CHEWing Before the Storm: How to Prepare for Anxiety-Provoking Moments with Gospel Courage

You don’t have to wait for the storm to hit before you anchor your heart in God’s love. Three days before a board presentation that could decide his company’s future, a client called me and said, “I can already feel it. My heart is going to be racing, and I’m going to feel like I’m failing.” That same month, another client told me about a visit she needed to make to her aging father, who had been emotionally abusive throughout her childhood: “I have to go, but I’m already dreading it. I’m anxious, I’m angry, and I want to avoid the whole thing.” Both were doing what anticipatory anxiety does best: living through the hardest moment of the week several times before it arrives.

If you’re in that place right now, this post is for you. It’s long on purpose. Use it as a guide you can come back to before every storm on your calendar.

What’s inside: how anticipatory anxiety works and why it’s different from sudden panic; the Scripture that speaks directly to it; the CHEW process step by step; a printable Storm Prep Card; a day-by-day countdown; what to do when anxiety spikes in the moment; how to face a person who hurt you; what to do afterward; when to get more help; and answers to the questions Christians most often ask about anxiety.

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(The stories in this post are composites, with details changed to protect confidentiality.)

C — Clarity: Name the Storm Before It Lands

Anticipatory anxiety is different from the panic that ambushes you. An ambush gives you no time. A storm on the forecast gives you days, and that is both the problem and the opportunity.

The problem is that your mind runs the worst-case scenario on a loop. Your body starts reacting early: a tight chest, shallow sleep, a stomach that won’t settle, a short fuse with the people closest to you. Underneath the loop, three false beliefs quietly take over. I am not adequate for this. I am not safe in this. God is not near me in this.

The opportunity is that, unlike a sudden crisis, you have time to prepare your heart before the moment arrives. You can’t control the room, the diagnosis, the other person, or the outcome. You can choose where you anchor yourself beforehand.

Your storm may not be a boardroom. It might be:

• A mother walking into her son’s school meeting with a folder of documents and a knot in her stomach.
• A nurse about to tell a family the news they’ve been dreading.
• A retired grandfather waiting four days for scan results.
• A small-business owner sitting across from a lender.
• A young adult preparing to tell a close friend something hard and true.
• A daughter driving toward a childhood home she doesn’t want to enter.

Different storms, same pattern: the mind rehearses the worst, the body follows, and the heart quietly decides God won’t be there.

Get specific. Vague dread feeds on vagueness. Before you pray, take two minutes and answer three questions on paper:

1. What exactly am I afraid will happen? Write the scene, not the feeling. “I’ll freeze mid-sentence and the whole table will see it” is a scene. “I’m stressed” is not.
2. What does that fear say about me? Inadequate? Unprotected? Unlovable? Replaceable?
3. What does that fear say about God? That He’s absent? Distracted? Unwilling to help?

Most people skip the third question, and it matters most. Anxiety is rarely only about the event. It carries a hidden verdict on God’s character, and that verdict is exactly what the Gospel answers.

Then say it to Him, plainly. Confession here isn’t a performance, and it isn’t self-punishment. It’s honesty with a Father who already knows. Here is a prayer you can use as written or put in your own words:

Father, here is what I’m honestly feeling about [the situation]. I’m already anxious. I keep picturing [the worst-case scene], and I feel [inadequate / unsafe / unprepared]. I confess that I’ve been trusting my fears more than Your presence. I confess any bitterness or unforgiveness I’m carrying toward the people involved. I need You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

A word on guilt: feeling anxious is not itself a sin. Scripture treats fear as a human reality. David wrote, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (Psalm 56:3), which assumes the fear is already there. What you confess is the move from feeling the fear to believing it over what God has said.

H — Hear: The God Who Goes Before You

“fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

God spoke these words through Isaiah to a people facing real enemies, real exile, and real reasons to be afraid. He doesn’t open by telling them their fears are irrational. He opens with who He is: I am with you. I am your God. The command to “fear not” rests on a Person, not on a mood.

Two Hebrew words repay a slow read. “Dismayed” translates shaʿah, a verb that pictures someone looking around nervously, scanning the horizon for the next threat. That is anticipatory anxiety in a single word: eyes darting toward everything that could go wrong. God’s answer is to fix your gaze on Him: I am your God. And “uphold” is tamak, to grasp and hold fast. This isn’t a loose hand on your shoulder. It’s a grip.

Now count the promises: I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you. Three “I will” statements. Not “I might,” and not “if you feel brave enough.” Notice, too, what God does not promise. He doesn’t promise the board will approve, the visit will go smoothly, or the scan will come back clear. God’s promise to a frightened Believer is not that nothing will go wrong, but that His righteous right hand will be gripping yours when something does. The “righteous right hand” is the hand of a covenant-keeping God, the same hand that carried Israel out of Egypt and carried Christ to the cross for you.

