12 Ways Your Faith Can Help You Relax - Right Now!

by John C. Connell

Text copyright © 2016 John C. Connell. All Rights Reserved.

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Introduction

Why are you so stressed? Can’t you just relax?

Eat something, drink something, watch something. Allow yourself

to be amused or entertained, there is plenty to choose from.

If only it were that easy.

If we follow the world’s version of wisdom, life is supposed to be

all about achieving comfort. The problem with comfort is that it’s

fleeting, temporary and ultimately unsatisfying. Any physical

desire can be pacified with ease these days, and yet, our society

is more stressed out and fatigued than ever.

Last year I polled my readers, and they told me loud and clear

that fighting stress, anxiety and overwhelm topped their list of

personal struggles. According to the CDC, prescriptions of

antidepressant type medicines are at historic highs - among all

age groups! (NOTE: This is not a commentary on medications and their

effectiveness, just an acknowledgment of the need. If you or a loved one

does not have to take these types of prescriptions, just know that

“antidepressants” are used for much more than clinical depression. They

are also prescribed for all types of anxiety issues. In general, these drugs

are classified as Beta Blockers, because they help people cope with the

sensory and stress overload felt by much of our society these days.)

In years past I have learned how God sometimes breaks us down

to build us up, I discovered His peace in the process and learned

how to use it as a shield, so I can continue to move forward in

faith with my life’s mission. There is indeed good news for those

of us battling stress! Read on.

“The world offers

you comfort, but you

were not made for

comfort, you were

made for greatness.”

- Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

1.

“As they led him away they took hold of a certain

Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the

country; and after laying the cross on him, they made

him carry it behind Jesus.” Luke 23:26

Picture Jesus half dead, trying to drag his cross down the road to

Calvary. Simon comes in from the fields. Was he coming in to

take a break for lunch, or to partake in the Passover festivities or

was he investigating the rumors of Jesus’ sentence? We don’t

know. Suddenly he is called upon, grabbed actually, and pressed

into service to help the Lord carry his cross.

Simon didn’t plan on helping a convicted man make his way to his

execution. He had other things to do than lift the cross, stumble

under its weight and then eventually leave there, with someone

else’s blood on his clothing and splinters in his hands.

Fast forward to today, we are Simon. The Church is called the

Mystical Body of Christ. Like Simon, we join Christ when we join

the Church. When seen through that prism, our daily struggles

come into view with great clarity. Those same struggles also

become much more manageable!

Your problems create your personal cross. That cross probably

seems heavier than others carried by those around you

(especially when unexpected stressors pile on). As you read this

you might not be able to see any light at the end of your tunnel,

but breathe deep and adjust your perspective. This struggle will

pass. I promise you every storm eventually runs out of rain.

Maybe things were cruising along just fine until an unexpected

knock on the door, email or phone call disrupted your day, but

consider this: thousands of years later, we still revere Simon for

his “yes” when he could have said “no.” We remember his

generosity that afternoon, and not his selfish impulse to resist.

You may not see the point in your troubles, or how something

good can come of them, but Simon couldn’t either. Thankfully

God’s got a plan, and you are a part of it.

POWER PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a

sinner! Amen.

2.

“The Lord said to her in reply, ‘Martha, Martha, you are

anxious and worried about many things. There is need

of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and

it will not be taken from her.” Luke 10:41-42

Martha is busy serving the guests and Mary is just sitting with

Jesus, listening to Him. Martha gets upset and complains to the

Lord, asking Him to tell her sister to get up and help her. How

many times have we done the same? If you are like me in the

least, re-read the above quote, aloud, and insert your name for

Martha’s.

Credit Mary for knowing what was most important when it was

right before her, sitting in her living room. Martha kept fussing

about, not only missing out on what’s most important, but

preoccupying herself with what Mary wasn’t doing. Sounds like

people we ALL know doesn’t it? We all know a Martha, and we’ve

all been a Martha at one time or another.

Seek first the kingdom. Check out Matthew 6:33, about seeking

first things first. What happens when we do? Food, shelter,

clothing, etc... all these things will be given to us, besides!

POWER PRAYER:

I choose you, Lord. Amen.

3.

“Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to

your life-span?” Matthew 6:27

How many hours, days, weeks or months of our lives have we

spent worrying about things we can never control?

It is amazing how only Christ can speak to us, in such an

awakening way, with so few words. Worry only robs us of our

vitality. If we let it, worry will paralyze us and keep us from our

missions in life.

