Pressed In On Every Side

“We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair;

We are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed;” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 – Amplified

The Lord reminded me of these verses this morning. I read it out of the NLT and then the Amplified. It really hit home for me. You see I am currently going through a season of intense discipline and training through many trials and temptations. (Hebrews 12)The demonic attacks are so evident. I have felt pressed in on every side by spiritual oppression in some of my closest relationships. Even my children are under attack. At times I feel crushed and overwhelmed. The problems and trials I face often times feel like too much to bear. I would be lying if I said that thoughts of giving up don’t run through my mind. But I know who I am in Christ Jesus and I WILL NOT not be driven to utter despair! I know that our Lord has NOT deserted me or my family and left us to stand alone.

I am sharing this with you because I want you to know that if you are suffering through many troubles, trials, and temptations YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Listen to what the Holy Spirit has said through Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:13.

“No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.” – The Message

Here’s parts of this verse out of the Amplified.

“NO temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance..

But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [CAN BE TRUSTED] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [ALWAYS] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.”

Did you see it? Our troubles are not new to human experience. Many others before us and many now are going through the same or very similar problems that we are facing today. Others before us have overcome by remembering how faithful God is to His promise to never leave or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)

In 1 Corinthians 10:13 we see that He has promised to never allow the temptations or trials that we face to be more than we can endure. He will ALWAYS provide a way of escape to overcome any temptation the enemy will put before us. He will also ALWAYS provide a way for us to go through whatever trial it is that we may have to face.

No matter what it is that we are facing we need to remember that He is our Strength and WE CAN do ALL things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us! Here is Philippians 4:13 in the Amplified. Read it. Receive it! Believe it! Confess it!

“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].”

The Lord has spoken to me so many words of encouragement, affirmation, and comfort over the past several weeks. His Holy Spirit has ministered to my heart and given me peace at times where I probably would have fallen apart. He has hugged me through the arms of other believers full of his love and compassion. His presence has filled my room as I slept I knew that He was there with me. His love has sustained me through this all.


He will do the same for you as he is doing for me! Do not give up hope! He is by your side. You will see His promises to you fulfilled. Just keep believing! Keep trusting! Keep seeking Him in prayer, fasting, and in His Word. Keep your eyes on Him and you will not be destroyed. Fight the good fight of faith!

I will continue to share with you the scriptures that He has brought me to in this season of my life. God bless you all and remember what our Lord has said to His disciples,

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]” John 16:33 – Amplified

In His Presence Is Fullness of Joy & I Am Renewed

“I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips” Psalm 34:1

The week before was a trying week for me. I had difficult tests and trials to overcome almost daily. It felt like hell put an A.P.B. (all points bulletin) out on me. I felt the attack hard. The hardest thing for me is when I see believers becoming the tool in the hand of the enemy. It saddens my spirit. By Friday I felt tired and worn out. I found myself trying to carry around other people’s junk and blaming myself unnecessarily so. I was slipping into a ‘Woe is me’ attitude. I woke up that Friday morning and said, “Lord, I need your comfort. Heal me from these troubles, renew me, and refresh my spirit.” Well…I asked and I received!! Praise Jesus!

He saw how my week was going and lined up a weekend of blessing to lift my spirit back up. It was awesome! I partied and celebrated all weekend long. I danced and I lifted my hands in praise and worship with my husband and loved ones. Last Friday night our church Calvary Chapel Ft. Lauderdale had their night of worship which is always a wonderful time of celebrating and dancing. We started off shaking off any heaviness that was attached to us from our contacts with the world and from dealing with life’s issues by singing upbeat praise music. Then our hearts were prepared for worship songs with lyrics that cried to God to search our hearts and find anything in us that does not reflect His purity. In Spirit and in truth we asked the Lord to refine us in the fire of His gaze so that we could be holy in all of our ways. Many of us went down to the altar and got on our faces before the Lord and in His presence we were renewed, strengthen, and filled with even more faith and hope. That was just my Friday night.

