Day 17 - The Lord of the Sabbath

Matthew 12:6-8

“Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." NKJV

Context:

Matthew 12:1-2 “At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, "Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!" NKJV


Recap:

Once again the Pharisees were trying to find fault with Jesus. In their attempt they continue to use the law against Him to ensnare him in a trap. Jesus being God in the flesh knew the Law better than anyone and answers them in truth but they still cannot understand Him.

Jesus tells them that in this place there is one greater than the temple and then he reminds them by saying if they knew what He meant and then repeats the words he shared earlier when they accused him of fellowshipping with sinners, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice’ They would not condemn the guiltless. Read more...

Day 13 - A Compassion for the Harvest

Matthew 9:37-38

“Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." NKJV

Context:

Matthew 9:35-38 “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

Jesus had been teaching, preaching and healing every sickness and disease and it says here after he looked at the multitude in verse 36, “He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep with no shepherd.”

One of the reasons I personally have a heart for the hurting and the lost is because I was one of those sheep. I was utterly lost and felt so alone searching to find substance and purpose for my life. It wasn’t until I asked Christ into my heart that I finally felt the peace I had been longing for - to soothe my empty soul. My testimony is that of the song; Amazing Grace – Amazing grace how sweet the sound who saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I’m found, once blind but now I see. Read More...

Day 6 - Love your Enemies

Matthew 5:43-45

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; NKJV

It can be very difficult when you have been hurt, wounded or persecuted by an individual to love them, bless them and especially pray for them. In fact in your heart of flesh you might think it’s impossible to do; but Jesus also says that what is impossible for man is possible with God.

This type of love and attitude can only come from God because God is love and His love is unconditional, patient, kind and holds no record of wrongs etc... It goes far beyond our limited and human love. Read 1 Corinthians 13, the chapter of love and see how good God’s love truly is. Compared to ours - there’s no comparison. God does however allow us these experiences to work in us and teach us how to love like He does over time. Read more here...

Day 5 - Let it Shine!

Matthew 5:16
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” NKJV

In the Old Testament God gave a prophetic message through the prophet Isaiah to the people, saying that a great light would come in the midst of gloom and the shadow of darkness and his name would be called Immanuel, God with us. In Matthew 4:16 this particular passage is mentioned again:

Matthew 4:16 “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned." – NKJV

Notice how it says, “Light has dawned”. It was mentioned in Matthew as a reminder that Jesus coming to earth was a fulfillment of prophecy to be the light of the world a great light in the midst of darkness, condemnation and gloom. Read more here.

Dealing with the New Year! with a New Perspective

Philippians 3:12-14
“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” NIV

As Christmas comes to an end we anxiously await the words “Happy New Year!” My best friend and I have this tradition we do every year for the last five years usually around the end of December. We go to our favorite beach spot, where we talk and pray about the past year and look ahead to the New Year.

We ponder and discuss all the interesting occurrences that happened the past year; the good times, the bad times, the frustrating times and also the fun times. We share what valuable lessons we learned from our experiences, what God showed us and how He was faithful through all of it

We do this as a closure to one year and then an opening to the next. After we have laughed a while and then cried, we begin to look forward with great excitement, wondering what God has for us this coming new year. What new experiences will we go through and what new lessons will we learn. It’s all fresh and new and that is exciting.

In doing this I believe it helps us to view each year as a season, understanding that God is Sovereign and has new seasons of experiences and growth to make us more like Christ. I can testify there were times we went through seasons of grief and there were also times we experienced seasons of joy.

It helps me to remember that God is in total control and that we are constantly growing as His children and that He knows the plans He has for us. Plans of new wisdom, insight and understanding that He wants to impart to us, if we will allow Him to.

It also gives us a fresh new outlook of the coming year and enables us to leave the past where it belongs, not that we forget the past but learn from it and move forward into our present future with opened hearts and minds to receive whatever God has for us.

With that said, I put together eight ways we can view the New Year and every year as.

