Wherever I go, your hand will guide me;
Your strength will empower me
It’s impossible to disappear from You
Or to ask the darkness to hide me
for Your presence is everywhere,
bringing light into my night.
Psalm 139: 10-11 TPT
How are you holding up? I mean, really how are you holding up,- emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually? If you would rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 in each of those areas, with 10 being the best you could be, how close to 40 would you be? In these trying times, I can’t imagine any of us reaching forty, nor perhaps even 20. I personally am hovering around the 20 mark…
So how do we let God empower us with strength and let Him bring light into the darkness and anxiety each of us may be facing? He says He will guide us wherever we go. How do you begin to tune in and release some of the darkness and anxiety you may be facing?
Name it
In order to release something to God, you have to be able to name it. What is it that is making you anxious? Pour it all out to Him. Even ask Him to show you what may be hiding in your feelings of anxiety, below the surface.
In my fight with anxiety, I realized my sensitivity to everyone’s feelings and nuances in the news were being picked up by my body. I had to quit watching the nightly news on TV. I still keep up with what is going on by reading news reports but even that is not daily. I can give God what is going on and certainly pray, but it doesn’t have to be my daily diet.
What is it that is making you most anxious? Name it.
Know that God sees you
In what ways are you receiving encouragement and joy in these dark times? Is it with people who love you? Or in a walk, noticing the coming of spring? Or a particular song that lifts your spirits?
God sends messages to bring light into the darkness. I had a high school girl friend call me this week because I had been on her mind all weekend. I had had a hard weekend and I know that God prompted her to call and check on me. I felt seen and loved by her and by God.
Look for those messages from Him and know that He sees you.
Ask for others to pray with you and for you
God loves to have two or three to pray together and lift each other up. Jesus right now is praying for you and encourages us to pray for one another.
it is so encouraging to see His answers and feel His presence. I am currently writing a book about two-way conversations with God and collecting stories from people about how God has encouraged them. He is active and wants to speak with you, too.
Over the last weeks, a friend of mine and I have been talking about her concerns of being out of work. She and I and others have been praying for her provision. She received in the mail today an anonymous donation of cash, with the note, “Seeds of Hope for a hard working entrepreneur.” Wow!
Only God can provide such a surprise as that! She has no idea where it came from, except to thank Him for it. Praying together is important.
What about you?
What do you need to release to God this week? Emotions? Worries? Anxiety? Whatever it is, He will be there for you.
I would love to pray with you and for you. Please hit reply to this email and send me your prayer request. It would be my privilege to join you in prayer for whatever you are facing. Together we can bring it to God, for whoever two or three are gathered, He hears.
Blessings to you.
Nancy.
Nancy Booth wants to create safe spaces for you, helping you find ways to have two-way conversations with God. She loves encouraging you to look for ways He is at work. Nancy is a spiritual director and writer. She would love to accompany you on your journey of discovery to hear and see more of the God who delights in you. Peace, hope and freedom could be yours Contact her today..
“How are you doing — REALLY?!” Coincidentally, I wrote this to my daughter this week. So often we ask how someone is so casually, often without waiting for or noticing an answer. We need to revive this practice of “care.”
Isn’t it true, Cam? I wonder, too, if any of us stop to figure out how we really are doing, or just keeping rolling on. Thanks for being such an encourager to those around you. Blessings!