Contrary to almost every self-help book on the market, I would

like to point out that we are not the center of the universe! We

are only here for a short time and we must keep busy, living out

our purpose. Spend your time only on what matters. At the risk of

oversimplifying things, that is God and others – your relationships

– both personal and corporate.

If you disagree, consider this. Back in the fall of 2008, my family

and our south Texas neighborhood were still recovering from

Hurricane Ike, which chewed up Galveston and parts of Houston

in late summer. We were all busy fixing fences and repairing roof-

tops. The constant thump of hammers and nail guns could be

heard throughout the area. The situation was even worse for

those along the Gulf Coast, where entire homesteads were

washed away!

We are all just a natural disaster away from being homeless. No

amount of worry could have altered the course of that hurricane,

and most of us are only a merger or a corporate belt-tightening

away from being on the outside looking in. When stuff disappears,

what we are left with is what’s most important - our faith and each

other. Why spend time and energy on anything else?

POWER PRAYER:

Lord, help me stop worrying today. Amen.

4.

“Then the peace of God that surpasses all

understanding will guard your hearts and minds in

Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

His Peace is not of this world. We cannot obtain this true peace

anywhere else but in Him. It cannot be bought at any store or

online, found buried somewhere under an ‘X’ on the map or

invented. It comes from having your life properly ordered. And

what’s that order? Simple. The miraculous combination that

unlocks peace is: Jesus Christ, Others, You. (J.O.Y.).

His peace, which He freely gives, guards your insides better than

Kevlar body armor. It is impenetrable. With it, we can persist

through anything. Christ’s peace does not provide the absence of

stressors, it provides the absence of confusion. His peace brings

clarity. And best of all, He loves to share it. He wants you to have

it. All you have to do is ask.

God knows everything that is going on inside you. Your thoughts,

your intents, your fears, your vision, He sees it all. Even better, He

knows what you need and He knows how to deliver it to you – or

how to deliver you to it.

The only thing He needs is your permission. For reasons that are

His alone, He wants to be asked first.

God’s peace indeed “surpasses all understanding”. The thought

of that peace guarding our insides is music to our ears, and souls,

when we are tossing and turning at night. That is why we need to

continue to ask Him for help.

He thinks in ways we cannot think. He sees things we cannot see.

He understands things we do not understand. He is always aware

of what escapes us.

Knowledge is power, and He has all the knowledge all the time.

He wants to use His power to light your way, and see you safely

through every situation. He has answers, solutions and blessings

waiting in reserve.

POWER PRAYER:

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” Amen.

- ST. FRANCIS of Assisi

5.

“Then He got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and

there was great calm.” Matthew 8:26

With Jesus with us, when will we finally cast our fears aside?

Notice the contrast between the Apostles and Jesus in the story of

the Calming of the Sea. The Disciples are hysterical. Men trained

to be on the water are suddenly convinced they are all about to

die. Christ on the other hand is only concerned with them, not at

all with what has frightened them.

The boat is tossing about, the wind is swirling, the waves are

slamming into the sides of the boat, the thunder, rain and

lightening are dropping like bombs and there is palpable fear from

the twelve. None of it phases Jesus. Notice how He pays no

attention to it, until He decides to address it directly and put it all

in its place. He first focuses on the men in the boat, those

desperate to be saved.

And there lies the message. We are to follow the Apostles’ lead.

When fear grabs hold of us, we just need to turn to Jesus, roust

Him and say, “I need you now.”

What will He do? Well, since He knows and loves you more than

you can understand, and since He is the same today as He was

that day on the boat, He will respond accordingly. He will never

take your faith for granted. His arms will reach out and steady

the deck we are trying to balance on. At a moment of His

choosing, He will order the winds and rain to retreat.

I like to ponder that moment when calm arrived, when whatever

the apostles found so terrifying, dissipated into thin air. I see the

boat settling down and just floating steady, the rocking and

heaving of the waves beneath it suddenly gone. The winds

dispelled, their sudden retreat and absence not just felt but heard,

cast out and replaced by an immense ‘quiet’, a great calm. I see

Jesus there at the bow, facing the water with arms raised, all

business. Just awesome.

Now recall moments of great calm in your own life, when the

storm abruptly stopped and you could once again breath in fresh

air, hope and composure. Keep moments like these handy

whenever you need to put today’s waves into perspective.

In the boat Jesus had to be rousted out of a nap by His horrified

friends. Once properly pestered, He quickly went to work putting

things back in order. No one else can order things in life like

Christ; as Creator, He knows where everything goes, where

everything belongs.