A Year of:

New Beginnings: Start out the New Year with a fresh point of view to new experiences, memories and blessings. Having an opened mind and heart to where ever the Lord may take you with full assurance and confidence that He is with you. (Matthew 28:19-20)

New Possibilities: There’s no limit to what God can do in your life and nothing is impossible with God. God opens doors that no man can shut and also closes doors that no man can open. The possibilities are endless with God that is according to His will. (Philippians 4:13)

New Plans: Every year is a new season, be prayerful of what God has planned for you and be willing to walk by faith in obedience as you follow His leading. Remember that His plans are always for good and not for evil to give you a future and a Hope. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

New Purpose: As you forge ahead, God always has a plan and a purpose for what you will go through and experience. Remember that God always has a reason for what He allows in your life and through it you can trust Him completely. (Proverbs 1:3-5)

New Provisions: The bible says to not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow has enough worries of it’s own. Trust in your Heavenly Father who knows everything you need, who is your God and your Provider. He is faithful and He will do it. (Matthew 6:1-33)

New Growth: When we are willing to let go and let God work in us and through us, He will always stretch us and grow us. It is an important part of the growth process. Continue to grow in your relationship with Him and in His Word. Pray for God to mold you and make you pliable in the potters hand and then watch the master craftsman work on His masterpiece; which is you!

New Wisdom: With new experiences and new lessons come new wisdom and insight. Always make it a priority to seek out wisdom as hidden treasure or fine gold. In Proverbs it says that it will be like a garland of grace around your neck and honor you and present you with a crown of splendor. (Proverbs 4:7-9)

Renewed Peace: As you go through new experiences and new adventures whether they are good or bad, my encouragement is to keep your eyes fixed on Christ and He will give you rest and peace, because He is our peace and loves you and cares for you deeply. (John 16:33)
Keep in mind that if even the wicked give good gifts to their children how much more will your Heavenly Father give to those that ask Him? (Matthew 7:7-11) Let us give thanks to the Lord for getting us through another year as we look forward to what He has for us up ahead and praise Him that He is faithful and worthy to be praised!

Our God is an Awesome God
Who Reigns on Heaven and Earth
With Wisdom Power and Love
Our God is an Awesome God!

May the Lord bless you and your family with a blessed New Year!

____________________________


Filoiann Wiedenhoff is a Pastor's Wife, Work at Home Mom, Woman's Biblical Counselor, Bible Teacher and Writer. You can view her website at http://filoiannwiedenhoff.com/

Do You Struggle With Depression or Know Someone That Does?

Statistics show that there is a high percentage now more than ever of people who get depressed every day in this country. The holidays are known to be when depression and suicide is at an all time high.

There are so many reasons for depression and suicide and one article I believe would not be long enough.

I wanted to encourage you if you or someone you know is struggling with depression you are not alone. There is hope and that there are many others who are going through the exact same thing.

Many women that I have counseled struggle with depression and in fact depression runs in my family. People do know how common it is but when you are going through it you still feel very alone.

I know because I personally have struggled with depression also. It can take a toll on your life and drag you down so low that you feel like you can't get back up. It affects your mind, how you think, your body, how you feel. It affects every part of you and can bring you to the point of despair.

That is why it's so important to seek out someone to talk to about this silent killer. Talk to a counselor or pastor who can give you some direction and instruction on where to go from here.
Also see a doctor and find out if it is hormonal or a chemical imbalance. There are so many contributing factors to depression that it can be one thing or it can be a number of things.

My encouragement for you is that the bible also speaks on depression. I wrote two articles called "Dealing with Depression Spiritually Part I" and "Dealing with Depression Practically Part II" that gives you practical as well as biblical counsel on depression that will lead you or someone you know in the right direction.

I encourage you to read it, copy it and if you know someone or people who struggle with it please send them my URL and encourage them to read my counseling articles and be encouraged that God knows what we are going through and He sees us and says He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is right there with us every step of the way because he loves us and cares for us deeply.

Filoiann M. Wiedenhoff is a Pastor's Wife, Work at Home Mom, Woman's Pastoral Counselor, Bible Teacher and Christian Author. She loves to write devotionals, articles, training and handbooks. She is currently working on a lay counseling handbook and devotional E-books due to publish by the end of next year. You can visit her website and sign up for her monthly newsletter on http://www.filoiannwiedenhoff.com/ Receive my new FREE ebook of my 6 "How to Deal" articles. Just click on my website.


Photo provided by flickr.com

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Do You Struggle With Anger or Know Someone That Does?

I want to encourage you that if you or you know someone who struggles with anger there is hope.