If you think a Christian shouldn’t feel dread before a hard moment, look at Jesus the night before the cross. “He began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death’” (Mark 14:33–34). Luke tells us that “being in an agony he prayed more earnestly” (Luke 22:44). That is anticipatory anxiety at its most severe, and it did not separate Him from the Father’s love. It drove Him to the Father in prayer. Because He walked that road, “we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15), and so we can approach “that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Your storm is a time of need. The throne of grace is open before it arrives.

Two more passages to keep close

“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7)

The Greek word for “anxious” is merimnao, which many scholars connect with the idea of being divided or pulled apart: a mind split between today and the worst version of tomorrow. The word for “guard” is phroureo, a military term for a sentry posted at a city gate. Paul’s picture is that God’s peace isn’t a mood you manufacture. It’s a garrison He posts around your heart and mind. Notice where that peace lives: “in Christ Jesus.” And notice “with thanksgiving.” Recounting what God has already done is how you remind a frightened heart that He has been faithful before.

“casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

“Casting” is epiripto, to throw something onto something else. It’s the same verb Luke uses when the disciples threw their cloaks over the colt for Jesus to ride (Luke 19:35). You aren’t handing God your anxiety with a polite request. You’re hurling the weight onto Him. And the reason is the most tender phrase in the verse: “he cares for you,” which carries the sense that you are a concern to Him. Your anxiety is not an interruption to His day.

God’s promise to a frightened Believer is not that nothing will go wrong, but that His righteous right hand will be gripping yours when something does.

E — Exchange: Trade the Rehearsal for the Truth

Your mind has been rehearsing a script: the worst-case version of the moment. The Exchange is not “think positive.” It is trading a rehearsed fiction for a spoken truth. You don’t argue with fear by guessing that the future will be fine. You answer it with what God has said about Himself.

Here is what that trade looks like in practice:

Why does this trade work on the heart and not only the head? Because much anticipatory anxiety is, underneath, fear of being exposed, rejected, or judged. John writes, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment” (1 John 4:18). At the cross, Christ took the punishment and the verdict. Whatever happens in the room tomorrow, the verdict on you was settled. The fear loses fuel as you believe that you are loved with that kind of love.

Take sixty seconds now. Read the question below out loud once, then answer it out loud in one sentence, even if the sentence feels thin.

“Because God’s love is already in the room before I walk into it, how does that change my rehearsal of the worst case?”

W — Walk: Your Step for Today

Do this in the next five to ten minutes.

Take an index card. On the left, write the two most frightening lines from your Clarity answers. On the right, write the matching truth in one sentence, with the verse reference. Read the card out loud, left side then right side. Then put it where you’ll see it tomorrow: your phone lock screen, the car visor, the bathroom mirror.

The Storm Prep Card

Copy this onto a card or a page. It takes about five minutes.

• My storm and its date: ______________________________
• The worst-case scene I keep rehearsing: ______________________________
• What that fear says about me: ______________________________
• What that fear says about God: ______________________________
• The truth God’s Word speaks back (verse and reference): ______________________________
• My Because-question: Because God’s love is ________, how does that change ________?
• One practical thing I’ll do to prepare (stewardship, not worry): ______________________________
• One Believer I’ll ask to pray for me, and when I’ll text them: ______________________________
• My ten-minutes-before prayer (one sentence): ______________________________

The countdown: from three days out to the moment itself

• Three to seven days out. CHEW for three to five minutes each day, using the same passage every day. Repetition builds a path your heart can find under pressure.
• Tell one person. Name the date and the specific fear to a trusted Believer and ask them to pray. Anxiety grows in secrecy, and Scripture says, “Bear one another’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2).
• Do the practical work. Rehearse the presentation. Write your questions for the doctor. Plan how long you’ll stay at the visit and how you’ll leave. Preparing is stewardship, not distrust: “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD” (Proverbs 21:31).
• The night before. Protect your sleep as an act of trust. Read Psalm 4:8 aloud: “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.” Write one sentence of purpose for tomorrow that isn’t about performance, such as “Tomorrow I’m there to serve, not to impress.”
• The morning of. Eat something. Take a short walk if you can. Read your card once.
• Ten minutes before. Pray one short sentence: “Father, I’m anxious. You said You are with me and Your love is already in the room. Strengthen me and help me.”
• After. See “After the Storm” below.

What to Do When Anxiety Spikes in the Moment

Even with preparation, your heart may still race when the moment comes. That doesn’t mean the preparation failed. It means you’re human. Here is what to do:

1. Name it without scolding yourself. Tell yourself, “My body is doing what bodies do when they’re afraid.” Shame adds a second layer of anxiety on top of the first.
2. Say one line of truth silently. Pick from your card: “The Lord is with me.” “Father, strengthen me.” “I’m loved, and the outcome doesn’t define me.”
3. Slow your pace. Speak more slowly than feels natural. Pause before answering. A pause is not a failure. Plant your feet on the floor and rest your hands on the table or your lap.
4. Look outward, not inward. Remember shaʿah, the anxious scanning. Anxiety turns your attention to how you’re doing. Redirect it to the person in front of you and what they need.
5. If you lose your thread, say so. “Let me think about that for a second” is a complete sentence, and people respect it.