Saturday night I got to attend a free Christian concert hosted by Cross the Bridge with David Mcgee from Calvary Chapel of the Triad. That too was a wonderful time of praise and worship. We danced some more and continued to worship the Lord knowing in our hearts that mountains were being moved in the spiritual realm. Sunday back to church and as always Calvary Chapel’s praise and worship team was on fire. More dancing, more lifting of holy hands, and more change in our hearts. I am excited again just writing this..Glory be to God!!

“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

It was in His presence humbly worshiping Him on my face at that altar Friday night that I felt immediately renewed. I felt the power of the Holy Spirit lift up my countenance and renew my strength as I praised Him for His faithfulness to me. I realized that no matter what I go through the Lord is faithful. I made a choice to let that week of trouble go and not to give it any more of my attention. Instead I remembered that our Lord has been with me from birth; from my mother’s womb He has cared for me. So I will choose to praise Him instead of moaning and complaining about my troubles. (Psalm 71:6)

We can not allow ourselves to be ruled by our emotions and feelings. We have to learn to praise the Lord at all times no matter what is going on around us. No matter who comes against us in gossip and persecution. No matter what bad report we get. Worship the Lord even then. Praise Him because He is worthy of our praise. He has always watched over us. So don’t be troubled by temporary circumstances. God’s got it!

You will find that no heaviness, negative emotion, depression, fear, sadness, loneliness, or any other hindering spirit can stay around when you are lifting up holy hands in worship and submission to Almighty God. Why? Because the Lord inhabits the praises of His people. He is in the midst of them. When we worship Him we are taking refuge in His Holy presence. (Psalm 22:3)

You will also notice that while worshipping Him that you are also being cleansed. I don’t know about you but when I am worshipping our Lord I begin to ask Him to cleanse me and purify me of everything in me that is ugly and unholy. It is during worship and praise that our hearts are renewed and we desire to be more like Him. It is in worshipping Him in Spirit and in truth that we desire to let go of all the extra baggage such as anger, unforgiveness, resentment, hidden sin or whatever is trying to entangle us. Our burdens fall off in His presence and when we rise up again we feel light and burden-free ready to move on in our battle.

Spend time worshipping and praising our Lord. I promise you will see that your problems just don’t compare to the joy that comes from knowing that God is your refuge and that you are truly safe in His care. Praise the Lord at all times let His praises constantly be on your lips!

Fear Not When..

"But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine, When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.” Isaiah 43:1-2

We should not be surprised when trouble comes upon us. Jesus told us that in this world that we would have many sorrows and troubles, but that we should have peace in Him. James tells us to count all joy when we have troubles because that is when our faith is tested, and our endurance has a chance to grow. When our endurance is fully developed, we will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (John 16:33, James 1:2-4)

But I love what our Lord has told us in Isaiah 43:1-3 the best. He said “Fear Not!”

“Fear not when..”

• You lose your job.
• You fall behind on your mortgage.
• You get a negative report from the doctor.
• You are persecuted.
• Troubles press in on every side and you feel completely overwhelmed.

Our Lord knew that we would have to go through all of this. That’s why he said WHEN you pass through the waters, through the rivers, and walk through the fire. He says, “I will be with you. I will not allow the rivers of trouble to overflow you. You will not be burned by the fire and the flames will not scorch you.” Thank you Jesus!

He is encouraging us to take heart and remember that we are His. We belong to Him and because we are His He will take care of us. Whether He has already made a way of escape or determines that He will walk us through the trials we have been redeemed. We are not alone in our troubles. So when fear comes knocking on the door of your heart allow faith to answer it and fear will flee.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord, For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

If you have allowed your roots to grow down deep in the Word of God then during the times when the heat comes and there is drought in the land you will not be crippled by fear. Instead you will still be full of hope and trust in the Lord. You will keep pressing forward leaving all of your troubles in His hands and knowing in your heart that everything will work out for your good no matter what. You will not lose focus or become distracted by your problems; instead you will continue to produce good fruit in your life. You will be an example to others and when they see your strength they will know that it is by the power of God that you are able to overcome. Your faithfulness and determination will bring glory to our Lord.