One of the main common issues people in general have is that we have these inner struggles that we feel we have to handle by ourselves either because of shame, guilt, fear etc.

We are afraid to expose our struggle for fear of what people may think of us or perhaps that we might be judged. I am no different. I have had those same thoughts cross my mind more than once.

Being a pastor’s wife, I have to look at myself soberly every day to check myself to see where I am at with God, and with myself. Am I taking care of my responsibilities at home, with my husband and my children? Am I being a good or bad example to our family, friends and church members?

There’s a responsibility that comes with being a pastor’s wife that isn’t in the bylaws but is there prevalent just the same. I’m only sharing this because I am not perfect and I have struggled with anger at one time or another.

I’ve been told that I have a “Samoan Temper” which means, that I’m the nicest person you will ever want to meet but once you cross the line “Look out!”

I remember one early morning I had to take my daughter to church to go to camp. I had told her more than twice to have her things ready and packed the night before so she would be ready to go the next morning.

Well, she didn’t listen and the next morning she was flying around the house looking for this and that and because of her disobedience she almost missed her bus. Needless to say I lost it. I blue a gasket and shouted at the top of my lungs. “I told you last night….”

It wasn’t a pretty sight, and I felt terrible about how mad I got. It wasn’t a conscience thing, I just lost it. I felt terrible though and apologized to my daughter on the way to take her and she apologized for not listening but was glad I asked her for forgiveness.

What made matters worse was what my son told me the next day. My son’s neighbor friend told my son, “Your mom was really mad this morning, we could hear her clear across the street!”

I quickly remembered that when I was shouting I was standing right in front of an opened window and the whole neighborhood could hear me. I was so embarrassed and felt very small. I know that was a check from the Lord to watch my anger and I have taken steps to guard myself from going off from that day forward.
I am thankful my husband who is also my pastor and counselor was able to give me some words of advice, encouragement and accountability.

I wanted to bear my soul to encourage you that anger can happen to anyone at any time in any situation but left un-dealt with can be cause for concern.

If you or someone you know struggles with anger please know that you are not alone and that it can be resolved.

I put together some advice and steps to help give you direction and guidance in my new article called “Dealing with Anger” which is posted on my website.

Please check it out. Remember that education is the key and having understanding is wise. So find out more info on this subject and copy my article “Dealing with Anger” for your reference.

Dealing with Depresstion Part II

Taking what you have and put it into practice

In part I, I addressed how to deal with depression spiritually with the main concept of believing that Christ lives in your heart by faith and is right there with you, helping you and giving you power and strength to keep moving forward and persevere through the trials.

Before I do, if you are suffering from deep or severe depression or suffer frequently, I encourage you to see a doctor and get a doctor’s diagnosis on your condition. It may be treatable with hormones or medicine for chemical imbalance. It’s best to find out for sure.

So how do we apply believing Christ is in us to this trial or any trial? This knowledge is very important to our foundation because it builds on the fact that we can’t but God can. That though we are new creations we still need Christ power to experience any real change. So when we are at our weakest we can believe that God is at His best and we can turn to Him daily and moment by moment to give us strength in our hour and time of need.


In this article I am going to address how to use that knowledge to put it into practical use in dealing with depression.

Here they are as follows:

Spend Time with God: During our hard times we need to draw near to God and the bible says He will draw near to us. Spend daily quiet time with God and allow God’s Word to encourage your heart.

Read Psalms and Proverbs: During your quiet time read some extra verses in Psalms and Proverbs. Reading on God’s Faithfulness and His love for us is always encouraging to the soul.

Spend Time in Prayer: I usually like to pray silently through out the day, especially starting in the mornings before my quiet time and ask God to strengthen me and help me persevere through my day when I’m having a hard day.

Talk about It: Talking to someone and expressing how you are feeling inside is always helpful to getting our feelings out and not keeping them bottled up inside. Don’t be ashamed to ask someone to pray for you. Having someone pray for you is always encouraging.

Take a walk: Getting out and taking a walk releases endorphins that energize the body and make you feel happier. You can exercise also to release stress or anxiety too. (Read my Dealing with Anxiety article)

Get out of the house: Take a drive or visiting with a friend or family member is always a good idea, especially when you feel like you want to isolate. Isolation can lead to deeper depression and morbid thoughts so stay conscience and aware of isolating and try to avoid it as much as possible.