When the Storm Is a Person

Some of the heaviest anticipatory anxiety isn’t about performance. It’s about facing someone who hurt you: a parent, a former spouse, a boss, a church leader. If that’s your storm, a few things matter.

Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation or trust. Forgiveness is releasing a debt you’re owed, and it can be done in prayer before you ever see the person. Reconciliation requires repentance and rebuilt trust, and that takes two people. Scripture’s wording is careful: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18). Notice “if possible” and “so far as it depends on you.”

You may not have to go, and if you go, you can go wisely. If a visit would put you in real danger, or if you’re being pressured to show up for someone else’s comfort, talk with a pastor or Christian counselor before deciding. If you go, set limits ahead of time: how long you’ll stay, where you’ll meet, who knows where you are, and how you’ll leave.

Your worth was not set in that house. The person who wounded you may have given you a story about who you are. God gave you another: you are His child, loved in Christ, with the same love He has for His Son (John 17:23). Walk in carrying that, not their approval.

After the Storm

When it’s over, take ten minutes to debrief rather than replaying the moment on a loop.

• What did I fear, and what actually happened? Write both.
• Where did I see God’s help? Name one specific moment, even a small one.
• Where did I stumble? Receive forgiveness and move on. You are as loved after the stumble as before it.
• Give thanks. “I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4). Say thank you out loud, even if the outcome was mixed.

Here is the part most anxiety advice skips. Your worth was not on the table in that room. You were as loved by God before the presentation as you were after it, and you were as loved before the visit as you were after. Outcomes can disappoint you, and they will sometimes. They cannot reduce what Christ already secured.

When Anxiety Is More Than a Storm

Everything above is for the seasons when anxiety attaches to a specific event. Some anxiety doesn’t. If you’re facing any of the following, please talk with your doctor, your pastor, or a licensed Christian counselor, and don’t try to carry it alone:

• Anxiety on most days for weeks, not just before a known event
• Panic attacks: sudden surges of fear with a pounding heart, shortness of breath, or a sense that something terrible is about to happen
• Sleep, appetite, or work that is regularly disrupted
• Using alcohol, pornography, or other habits to numb the dread
• A history of trauma that surfaces when you’re afraid

Seeking help is not a failure of faith. God works through ordinary means, including doctors, therapy, and wise counsel. Luke, who wrote a Gospel, is called “the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14). Medicine and counseling can sit alongside prayer and Scripture, and a doctor can tell you whether a medical factor is involved.

If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the United States) or call your local emergency number right now.

Questions Christians Ask About Anxiety

Is anxiety a sin? Scripture commands us not to be anxious (Philippians 4:6), and it also shows fear as part of ordinary human life (Psalm 56:3). Jesus Himself was in deep distress before the cross, and He was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). The feeling of fear is not the sin. The sin is choosing to trust the fear over what God has said. That is why the Gospel is the cure: Christ’s righteousness covers you even on days your trust is thin, and the Spirit slowly changes where you place it.

Why do I still feel anxious after I pray? Because feelings often trail behind what you believe. Paul prayed three times for his thorn to be removed, and the answer was “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Sometimes God removes the burden. Sometimes He sustains you under it. Either way, the Exchange is a practice you repeat. A heart doesn’t move from head to heart in one sitting. A path is worn by walking it.

What if the thing I fear actually happens? Then you are still held. “Neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39). The worst-case scenario may be painful. It cannot be the place where God’s love stops.

Isn’t preparing a lack of trust? No. Proverbs 21:31 holds both together: the horse is made ready, and the victory belongs to the LORD. Do the work in front of you, and trust God with the part you can’t do.

How often should I CHEW? As a daily rhythm, it takes three to five minutes. Before a known storm, begin three to seven days out and use the same passage each day.

Can I CHEW with my spouse, my kids, or my small group? Yes. Read the passage aloud together, name one fear each, and answer the Because-question out loud. With children, shorten it to one sentence of truth they can repeat: “God is with me, and He helps me.”

Because-Questions for Specific Storms

If you’re not sure how to phrase your own, borrow one and adjust it:

• Presentation or high-stakes meeting: Because God’s love is settled before I say a word, how does that change what I need from this room?
• A hard conversation: Because God’s love is steady when people’s reactions are not, how does that change what I’m willing to say?
• Medical results: Because God’s love is holding me in the waiting room, how does that change my fear of the phone call?
• A visit with someone who hurt you: Because God’s love for me was settled at the cross, long before this visit, how does that change what I need from their approval?
• Money and provision: Because God’s love is generous toward His children, how does that change my fear about next month?
• A job interview: Because God’s love has already chosen me in Christ, how does that change the weight I give to this interview?
• Speaking in public: Because God’s love is delighting in me before anyone looks up, how does that change what I’m afraid they’ll see?
• Parenting a struggling teenager: Because God’s love is faithful to my child when I can’t be, how does that change my fear of this conversation?

With you on the journey, Ryan

Which worst-case script are you rehearsing, and what does God’s presence say back to it?

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