So when troubles come fear not! For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Do not be dismayed, for our Lord will help us and strengthen us. He will uphold us with his righteous right hand. (2 Timothy 1:7, Isaiah 41:10)

Taking It One Day At A Time

“So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble” Matthew 6:34

I love this verse. It has taught me that I only have to deal with today’s problems today. I don’t have to worry about tomorrow’s problems now. In fact I don’t have to worry at all and neither do you, because God’s got it. There is nothing that happens in our life that God is not in full control of. What ever situation we are facing, whatever our need we must remember that we are not in it alone. The Almighty One is on our side. So why worry? Why fret? Why fear? He will bring us thru ever time. He never fails!

“And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life?” Matthew 6:27

“Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

When we are seeking and striving to do God’s will in our life, His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), then all the things that we need will be given to us. He cares for us so much. We just have to trust Him no matter what, knowing that He will work everything out for our good as He has promised. His Word is true and He does not lie.

Definitions for worry: 1) to afflict with mental distress or agitation: make anxious 2) To feel uneasy or concerned about something; be troubled. (Note: this is NOT a fruit of the Spirit! Galatians 5:22-23)

If we sit around worrying and fretting about our situation we are actually saying that we don’t believe God’s Word. We don’t trust Him to do what He said He would do. Instead of mediating on God’s promises to us we begin to listen and reason with the worrisome thoughts that attack our minds. We have to capture these rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

We will find freedom from worry, fear, and anxiety when we lay our life down at His feet and say, “Lord here is my life. Do with it as you please. I trust you.” I believe with all my heart that when we do this we will learn daily, through the power of the Holy Spirit of course, to be content with whatever He decides to do with us.

I don’t know about you but He can have my problems. I know that He can do much more with them than I could ever do. So this is me taking it one day at time. I pray you do too.

Lord, there are times when our minds are attacked by worry or fear. Help us to remember your promises. Let us hear your Words over the loud voice of anxiety. We trust you with our lives because it is no longer our own. Thank you for your promises. In Jesus name. Amen.

Don't Forget The Miracles

“But O my soul, don’t be discouraged. Don’t be upset. Expect God to act! For I know that I shall again have plenty of reason to praise Him for all that he will do. He is my help! He is my God!” (Psalm 42:11)

Do you want to know how to make it through the storms of life with out being utterly consumed and overtaken by the winds? Don’t forget the miracles!! Remember the miracles that our Faithful Lord has done in your life and in those around you. Remind yourself of them especially while you are in the middle a terrible storm. Then meditate on the truth that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is still a miracle working God who is capable and willing to save you and bring you through life’s troubles. Expect Him to act!

Don’t doubt Him and think that He has forgotten you! The God we serve is an Awesome and On Time God. We have His power, the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to help us all the time. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to comfort us and to remind us of the miracles that He has done. By meditating on the past miracles we will be encouraged and our faith will increase as we wait on the Lord. Our focus will not be on everything else going on around us.

When Peter got out of the boat to walk on water he forgot the miracles that he had just seen not even twenty four hours before. He was there when the Lord feed more than five thousand people with only five loaves of bread and two fish. He helped pass out the food. He saw there was even food left over. What an awesome miracle!! Immediately after this Jesus sent them out on the boat to cross over to the other side of the sea while he stayed behind to have His personal prayer time. While they are crossing over a storm comes. In the middle of the storm Jesus walks out on the sea to meet them. They see him and freak out thinking that He’s a ghost. Peter said, “Lord, if it is You command me to come to You on the water.” Jesus said, “Come”.

So Peter gets out of the boat determined to walk to Jesus. However, he took his eyes of our Lord and looked around at the circumstances, the wind blowing, the raging water, and probably even looked down and immediately he forgot about the miracles. He forgot about the power of God to feed the multitudes, heal the sick, and cast out demons. He allowed fear to consume him. He doubted God and began to sink. Of course our Lord stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him “O you of little faith, why did you doubt? (Matthew 14:22-33)

Why do we doubt when we know that our God is consistently faithful and merciful? There will be storms in this life, but blessed is the man who’s trust is the Lord. The righteous cry out, and the Lord delivers them out of all their troubles. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. (Psalm 34:8,17,19)

DON’T FORGET THE MIRACLES!!