Journal your thoughts: If you are restless or need help releasing your feelings or emotions try to journal. When you spend quiet time try journaling and write down how you are feeling that day and what scriptures ministered to you and how and even what you need help with from God. Sometimes my best prayers are when I’m being totally honest with God about how I’m feeling and asking Him to help me. I’m always encouraged afterwards because I believe by faith he cares for me and that He heard my cries.

Encourage Someone Else: When you are feeling your lowest, take a moment to think of someone you might know that needs your comfort, a phone call, help with something and reach out to them. Sometimes the best medicine is ministering to someone else who could use your help. Not as a works but sincerely. This not only blesses the other person but blesses you also because you are not thinking about yourself but someone else. It takes your mind off of you and on to someone else who needed your help.

Pray for Someone Else: Make a list of people you can pray for and begin to pray earnestly for them. This is another form of reaching out but with less physical contact. Praying for others put’s your mind and your heart on others and their needs and will take your mind off of yourself. It may not cure you of depression but it will surely give your mind a break and peace of mind with God.

Seek out Accountability: Have either your spouse, family member or friend be your accountability partner. What that means is to let them know you are going through this struggle and to have them call you every so often to check in on you and also so that you can call them whenever you need encouragement or prayer. This will help you to not isolate and not feel you are alone in your suffering.

Repent if in Sin: I know that it sounds awkward but one of the causes for depression as a Christian is if we are walking in sin. NOTE: I’m not saying all depression comes from sin. But sometimes we will feel depressed or become depressed because of sin. Pray and ask God to reveal if there is any un-confessed sin in your life and repent which means to change your mind about doing that sin and turn back or return to God. Confess your sin and the bible says God is faithful to forgive you and turn away from that sinful act and return back to God as your savior and heavenly father. God is faithful and He will do it.

Stay in Fellowship: When we are feeling bad or depressed we also want to avoid groups of people. If you are in a bible study or home fellowship group it is important that you continue to keep going. It will help you to stay in fellowship and also you can have your group pray for you and encourage you. I find that when I’m feeling my worst the bible teaching is always perfect for me that day and I needed to hear it. So go expecting God to bless you because you came to meet Him there.

Keep in mind that when depression overcomes you, your mind is consumed about you and anytime you can refocus your mind onto other things, people, situations it will give you some relief.

These helps will also keep you active during your depression and help you to stay in fellowship with God and with others. Again, continue to go to the meetings, bible studies, activities and persevere through the pain and God will bring you relief as you hang in there and work through it.

I hope these simple but effective tips will give you more food for thought the next time you encounter depression and remember to seek out a doctor’s advice.

Whatever you do, Please do not try to numb the depression with pain medicine unless it is doctor recommended. It is important that you face the situation and work through it rather than numb it. Also, numbing can also prolong the recovery process. Give your pain over to God and ask Him to take your burdens and your cares for He cares for you!

Scripture References:


Ps 55:22 “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall.” NIV

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.“NIV

1 Peter 5:8-11 “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” NIV

Matt 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." NIV

Heb 4:16 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” NIV

Photo provided by flickr.com

Free Ebook Download

Hi everyone, I'm excited to announce I'm giving away a free ebook that includes my six most popular lay counseling articles Such as: Dealing with Fear, Grief and Loss, Discontentment, Disappointment, Worry and Stress and Un-Forgiveness and Bitterness.

Don't hesitate to drop by my website and get your free copy as a gift to you from me!

Download by Clicking Here: Filoiann Wiedenhoff.Com

Within each article I include practical and biblical steps on how to deal with these all too common real life issues. Here is a sample:

"Dealing with Grief and Loss"
Allow Yourself to Grieve and Give Yourself Time


There is a great confusion about what is considered grief and loss these days, unfortunately the miss-understanding of grief and loss leaves people feeling depressed, anxiety filled and alone and they don’t understand what’s happening to them.

I remember when I lost my father six years ago, a month later I thought something was wrong with me because I couldn’t think straight, my thoughts were all jumbled and didn’t know what was going on. A friend of mine who also counsels explained to me that it was part of the grieving process and I was comforted to know I wasn’t losing my mind, at least not yet

Hopefully this article will help give you more insight to this very common issue. Experiencing grief and loss can cover a gamut of situations such as; loss of a loved one, loss of a family pet, loss of a job, loss of a friendship, loss of a marriage through divorce, loss of a limb or health problems or illnesses, loss of trust in your spouse through infidelity.

