.  You might suffer persecution for Christ’s sake in the work place.  But, in some countries, even today, people are being persecuted for Christ to the extent that they are killed.  It is illegal in some countries to become a Christians and if one does they are thrown out of their family and can be killed for being a Christian.  They can also be killed for attempting to spread the gospel.  That is true persecution for Christ’s sake.

So, again, why do we suffer?  Well, for one thing to identify with Christ and what He has done for us, and for standing up for the gospel.  But, there are other reasons also.

Have you ever noticed Romans 8:28-29?

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.  For those God forknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Emphasis mine.)

When things are going wrong people are quick to quote Romans 8:28, but I seldom hear them add verse 29.  Yes, all things do work out for good for Christians, but the reason is found in verse 29, and that is so that we might be conformed to the likeness of Christ.  In other words, some of our problems and suffering are allowed to change us.  We come to Christ with many rough edges that need to be smoothed off and our loving heavenly Father has to shave them off.  Little by little we change as we go through the hardships that come our way.

Can you identify with this?  I can.  I suffered tremendously from panic attacks and agoraphobia for 20 years.  I found Christ during that time and believe me I had many rough edges that needed smoothing.  I continued to suffer, but I also turned to Christ for the answers.  I studied my Bible daily.  I learned many precious promises and I learned how to claim them in my own life.  I learned how to apply my faith to my problems.  I grew in Christ.  Eventually, I no longer had panic attacks. I got my life back and it was so much better than before.  God was good to me!  The biggest thing I learned was not to depend on myself or others, but totally depend on Jesus Christ for everything.  He has sustained me to this day!  He will do the same for you if you turn to Him.

I will close with this quote from Elisabeth Elliot in her book,  A Path Through Suffering.  (Ann Arbor, MI: Servant Publications, 1990), 197-198

We suffer that we may learn who God is; that we may learn to trust and obey; it is required of soldiers; it is the condition of discipleship; to prune us, shape us to Christ’s image; to qualify us for the kingdom, to strengthen our faith; refine and test us, grow us; produce endurance; character, hope, joy, generosity; so that Christ’s power can be manifested in us; we suffer for the sake of God’s people; that we may share in His sufferings, His glory, and identify with Him in the crucifixion.

Here is a wonderful video by Joni Eareckson Tada that you will enjoy.  It really brings suffering home.

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What Did Jesus Say About Worry?

Posted in Panic Attacks, Religion, Scripture, tagged , , , , , on November 24, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I have to admit I sometimes get my mind too much on the temporary things of this world. I wonder what might happen if our economy gets worse.  We are retired so I don’t have to worry if we’d get laid off, but I am concerned about our income. We’re on a fixed income and the future isn’t very bright right now.  I’m looking forward to reading the rest of these posts by John MacArthur as he helps us see what is really important and why worry is not part of who we are as Christians.  I hope you read them and learn along with me.

You probably remember the “What Would Jesus Do?” trend from the late ’90s. It seemed everywhere you looked, plastered across T-shirts, hats, jewelry, and all kinds of other merchandise, the WWJD slogan was a blithe, shallow reminder to live up to Christ’s moral code..

Click on the link below to read the rest of this article.

What Did Jesus Say About Worry?.

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Worn Out by Worry

Posted in Christian, Faith, Panic Attacks, tagged , , , , , on November 13, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Here is an article by John MacArthur that I’d like to share with you.  I know first hand how much trouble worry can add to a person’s life.  I want to thank John MacArthur for writing this and sharing his wisdom on this issue as I know from sharing with people over the years that worry is a huge problem even among Christians.  We can be conquers!

Worry is a common temptation for all of us. The source of the anxiety might vary from person to person, but no one is completely immune. For some, it’s even a favorite pastime, occupying large portions of their days by troubling over their doubts and fears about the future.

You can click on the link below to read all of this article by John MacArthur.

Worn Out by Worry.

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What is Your Heart’s Desire?

Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Christianity, devotional, God, Health, Inspiration, Panic Attacks, Religion, Scripture, Spirituality on January 24, 2011| Leave a Comment »

What is your heart’s desire?  Is it to be healed from anxiety and fear? 
 
Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
 
Do you delight yourself in the Lord?  What does that mean?  Well, you need to meditate on God, (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.)  You need to think about how wonderful He is and how glorious His creation all around us is.  You need to hunger for greater understanding of His love and grace.  You need to long for Him to come back again.
You need to meditate on everything about our precious Lord and Savior.  You need to be grateful for everything He has done regarding the gospel and how He made a way for your eternal salvation.
 
Out of your heart of thanksgiving you need to serve the Lord.  After all, He saved us and adopted us into His family.  He is Lord over us. He is Sovereign and He is in control.  We need to bow our knee to Christ no matter what our circumstances are.  From the above verse we can see that the first thing we need to do is fix our minds on Him, not ourselves, as we delight ourselves in the Lord.
 
If we are ill; if we are in financial trouble; if we battle fear and anxiety; if we are in bad relationships; if we are in an uncomfortable work situation; if our spouse is not saved and doesn’t like us to live as a Christian; if our children give us terrible problems; if our parents give us problems; if we are challenged in our school work; if we have too much to do; if we are lonely; if we hurt; if we are angry; if we are sad; if we feel inferior; no matter what, we need to put the Lord first in our lives and live to please Him.  Are you willing to die to yourself and put God in first place? 
 
Many people think they need to get things straightened out first then they will get serious with God. “If only God would heal me than I could serve Him.” I used to think that myself. That approach is entirely backwards.  What we need to do, no matter what our problems are, is turn to God, pour out our hearts to Him, and humbly ask Him what we can do for Him.  Not what can He do for us.  Our healing is secondary, and is entirely up to Him.  Please learn to accept that.  Accept that God is in charge of you and your body. 
 
I’ve heard many people say they made a “deal” with God.  I’ll bet you’ve heard that too.  Someone who is  ill may say, “God if you will only heal me of this I will promise to go to church every week.”  You can’t make deals with God.  It won’t work.  We can’t manipulate a God who is Sovereign. Remember that.
 
The truth is God can and will do whatever He wants.  It’s not up to us.  He is our Master, and we are His slaves.  We need to realize this. 
 
Do you love God?  Do you love the Word?  If so, then your first priority is to be in the Word, read it, study it, meditate on verses.  Go to church, get involved in some way.  Serve Christ through the local church.  Take your mind off your own health and how you feel.  Give them all to God to care for.  He is your Father.  Set your mind on others.  Do what you can.  At first it might be that you pray for others.  Do that!  Perhaps the pastor could give you a list of people who are shut-ins or who have missed church for awhile and you could call them to ask how they are doing, and encourage them.  There is much work to be done and there are never enough workers. 
 
If you can’t go to church at this time, still get right with God and keep short accounts with Him.  If you know of a sin in your life, confess it, repent of it, and ask God to forgive you.  Then, get on with your life.  You can even serve God at home as you pray for others.  Pray for this group, and each member.  Pray for me as I need to write and answer emails, not in my own strength, but in the Lords.  Pray for our country, our leaders, and the local leaders where you live.  Pray for family members who are not saved.  Pray for those who seem to be against you.  Oh, there is no end to the things we can do for the Lord.
 
Make the Lord your first priority and you will see your other problems begin to take care of themselves.  As you draw closer to God and delight in Him, your desires will line up with His desires for you.  He will give you the desires of your heart.  He says so!
 
 
 

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Complete in Christ

Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Bible Study, Christian, devotional, Faith, inspirational, Panic Attacks, Religion, Scripture, tagged , , , , , , , on October 2, 2010| 2 Comments »

Do you know that when we become Christians we are finally complete in Christ?  At least from God’s perspective.