Lord, we thank you that you are still a miracle working God. We put all of our trust in you because we can not make it through life’s storms without you. As we meditate on all that you have done in our lives remind us that you are still doing miracles in and for us. We love you and thank you Lord. In Jesus name. Amen

Peace I Leave With You

When fear attacks my mind I remember that the Lord did not give me a spirit of fear, but power of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) For many years I suffered from fear, anxiety, and worry. I was in bondage. About four years ago the Lord said to me, "Stop allowing yourself to be so agitated and full of fear. I have given you my peace. Walk in it"

I knew that I had read that in His Word. It was John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]"

I printed it up and taped it on my bathroom mirror. It is still there to this day. Little did I know how often I would need to see that scripture first thing in the morning or right before I was going to bed. There was even one time when I was going through it and the Lord had one of my best friends send me flowers and in the post card she put that same scripture.

The Lord has gone out of His way to let me know that He wants me have peace and not allow my circumstances to intimidate me. I no longer ALLOW myself to be fearful or cowardly because I know that our God is faithful and He is for me. I fear not because I trust Him!

I encourage you not to allow anything to intimidate you or cause you to be so full of fear that you forget that our God is always on your side. If God is for us, who can ever be against us? (Romans 8:31) There will be things that happen in our lives that we do not like or understand why God has allowed, but we must never forget that God is omniscient. He knows what’s going to happen before it has even happened and He has made a way of escape for us.

When your situations gets scary and you don’t know what to do remember what Philippians 4:6-7 says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

James says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4) We may not like trials and test but they are good for us and we don’t need to fear them.

Lord, thank you for using the trials and tests to make us stronger more useful Christians. Help us to trust at all times and lean not on our own understanding. Give us your peace to protect our minds and hearts as we are in trusting in you to bring us through each of our situations. In Jesus name..Amen

"Stressin"-Guest Post By Saved By Faith

The summer is coming to a close and the kids & I are starting to prepare for school... ordering uniforms, buying supplies, etc. It's also time for registration for soccer, dance, tennis, piano, you name it! Added to the other stresses that life brings (financial, home/living, work). Oh, and did I mention I'm registering for 3 more classes this semester?!

Well, with all that being said, at times my stress levels seem to sky rocket. It affects my eating, sleeping, demeanor, everything. When I feel the weight on my shoulders I constantly remind myself that these stresses are not for me to bare. I am to lay my fears and worries down at my Savior's feet. He will see me through my troubles and dispair.



Psalms 9:9
"The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble."

Psalms 55:22
"Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall."

Philippians 4:6
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

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

Acts 14:22
"strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said."

1 Peter 3:14
"But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened."

Deuteronomy 31:6
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."




THANK YOU LORD FOR BEING MY SOLE PROVIDER!
MY LIGHT IN DARKNESS!!



Psalm 31:7
"I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul."

Psalm 7:17
"I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High."

Feel Like Giving Up?

Do you ever feel like enough is enough? You’ve been trusting and believing God’s words and promises to you, but you just feel like you want to give up. So do I! So do a lot of people who are going through trials and tribulations. However, giving up on God can NEVER be an option! “Now the just shall live by faith; but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in Him” (Hebrews 10:38)

We must remember that His mercy and kindness endure forever and He will never allow us to go through these trials without helping us all the way. He is always faithful to comfort us when we need it. God is our refuge and strength. He is a very present help in trouble. Through patience and comfort of the scriptures we have hope. (Psalm 118, Psalm 46:1, Romans 15:4)

The test and trials that we go thru will cause different emotions to manifest at different times. When you are at the point where you just want to give up and throw in the towel anger may be the main emotion that you experience. You might begin to be tempted to give in to the thoughts of doubt that the enemy will put in your mind. He will try to play on this emotion of anger, so you have got to snap out of it quickly!