As a society I don’t believe we realize how common experiencing grief and loss is and that it happens more often than people understand. I put together some basics on how to deal with grief and loss practically.

Here they are as follows:

Sit at the Lord’s Feet: As a Christian, we need to keep in mind that apart from Him we can do nothing. God is our physician, our healer, our comforter, our provider and He is faithful. Stay near to God and allow Him to minister to you through his Word, His love, His Spirit and His people.

Talk to Someone: As I said earlier, talking it out sometimes is the best medicine. It helps you to get out what you are feeling inside , helps your mind to process what happened or what you are feeling and it is also a form of release for your feelings and emotions. Talking about your situation or your feelings will help you to heal healthier and in most cases quicker.

Allow Yourself to Grieve: Don’t try to shut out the grief, but allow yourself permission to grieve and remember that it is not only okay but necessary for healing to take place. Shutting it off or out only hinders the process and can cause internal problems physically and spiritually if left not dealt with.

Don’t Fight the Process: Look online for the list of the grieving process and allow yourself to go through each process. Educate yourself. Fighting it or trying to “make” yourself okay doesn’t help you but hurts you in the end and can also prolong the healing. Your body goes through this process for a reason and you need to work through it.

Don’t Rush It: Trying to rush the grieving process doesn’t work so don’t rush yourself or give yourself a day and time for it to be over. It takes time to heal so allow your self that time. Also the other extreme is not healthy either when you take too long and can’t let go. If you think you are taking too long or trying to rush it, seek counsel about where you are and get professional counsel on your progress.

Read More...

Dealing with Disappointment

I can share a personal experience with you to help you understand what disappointment can mean and also how it can affect you personally deeper than you know.

A couple years ago when we were starting our new church plant in San Diego we promoted it, invited all of our family and friends and on that day we had over 100 people in attendance for our opening day church service. It was wonderful and turned out better than we could have expected.

My husband and I were definitely on a spiritual high feeling victory that our church plant was going to go smooth with no problems. NOT!!! The following Sunday our church attendance was nine people and all of them were part of our team that came with us.

Needless to say, my husband seemed fine but I was disappointed. I felt defeated and it was only the second Sunday of our church plant. At that moment you don’t know how to feel and you are left with two choices, give up or move on. We chose to move forward by faith because we believe that God has called us there and regardless if there is one person or 1000, if God has called us we need to be obedient to Him.

Our Faith kept us going and I am happy to report that our church is growing and thriving. Praise the Lord. Had we of quit we would not be seeing the blessings we are now and we have learned some valuable lesson through it.

You see my problem was I had expectations that weren't realistic. I thought it would be a peace of cake to start a church plant and that it would just grow magically. I learned a valuable lesson, which was that my expectations were not based on fact or reality but my own thoughts and opinions and it was a hard lesson but it opened my eyes.

I put together some tips on how to deal with disappointment and hope it helps you as it did me. The definition of disappointment is, “The state of having a feeling or emotion of being defeated in an expectation or a hope.” In looking at this definition helps us to learn how to deal with disappointment.

Re-Evaluate your Expectations: Are your expectations realistic? Or do they set you up for disappointment? Having un-realistic expectations will disappoint you every time.

Be willing to Drop Some Expectations: There are some expectations that are not worth having at all. As you look again at your situation be honest and ask yourself if you are having an expectation that is selfish, petty or unrealistic. If so, you are only hurting yourself by keeping them and should let them go.

Be Flexible: Learn from your mistakes and be willing to change your point of view about your situation that is realistic and considers the good as well as the bad and keep in mind what matters most.

One of the first exercises my husband and I give to couples in pre-marital counseling is to write down all of their expectations about the other person and then we have them read their list out loud and then tear it up and throw the list away. People don’t like this exercise very much because we are forcing them to get rid of their expectations of the other person, but it is an important one to learn and could save them a lot of grief after they get married..

We do this because it is normal for every person to have an ideal spouse in their mind of what they will be like and how they will act. It can come from their up bringing or what they have learned along the way, television or by what they have read of what a spouse is supposed to be like and act like. They then naturally bring those expectations into their marriage and right away they become immediately disappointed that their expectations are not being met.

