With COVID-19, the world is shifting on its axis! Our own world, that is! Does it feel like the ground is moving under your feet? That you are bombarded with doom and gloom from the news?

If you’re experiencing fear or anxiety, you are not alone. From a spiritual standpoint, fear is not of God.  If fact “Fear not” and “Do not be afraid” are the most repeated phrases in the Bible according to SoulShepherding!

Fear is defined as “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.” Think of immediate danger.

Anxiety is defined as “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.” A future unknown event.

We may feel both fear and anxiety right now.

However, God doesn’t want us to be afraid! He wants us to rely on him!

Listed below are just a few of the many Bible verses that tell us to not be afraid:

So, armed with the command to “Fear not!” we have many spiritual ways to combat fear. Below is a list of several that have worked for me and others in my spiritual groups:

–Kneel in prayer. Yes, get down on your knees. If you’ve never done this, if you’re uncomfortable with this, try it. It is humbling and total supplication.

-Join in the rosary with friends. Set up a time to pray together, even if you’re not physically together.

–Ask God to give you peace and remove fear. If we are afraid, we are not trusting God. Ask HIM to increase your trust in HIM.

–Shield yourself from the daily news. Set a time limit on watching it.  Too much negative input can send us spinning out.

-Recognize that we are powerless. Powerless over this virus, it’s impact. Powerless over decisions made by our Governors and other political leaders.  We can’t control people, places or things. We CAN control ourselves and our response to it. For me that means praying a lot, turning my fear and anxiety over to my Higher Power.

–Say the Serenity Prayer. Repeat as needed throughout the day.

God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; The courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.

–Say the St. Michael Prayer of Protection:

Saint Michael the Archangel,  defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls.

-Pray to your Guardian Angel to protect you. Angels are with us all the time. All we need to do is ask for their help!

-Join or create a group of prayer warriors. I am fortunate enough to be in two women’s groups and they hold me up in prayer.

-Join a prayer group on Facebook. I am a member of a Facebook group of people from the church that I grew up in. People daily post their prayer requests on the page. A virtual prayer support group and it’s powerful!

-Set aside a time every morning to sit quietly. Meditate. Pray. The most powerful prayer is, “What is your Will for me, God?”

Some days you may have to use all of these tools! When I turn my worries over to God, my burden is lifted.

Please share with us the ways that you are spiritually dealing with the Corona Virus pandemic.

Stay well, be well.
Stammi bene.