wakey,

You are obviously not a believer. You have every right to your opinions and beliefs. My comment to nwsmith was in context with my knowledge of him as a believer. Prayer, for believers, goes far beyond positive thinking. Trying to explain the power of prayer to a non-believer is next to impossible. No offense aimed at you and no offense taken from your comments.

Needless to say, I will try to explain just a bit of the Christian position on thoughts and anxiety. I hope this post does not get edited because there are many believers who follow this forum.

The Bible says, "Take every thought captive....." and "Be anxious for nothing....." Also, my signature verse of "Be still and Know that I am God" or a better translation is "Cease striving and know that I am God."

I am only quoting the pertinent parts. I am not taking these scripture quotes out of context.

These are commands to the believers. God only commands believers to do things that He has already given them the resources to do. Some will need the help of counsel. Others will have the maturity in their faith to apply sound Biblical principles to respond to the commands.

Oddly enough, you made your comment to someone who has been considering writing a book for believers who need help at understanding the scripture verses about anxiety and thoughts. If I can get so I can stay focused on a writing task, I hope to start writing my manuscript.

I am not saying that some with anxiety may not need medical help. But, medical help alone or even with secular counseling will often fall short of a believer's needs.

The counseling industry has a treatment protocol called CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) This is no different that the Biblical mandate of 'Taking every thought captive.' The believer has an extra dimension of faith to add to the equation. CBT started in the 1960's and behavioral therapy in the 1930's. "

Taking every though captive " dates back millennia. It was widely taught in the first century AD and the other commands and teachings such as "Be still" date back a few thousand years earlier. The positive impact on society and individuals is well documented.

But again, you may choose to believe otherwise. Not a problem for me.

My best to you.