The best thing to do is to talk to our Lord about how you are feeling. Pray and cry out to Him. Psalm 57:2 says, “I will cry out to God Most High, to God who accomplishes all things for me.” So let it all out. It’s ok to tell Him that you are tired and ready to give up. It’s ok to say “Help me Lord. I am weak.” Be real with him because that is what He works with, your realness. When we humble ourselves before Him He will lift us up. Our Heavenly Father says, “MY grace is sufficient for you. MY strength is made perfect in weakness. If you will humble yourselves under my mighty hand I will lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on ME because I care for you.”( 2 Corinthians 12:9, 1 Peter 5:6-7)

We must learn to not to be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, to present our requests to God. Then the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Once we have prayed we are to begin to meditate on the truth of God’s word. (Philippians 4:8-9) It helps me when I remember that:

Ø God’s Word is Truth. He is not a man, that he should lie. His Word does not return void it will accomplish what He desires and it has purpose. (Psalm 119:160, Numbers 23:19, Isaiah 55:11)
Ø God will liberally supply (fill to the full) our every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)
Ø He protects us and never leaves us! (Psalm 91, 18:2, 121:3-8, Joshua 1:5)
Ø It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is His stability and faithfulness! (Lamentations 3:22-23)

So let us not give up on doing good, trusting, and serving God because if we don’t quit we will reap our harvest. Stay focused and determined. Most of all stay prayed up and full of the Word. (Galatians 6:9)

Lord, Help us to keep pushing and praying. Let’s not give up because we know that our breakthrough is coming soon. You are our joy and hope. In Jesus name..Amen.

Your Sacrifice of Praise

I was recently reminded of my own words about praising God when the spirit of heaviness comes to attack me. I thought to myself I give my Heavenly Father praise and thank Him daily for everything that He is doing in my life, but it has been days since I have put on some good praise music and danced, praised, and worshipped Him. No wonder I have been feeling a little down.

I love listening to Chris Tomlin or MaryMary and dancing with my children before the Lord. All my worries and cares just don’t seem to matter when I am in His presences. It’s like Mary Mary said “Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance!”

I know that it may seem hard to want to praise God when you are going through so much. However go against your feelings and make your sacrifice of praise anyways. Hebrews 13:15 says, “ Through him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.” He knows that at times it is a sacrifice but praise and worship Him because He is worthy to be praised! He is an Awesome and Great God!

Praise and worship as been known to cause earthquakes, shake foundations, bonds have been released, and prison doors have been opened. See for yourself..

(Acts 16:25-34) About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

Praising God through your toughest times can be a witness to someone else that has been watching you. When they see how God delivers you from your situation they will want to know your God too. You could be the tool that Jesus uses to save their whole family all because you made that sacrifice of praise. So do not hesitate lift your hands in worship and enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! (Psalm 100:4) May the Lord give you the break through you need. In Jesus name..Amen!

Garment of Praise for the spirit of heaviness

Often times the enemy sends the spirit of heaviness to torment me. This past weekend that is exactly what happened. Out of no were everything bothered me. I was easily agitated and aggravated with my family. I was feeling sad and emotional for the littlest things. I had a horrible "woe is me" attitude.

I wanted to get some air so I went to walk my dogs when I remembered that just two days prior out the blue I heard the Spirit of the Lord say "The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness". I didn't get it at the time because I wasn't feeling any heaviness. Then I realized that he was warning me of the attack to come.

Praise is a weapon. God has given us the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Did you know that heaviness is a spirit? (Isaiah 61:3) When you praise God those bad feelings and that heaviness has to leave. You see God inhabits the praise of his people. (Psalm 22:3)

There is a story in the bible where God uses the praises of his people in battle. The king of Judah had a vast army coming up against them. The king and his people fasted and interceded before the Lord regarding the battle. He told them not to be afraid because the battle was not theirs it was his. Read what happens:

2 Chronicles 20:21-22 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever." As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

Praise always wins the battle. Listening to praise music can change your whole attitude when you’re going through it. I have had battles with heaviness so severe that I have had to walk around with my iPod on all day just to protect my mind. When I put on my Mary Mary cd or praise playlist I listen to the lyrics and begin to sing along. I find that I almost immediately start feeling peaceful and comforted. I am reminded that the battle that I am going through is the Lord's. I begin thanking, worshipping, and loving on God because of all that He has done for me and all that he is going to do.

Don't let heaviness have its way with you. Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

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