Calming the Nerves

Saturday, 19th January 2008

Where I currently work, I conduct a training course called Accounting for Engineers once every quarter.

Even though I've done this training for nearly 3 years already, I do still feel slightly nervy before the lesson starts, since the participants are always different, and the questions they may ask also vary.

In my previous company, PricewaterhouseCoopers, I used to conduct a training course called Business Writing. In order to qualify to be an in-house trainer, we have to be first nominated by our bosses, approved by the training partner and attend a 3-day "Train the Trainer" workshop in Malaysia, where we are taught public speaking skills. A video is recorded of us making a 10-minute speech and shown to all participants to critique and feedback.

I remember the trainer telling us that she herself gets butterflies in her stomach everytime she goes up to speak. So what she does is to "shadow box" to calm herself down. She also said others would imagine their audience without their clothes on.

Back then, what I would do was to whisper a prayer and commit the training session to the Lord, asking Him for the wisdom to answer any difficult questions. Since then, I have found something else that definitely calms the nerves -- and that is praying in the Spirit.

Just yesterday, I conducted another lesson and before starting I would commit the course to the Lord and then pray in tongues. In doing so, a peace that passes understanding just came upon my heart and my mind, and I was ready. Needless to say, the class went very well and the feedback from the participants were all very positive. Praise be to God.

A research was done where electrodes were connected to the heart and brain to monitor activity. It found that when people prayed in tongues, the heartbeat and brain impulses were more regulated, meaning to say that less stress was being placed on both organs.

And this should not come as a surprise, because God has given this tool to His children as a means to counter what the devil is trying to do. An often-quoted verse is 1 Pet 5:8, where we read that he goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. The answer to that is the verse before that 1 Pet 5:7, which reads "cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you."

So the next time you are feeling stressed because you have to make a presentation to that major client, or you want to do well in that job interview, or your kids are misbehaving, remember how to calm your nerves -- by praying in the Spirit.