Before we were born-again we were on our own.  The Bible teaches that we were dead in trespasses and sin.  We were in the realm of Satan’s kingdom, and were subject to sin, death and hell.  Isn’t that an awful picture of those who live in the world today without Christ?

So, how are we complete in Christ now?  What does that mean?

Let’s take a look at Colossians 2: 8-15 to find our answer:  These are marvelous scripture verses and loaded.  I can only skim them.

Col 2:8-15 NASB See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

First of all Paul tells us not to let the world take us captive through philosophy or man’s worldly ideas and deception, and not to follow the traditions of men.

(9) For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

Wow!  In Christ, in His human body dwells all the fullness of Deity!  That is amazing.  He is complete!

(10) and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

If you are a Christian you also have been made complete!  Let’s try to see what that means as we read more of this passage.  Christ is also the head over all rule and authority.  Keep that in mind.

When we were saved we were completely saved:

(11) and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; (12) having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

This is talking about our salvation.  We were made spiritually complete in Christ when we were saved.  When He died on the cross we somehow joined Him.  At the moment we were saved, we were baptized with the Holy Spirit, (not water baptism).  And, we died and were raised up with Christ by God.  God raised Jesus from the dead literally, and He raised us from our spiritual death.

When we were saved we were completely forgiven:

(13) When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, (14) having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

We were spiritually dead because of our sins and the uncircumcision of our flesh.  But God made us alive with Christ.  He forgave us all of our sins, past, present and future.  He nailed them to the cross and canceled out the debt that we owed because of them.  God the great judge declared us to be free from the penalty of sin.

Joh 19:30 NASB Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

When we were saved we were given complete victory:

2Co 5:17 NASB Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

(15) When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

When Jesus died on the cross He also went and disarmed all the rulers and authorities.  He was victorious over them and took them all captive.  That is great news for us because they no longer have any hold on us.

Heb 2:14-15 NASB Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, (15) and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

Being complete in Christ means that we can live in this world without fear.  We are capable of being victorious over sin.  The sting of death has been removed so we don’t have to fear that anymore, and we do not have to worry that we will spend eternity in hell.  Satan has been defeated and he can not claim you as one of his.  I like that!

Eph 3:16 NASB that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,

When we get these things settled in our minds, it is much easier to face life.  Trials and temptations will come our way, but knowing we are complete in Him, gives us the courage to face them head on.  God is always in control and sovereign over what happens to us.  We can trust Him to make our path straight and to take care of us in every situation.  He loves us as a dear Heavenly Father and will take care of his children.

2Pe 1:3-4 NASB seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. (4) For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

Isn’t that an uplifting scripture?  We really don’t have to worry about things.  God has granted us everything we need that pertains to our life and to be a godly individual.  He gives us that through the true knowledge of Him.  As we study the Word we learn how to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to God and He also gives us the power to be successful in doing that. That power is in us because Christ is in us and it is the same power that raised Jesus from the grave.  Now that is power!  We can even escape the corruption that is in the world. I praise God for that. 

I pray we will all try to realize all that we have in our possession when we become Christians, and that we will know in our hearts that we can overcome anything that comes our way.

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Lessons Learned/Practical Application

Posted in Agoraphobia, Anxiety & Stress, Christian, inspirational, Panic Attacks, Religion, Scripture, Testimonies, tagged , , , , , on September 22, 2010| 1 Comment »

Lessons Learned/Practical Application
by Kimberly Northrup-Vaughn

God has accomplished great deliverance in my life. I still have so far to go, but He has delivered me from the pits.  I praise God for what I have been through because it brought me to such desperation that I was willing to seek God with every ounce of my being in order to find my way out.

From my experiences and the WORD OF GOD I believe that we can all be free. By this I do not mean that we will never again struggle with fear or anxiety or panic attacks. However, I believe completely that this means we do not have to live with these things controlling us or being a controlling factor in lives. We don’t have to live with them hanging over our heads. Why am I so confident of this? Because in His Word God makes it clear that He wants to be the only One that has power over us.

