The Headlines Made Your Chest Tight This Morning? — sacred illustration
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Anxiety & Fear

The Headlines Made Your Chest Tight This Morning?

Psalm 46:9

This is from Psalm 46, a song of the sons of Korah declaring that God is a refuge when nations rage and kingdoms fall (Psalm 46:9).

Lord, I opened the news this morning and my chest went tight. The world looks like it is arming itself faster than anyone can stop it, and I feel very small in front of it. Your Word says You are the One who breaks the bow and shatters the spear, that You make wars cease to the end of the earth. I cannot hold this. You already are. Let me put down the dread I picked up today and go about my work in Your peace. Amen.

The Scripture

“He breaks the bow and shatters the spear.”

— Psalm 46:9

Prayer points from Psalm 46:9

  1. Thank God that He is your refuge and strength, an ever-present help, even on mornings when the news is frightening.
  2. Name the headline or fear that tightened your chest today, and set it before Him plainly.
  3. Ask Him to make wars cease, and pray specifically for the places where people are living under weapons today.
  4. Confess where you have trusted in strength and security that He says He can break, and ask to trust Him instead.
  5. Ask for stillness to know that He is God, and peace enough to go about the work in front of you.
  6. Pray by name for someone living with war or violence near them, that God would be their refuge and help.

About this verse

Psalm 46, a song of the sons of Korah, is written for a world that seems to be coming apart. It describes the earth giving way and the mountains toppling into the sea, then nations raging and kingdoms crumbling, and it answers each with the same confidence: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Then the psalm invites the reader to come and see what God does, and verse 9 is startling: He makes wars to cease throughout the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields in the fire. The weapons people trust are the ones He destroys. Only after that does the famous line come, be still and know that I am God, so the stillness is not denial about the headlines but trust in who has the final word over them. Martin Luther's hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God was based on this psalm. This prayer is for the morning the news leaves your chest tight and you need to set the dread down and go about your day.

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