Unfortunately it happens a lot in marriages and is more common than people realize and people wonder why they are having arguments and problems the first year of their marriage.

Sometimes when I counsel women who go through similar issues, I tell them to not be so hard on themselves and they won’t be hard on others. It’s a trickle down affect that occurs when people place hard or un-realistic expectations on themselves and then will naturally place those same expectations on others.

The worst part of this scenario is that when the person is working extra hard to fulfill these un-realistic expectations for themselves they expect others to do it too and they are constantly disappointed that others are not fulfilling their part. So in this scenario re-evaluate your own expectations of your self and see if you need to let go of them so that you can be freed from your own disappointment and not place that same expectations on others.

We encourage couples to not go into their marriage with expectations on their spouse but to get to know and accept their spouse for who they are and work together in accomplishing their goals and dreams together using their gifts and talents they both have.

Don’t get me wrong we also go over the roles of the husband and the roles of the wife with these couples but roles are responsibilities that are given to fulfill their role as the husband or the wife and not “personal” expectations. It’s important to know the difference.

My husband always says, “If you don’t have expectations you won’t be disappointed.” It’s true. We deal with our ministry the same way. It is what it is and we have to be willing to work with what we have to make it better and not focus on what it isn’t or what we don’t have but enjoy and be blessed with what God is doing.

The only expectation we have now is that God is faithful and He will do it. It may not happen how we expect Him to or when we expect Him to but He does it in His perfect way and in His perfect time. His thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways!

So if you are dealing with disappointment take a moment to evaluate your expectations and be willing to make the necessary changes that will lift anything that may be keeping you down or others down. Sometimes our worst enemy is our own self. I hope these helps will give you something to work with when dealing with disappointment.

Blessings,

Dealing With Worry and Stress

Have you been worried or stressed over something that is starting to affect you in more ways than one? There are many reasons we can easily be stressed or worried such as our finances, our relationships, our work; you name it and the worse part is it never seems to go away.

You are not alone, life in itself has enough worries of it's own, even in Matthew chapter 6 it says not to worry about tomorrow for tomorrow has enough worries for itself. I want to encourage you that there is hope for your situation and that your worries can be turned into peace if you will heed God's word about this very normal and common dilemma. Let's look at what God's word says about this:

1. Do not worry = Telling someone not to worry is easier said than done. Take comfort in that Jesus understands what you are going through and shares in Matthew that we should not worry because our Heavenly Father is faithful to provide for His children. (Read Matthew 6:25-30)

2. Pray your Petitions to God = Taking our worries and concerns to God can be the best thing you could ever do. The bible says to come to Him and make your requests known to God with assurance that He hears the cries of His children. (Read Phillipians 4;6-7)

3. Come to Jesus = When we are at our worst God is at His best, come to Christ and allow Him to take your burdens and lighten your load. You can be honest with God in prayer, vent to Him, cry to Him and then ask God to take your burdens and believe that He is faithful and He will do it.(Read Matthew Read 11:28-30 )

4. Cast Your Cares Upon Him = Cast means to cast off or take off and in this passage it means to cast off your cares to Him, give them over to God and allow him to take them from you, because He cares for you. (Read 1 Peter 5:7)

5. Stay Focused on Him = As you are giving your burdens over to God you can now re=focus your mind and heart back onto Him and off of your troubles, trusting that God is going to take care of you. When you do you will receive His peace in return. (Read Isaiah 26; 3)

6. Trust Him = Remember that the bible says that Jesus is our peace, and we can put our trust in Him to not only take our burdens but to carry them. Once you give them over to God be sure that you don't take them back. Put it in His capable hands and leave it there!
(Isaiah 26:4 )


Trust in Him that He is faithful and that He will do it. Release it to God and then praise Him and thank Him for being so good to you. God is sovereign, He is still on the throne and in total control. Allow Him to be on the throne of your heart and He will give you much peace in return and so much more.


Personal Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father,
When I am worried or stressed, help me to take my eyes off of my situation and re-focus back on you. Help me to trust you and give you my burdens and not take them up again and fill me with your peace that transcends all understanding so that I can rest again and be refreshed. Thank you Lord for hearing my prayers because you care for me. Amen