Rick Warren Answers Jordin Sparks' Early Morning Plea for Prayer Over Anxiety

By Alex Murashko, CP Contributor Wednesday, September 02, 2015

Actress and singer Jordin Sparks poses in Los Angeles, California, August 3, 2012. Five years after becoming the youngest female to win 'American Idol,' Sparks restarts her career in a new movie role that the 22-year-old sees as remarkably close to her own life singing her way to fame. Photo taken August 3. — Actress and singer Jordin Sparks poses in Los Angeles, California, August 3, 2012. Five years after becoming the youngest female to win "American Idol," Sparks restarts her career in a new movie role that the 22-year-old sees as remarkably close to her own life singing her way to fame. Photo taken August 3. | (Photo: REUTERS/Bret Hartman)

Pastor Rick Warren, one of the leading advocates for removing the stigma inside the church community attached with mental illness, gave advice to Jordin Sparks in the early morning hours Tuesday after she sent out a plea for help over Twitter in experiencing anxiety.

Sparks, an evangelical Christian, tweeted, "I'm having such bad anxiety. I can't sleep. If there's any prayer warriors out there, can you please send up a prayer for me?"

To which Warren responded publically through his Twitter account: "@JordinSparks Praying for u Jordin! False Evidence Appearing Real (Fear) is worse than the reality Don't resist it REFOCUS elsewhere."

Warren, who along with his wife, Kay, are hosting the three-day conference, The Gathering on Mental Health & The Church, at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, October 7-9.

Shortly after his first tweet to Sparks, he tweeted, "@JordinSparks Focus on how deeply God loves you: 'Perfect love casts out all fear.' Focus on God's loves and move against fear in faith."

I'm having such bad anxiety. I can't sleep. If there's any prayer warriors out there, can you please send up a prayer for me?
— Jordin Sparks (@JordinSparks) September 1, 2015

Alex Murashko is currently working with One Ten Pictures as an associate producer, developing and working on projects that include stories about people and organizations making a difference in this world as ambassadors for Christ. He previously was a Church & Ministry Editor/Reporter for The Christian Post. He also worked at the Los Angeles Times Orange County Edition and at the Press Enterprise in its Southwest Riverside County bureau. Website: AlexMurashko.com.