So do not be afraid of being a pest. Keep asking. Keep begging.

Keep awaking. It’s the quickest way, the straightest line, between

you and peace.

POWER PRAYER: Lord, I need you now! Amen.

6.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever

remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,

because without me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

You can do nothing without Christ....that includes healing yourself,

that includes freeing yourself from what has restrained you, that

includes becoming the person you were intended to be. The flip

side of that is you can accomplish all those things (healing,

freeing, becoming) with Him.

We all have unreached potential and we all want to become the

people God intended us to be! We will never get there without

Jesus. The chains that bind cannot be removed. The sources of

our anxieties will not be cast aside. The fears we allow to control

and limit us will continue to be our shadows.

Envision your life as a ‘cup’, or think of yourself as a receptacle.

You may picture a beautiful glass vase, an ancient clay jar, a cast

iron pot, simple canteen or a sleek plastic bottle.

Regardless of what size and shape we see our containers to be,

they are all only partially full. We cannot be topped off without the

source of what we need, without the master filling us to the brim,

even to overflowing.

There is no ‘need’ beyond His reach. There is nothing in the world

He cannot deliver to us, if it is truly what we need to fulfill our

earthly missions. We must only remain connected to Him as He

completes us, in His chosen timeframe.

Yes it is frustrating to wait for things we are convinced we need.

No, we do not want to hear: we must be patient. We want to look

to Heaven and scream, “C’mon already!”. But understand that

since you are part of the vine, He knows your pain intimately! Your

suffering is His suffering. The two of you are together as one.

Nobody wants you healed more than He does.

Christ voluntarily endured physical, emotional, mental and

spiritual torture until death - for us - out of love. Among the

reasons He chose that fate was to someday be there with you,

step by step, truly understanding your circumstances and helping

you carry your own crosses.

POWER PRAYER:

Lord, you are the way, the truth & the life. Amen.

7.

“Jesus said to him, ‘If you can! Everything is possible

to one who has faith.’ Then the boy’s father cried out,

‘I do believe, help my unbelief!” Mark 9:23-24

I had to find a place in the book for this passage - it is one of the

best one-line, power prayers ever uttered! I remember my grade

school pastor, Fr. Smith, introducing me and my St. Mary of the

Assumption classmates to this prayer. Later in life I was so

excited when I stumbled across it in scripture.

When we believe, we see - not the other way around. I’ve always

thought God set it up that way to purposefully contradict our

human nature. The aforementioned prayer, perfect in its simplicity,

is also overflowing with theology. It demonstrates the exercise of

our free will, and it illustrates our frailty and dependence on God

to complete, to ratify, our act of faith.

Read what comes next in Mark. The man’s son is healed,

exorcised, and given back to his ‘believing’ father. Jesus’

response and action is automatic. He then tells His disciples that

only that type of miracle [an exorcism] can occur through prayer.

Throughout our lives, we will have innumerable opportunities to

pray. And this powerful spiritual one-liner: “Lord I believe, help my

unbelief”, will often be applicable. It’s perfect whenever you find

yourself weary in life, tired of circumstances beyond your control

or whenever the dawn seems far away.

POWER PRAYER: Lord I believe, help my unbelief. Amen.

8.

“You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow

that flies by day.” Psalm 91:5

Night time can be scary. We tend to think that bad dreams and

night terrors are left behind in childhood. But when you carry a

heavy load throughout the day, and then find yourself gearing up,

and fearing up, for tomorrow, you end up with little rest. For

some, the setting sun brings fresh tension during the times when

most people should be unwinding.

The Divine Mercy prayer, “Jesus I trust in you” can do wonders for

a restful night’s sleep. Repeated along with steady breathing

exercises, it’s helped me more than once get to sleep when I

really needed it. In addition, St. Giles is a powerful intercessor for

you between those hours when the sun sets and rises.

St. Giles lived during the seventh century, and was originally from

Greece. However, he moved to France after his Noble parents

passed and lived for a long time in reclusion. His chosen

residence during those years was most unusual, a cave. He

eventually emerged and oversaw the construction of a monastery,

but it was his time spent praying in the darkness that has earned

him his position as a patron for those afraid of the dark.

Regardless of your crosses, ailments, stressors or challenges,

chances are great that there is a saint or two, that has conquered

the same.

To be clear, when you ask a saint anything in prayer, it is not in

place of Christ, for the Saints will nothing outside of God’s will.