“No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” (Luke 16:13)

While this last passage in particular addresses the love of money, the principle remains the same – We can only have one master. If fear and anxiety rule and control us, then are we really allowing God to have control over us?

Jesus also promised that those who gave their lives to Him could have an abundant life.

“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10)

In Jesus we are not meant to simply exist and survive, but we are meant to THRIVE – to be truly alive!

With all of that in mind, here are some practical things I have learned, and I believe these things can help you along on your journey too:

1.  If we go to the Word of God and our anxiety only gets worse (as I’ve heard some of you all say, and as I experienced.), this is not from God.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)

We have to remember that we have an enemy (Satan) that is looking to discredit the authority or power of God’s Word. He does not want us to be free. So it is only normal that we who are seeking to be free would encounter obstacles of anxiety when we go to God’s Word. After all, if we become free from the power of anxiety in our lives, Satan has a lot to lose and God has a lot of glory to receive.

So don’t let increased feelings of anxiety to stir you away from God’s Word. Instead, let it make you all the more determined – Look into God’s Word until you find peace!

2. The Word of God is SO important to us in our struggles.

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) “He sent forth His Word and healed them.” (Psalm 107:20) 

No matter the struggle or issue, all the answers and help we need are in there. We can be familiar with all the stories and verses, but we need to always go back with a heart and mind that are willing to learn something new. The Holy Spirit is always ready to bring us to new levels through the Word, even through verses we have heard a million times.

3. We can’t just be encouraged by the Word – we have to apply it. Not just with areas of anxiety, but also with other areas where we are struggling.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:22-25)

When we apply the truth, God shows us over time how He is faithful to accomplish His Word. As we take steps of faith in our lives and see that God remains faithful and true, it encourages us to take more steps.

4. We who are in so much bondage to anxiety and fear need to make the Word our lifeline. Carry Scriptures around with you. Make them always in front of you. Tape them on your cabinets and bathroom mirrors, in your car, or wherever else you will see them frequently.

5. Don’t just focus on Scriptures about anxiety and peace. Focus on Scriptures about God’s character. Like Psalm 145:8-9.  We need to let it sink into our hearts and minds how good and loving and powerful our God is!

6. Find ways to get in-person Christian fellowship. Maybe your first step of faith is inviting someone from your church over to your house to visit you, even if that means them coming to your bedroom, if you are stuck in your bedroom. Even if it’s just a pastor. One of the ways that God shows us His love is through His people. When we experience God’s love, that helps to cast out the fear.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” (1 John 4:18)

7. We need the body of Christ. Don’t allow pride to keep you from asking for prayers as much as you need it (not just in this group, but with other Christians you know too). Sometimes we’re tempted to think, “Oh they’re sick of hearing from me – they don’t want to hear this.” But that is from the enemy. The Bible makes it very clear that prayer plays a crucial part in certain trials and spiritual battles.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)

8. Be desperate and be honest with God.

 “He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their plea.” (Psalm 102:17) To be destitute is to be needy – We show we have great need of God when we go to Him for more than a quick prayer. These quick prayers make Him out to be more like our wish-granter rather than our soul-fulfiller.

9. Ask God for wisdom – in everything.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)

Stop analyzing things and trying to understand things on your own. Our own wisdom hasn’t exactly put us where we want – we might as well give it up and trust God’s wisdom. It is FAR BETTER than our own!

 “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'” (Isaiah 55:8&9)

10. “But when he asks (for wisdom), he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” (James 1:6&7) 

Keep on asking God to help your unbelief, as you encounter it. Jesus honored the man that cried out

“‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!'” (Mark 9:24)

Be the “persistent widow” (Luke 18:1-8) in asking for the Lord to help your unbelief.

JESUS is the ultimate healer and deliverer. Every single one of us can be FREE, as we allow the blood of Jesus to touch every crevice of who we are!

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