Rather, it is to have them join you in your prayers, to have them

bend the Lord’s ear in Heaven on your behalf, and to seek God’s

permission to bring you support. And you know what? It works!

POWER Divine Mercy PRAYER:

Jesus I trust in you. Amen.

9.

“Then the angel said to the women in reply, ‘Do not be

afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the

crucified. He is not here, for He has been raised just

as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.”

Matthew 28:5-6

The contrasts between the violence, darkness and perceived

sense of defeat on Good Friday and the victory proclaimed on

Easter Sunday could not be more dramatic. The enemies are

silenced, the blood shedding ceases, Jesus breathes and moves

across the land - His land and kingdom - never ever to die again.

Likewise, the pains, struggles and crosses attached to us will too

someday be discarded. It is only a matter of time before they are

like distant memories, and we will be able to see the role they

played in our development.

“I have told you this so that you might

have peace in me. In the world you will

have trouble, but take courage, I have

conquered the world.” - Jesus Christ

(John 16:33)

POWER PRAYER:

Don’t Let Me Forget Your Tomb is Empty, Jesus. Amen.

10.

“If you forgive others their transgressions, your

heavenly Father will forgive you. If you do not forgive

others, neither will your Father forgive your

transgressions.” Matthew 6:14-15

How many decisions in life are made because people are angry

with each other rather than by what makes the most sense? Our

human nature wants us do the opposite of what we are called to

do as disciples.

If someone wrongs us, in life, on the job or even in traffic, we think

it is easier to hold grudges, complain, criticize, plot revenge or

even update the resume. We blow precious time trying to prove

we are right instead of just staying the course and remaining

focused on our goals.

Forgiveness is the universal antidote. Resentment only limits you,

not the person you resent. Forgiveness frees you. Forgiveness

gets your head back in the game faster, because in both life and

business, you can’t win it, if you’re not in it.

I understand that this is easier said than done. I have dealt with

big time, professional hurt before. The kind of hurt you bring home

with you. It is hard to forgive at times. And even when you first

forgive, you will not forget. Here is the reason why:

Forgiveness is a skill that must be developed and practiced.

Forgiveness requires a strong – not weak - heart, and the heart

must be exercised to handle it. You cannot forgive the big hurts if

you cannot first forgive the little ones.

I know this can be as daunting to your spirit and ego as a

marathon is to your lungs and legs. So get yourself in the habit. I

have found two things that work.

First, every time you recite the Lord’s Prayer, and you ask to be

forgiven as you forgive those that trespass against you – mean it.

Stop and think about everyone that has upset you, since the last

time you prayed, and forgive them. Picture them behind bars due

to the debt they owe you. You have the key to their cell. Use it to

release them. There is tremendous power in that.

The second is to pray for a specific person you need to forgive.

This can be a simple petition for God Himself to forgive the

person by name, and help you do the same. Or you can take on a

larger, concerted effort, like an entire Rosary with the person in

mind. This may seem like work, but at times work is required to

forgive others and free yourself – especially when you are hurt by

a co-worker, key customer, management, friend or even a family

member. Do not scoff! The reality is you will spend time

thinking about the person and/ or incident anyway. Make the time

productive for yourself.

The results are peace and clarity. You will breathe, work and

sleep easier when you un-clutter your heart and mind. You will

also find more energy to press on towards goals that are bigger

than yourself. Who do you need to forgive today?

POWER PRAYER: Lord, today I forgive (name names).

Amen.

11.

“Night will be no more, nor will they need light from

lamp or sun, for the Lord God shall give them light,

and they shall reign forever and ever.”

Revelation 22:5

There will indeed come such a day! In Heaven there is only light,

for where Christ is, there is only light because He is the light.

On that day there will be no more despair, hopelessness, conflict,

pain or confusion. There will only be clarity, peace, relief, comfort,

illumination, exhilaration and unity.

I know that day is not today, but breathe that in and picture it.

Our minds can be the source of what propels us to new heights or

what imprisons us. The images we choose to focus on are the

keys to victory or defeat. The power of ‘visualization’ kept men like

Viktor Frankl from perishing during the Holocaust, when the rest

of his family was lost. It launched the legendary careers and

historic coaching successes of Lou Holtz and John Wooden,

empowering them to influence countless others in the process. It

was used by Walt Disney to delight the masses. It drove Danny

Thomas to fulfill a promise he made as a struggling actor, to found

the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It helped St. Nicholas

forever change the way our world celebrates Christmas. Vision

also aided Mother Teresa, when she had nothing, to help scores

of people who had even less.

I offer these few examples in hopes you can find one to identify

with. Do your spirit a favor and research these individuals online.

You’ll be happy with what you learn. And while you are looking

things up, open your Bible to the 22nd chapter of Revelation,

where the above verse came from.

There are only select moments in scripture where Christ’s true

majesty is revealed during His earthly ministry, like when He was

transfigured on the mountain or in the Resurrection details from

Easter Sunday. But there in Revelation, Heaven is vividly

described. This is where all doubt and debate ends. Christ the

King is there, untethered. His glory is completely exposed, His

light shining, unfiltered for eternity. It is there where all the miracle

stories of Jesus make more sense to the adult mind.

In this life, we are given small tastes of His glory. Those morsels

come from the beauty and complexities of creation, from our loves

and from our children, and in those moments when some of our

many prayers are answered. But those moments are all too

fleeting. We are still here, in the middle of all that is both good and

bad, in us and around us. But with the power of visualization (and

maybe because of the power of visualization) we have the gift of

the Book of Revelation. There nothing is left unresolved. Our unity

with the perfect is complete and our former separation abolished.

With the knowledge of all loose ends tied up, all tears dried, all

fears erased and earthly pain forgotten, we can foster that future

in our minds, and realize that the empty tomb from Easter Sunday

is not just Christ’s tomb but ours as well - like Him we are not

there, left alone to decompose, we have moved to that golden city

on a hill, fully alive, our health and joy completely restored!

POWER PRAYER:

Lord help me see your glory today. Amen.

12.

“It is this disciple who testifies to these things and

has written them, and we know that his testimony is

true. There are also many other things that Jesus did,

but if these things were to be described individually, I

do not think the whole world would contain the books

that would be written.” John 21:24-25

Your mind can run wild thinking of all the wonderful deeds Jesus

performed in the presence of His apostles. Here we have John,

known in scripture as the disciple the Lord loved, a young man or

perhaps even a boy who stood at the foot of the cross, and later

in life not only gave us a Gospel but also penned three New

Testament Epistles and the Book of Revelation!

John was the only apostle that did not die a martyr, but that

doesn’t mean his life was stress free. When he received the

visions depicted in the Book of Revelation, he was incarcerated

by the Romans on the island of Patmos. He also survived multiple

assassination attempts. The Lord worked with John’s hardships to

help accomplish His great plan. Much like He’s working with you

and yours, now.

John lets us know the Bible doesn’t contain everything Jesus did,

just those things Jesus wants everyone to benefit from. Jesus is

indeed a full-time wonder worker. He is still working wonders,

every day and within every life.

POWER PRAYER: With you God, all things are possible.

Amen.

Enjoy this book?

I would be most grateful if you would consider sharing. I

write to encourage. Everyone knows someone who could

use a word of encouragement. With your help, this book can

reach more of them!

Get New John C. Connell Books and Articles FOR FREE! Sign up for

the no-spam “Reader’s List” and get NEW RELEASES and lots of

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Just check out JohnCConnell.com

I love my readers - they are my mission. I write for them and pray for

each and every one of them. JC

PAGE/REFERENCE INDEX:

Material for this eBook was largely taken from my first two non-fiction attempts,

Catholics Mean Business (CMB) and Catholics Have Courage (CHC) along with my

Kindle edition Bible.

1. (2011-10-31). Bible: New American Bible, Revised Edition 2011 (Kindle Locations

52667-52668). Kindle Edition. Luke 23:26

2. Mary and Martha - choose the “better”, not the “busy” (CHC Day 24)

3. Matthew - can any of you? (CMB Day 6, p.11)

4. Philippians - peace surpasses ( CHC Day 38) (Also CMB Day 16, p. 31)

5. Boat in the storm (CHC Day 31, Day 9)

6. Vine/branches…do nothing (CHC Day 26, 30)

7. (2011-10-31). Bible: New American Bible, Revised Edition 2011 (Kindle Location

50837). Kindle Edition. Mark 9:23-24

8. Jesus, I trust in you/St. Giles (CHC Day 13)

9. Easter (CHC Day 39) / (2011-10-31). Bible: New American Bible, Revised Edition

2011 (Kindle Locations 53671-53673). Kindle Edition.

10. Forgiveness (CMB Day 26, p. 51)

11. Revelation - God wins (CHC Day 37)

12. John’s closing - all the books in the world (CHC Day 40)