Month: June 2020

Depression is a very real disorder and it affects many Christians. I have said this in a previous blog post and I will say it again, believers often avoid the issue of mental illness because of the stigma attached to it and the belief that you are somehow less of a Christian if you are not walking in the joy of the Lord at all times. This was not a reality when the Bible was written, and it is not a reality now. Some of the most powerful prophets of God suffered from mental illness; most notably Elijah. Do you think he just decided he wanted to kill himself because Queen Jezebel had threatened his life? Depression doesn’t come on you out of the blue like that; I believe he had been feeling this way for a while and we just saw it manifest in that instance.

May I add, that in some cases depression is more than a spiritual issue and praying a few Psalms will not free you from it. Some people battle with depression because there is a chemical imbalance in the body, low serotonin can have a negative effect on your mood and cause you to fall into a depression that you find impossible to get out of. So if you find that prayer is not working for you, seek medical help. With that being said, here are three Psalms that will help you battle with depression.

Psalm 61: In verse 1 and 2 we read, “Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You; when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” David was another biblical legend who suffered from depression. Read his words again, “when my heart is overwhelmed,” isn’t that what it feels like when depression has taken over your soul? But even in his anguish, David knows where his help will come from.

Psalms 46: In verses 1-3 we read, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled. Though the mountains shake with its swelling.” Imagine feeling so overwhelmed with trouble that you compare it to the mountains shaking? This is how David felt during his darkest moments. But in verse 10 we read, “Be still and know that I am God”, what a comforting thought.

Psalms 6: There were times in David’s life that he became so weary with despair that he cried all night. In verses 6-7 we read: “I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with tears. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows old because of my enemies. In verses 8-9 David quickly changes his disposition and states: “Depart from me all you workers of iniquity; for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.”

Let us follow David’s example, in his depression, he knew that the Lord was his source of strength and that is who he turned to in times of trouble. Click To Tweet

Let us follow David’s example, in his depression, he knew that the Lord was his source of strength and that is who he turned to in times of trouble. May the God of Jacob comfort you from now until eternity.

May God bless the hearers and the doers of His word.

2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Fear is a crippling evil that will stop you from reaching your full potential in life. Throughout the scriptures we are vehemently warned against the spirit of fear; however, abandoning fear is easier said than done, especially if you have been operating in it your entire life. There is a huge misconception in the church that once you are saved your life is automatically transformed and you become a new person. Your spirit is renewed but your mind is not; therefore, you’ve got to do some work to free yourself from the bondages that have been holding you back. Here are three signs that you are bound by fear.

You Refuse to Speak in Public: One of the most common fears is the fear of public speaking. There is nothing unique about it, we read about it in the book of Exodus when Moses was trying to convince God that he wasn’t the man for the job (Exodus 4:10). But if you have been called to preach the gospel, it is imperative that you overcome this fear.

You Avoid People: Social anxiety is another crippling fear that has a negative effect on your calling. Whether you are an accountant, lawyer or a checkout clerk, all Christians have been called to minister the Good News. When you suffer from social anxiety, you invest a lot of time and energy into avoiding people; which means not only are you hindering your own progress, you are also hindering the progress of those who have been assigned to you.

You Run From Your Problems: Whether you are in debt, you are having problems in your marriage, or you’ve had an argument with a friend, brushing your problems under the carpet is not going to solve them. Fear will have you running from the consequence of your actions, but the longer you leave it, the worse it gets.

Overcoming fear is not as simple as quoting scriptures and expecting a miracle. You will need to put the work in and actively confront your fears by walking them out.

Whatever you are afraid of, the more you expose yourself to it, the less power it will have over you. Click To Tweet

Whatever you are afraid of, the more you expose yourself to it, the less power it will have over you.

May God bless the hearers and the doers of His word.

“And he who died came out bound hand and foot with grave-clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “loose him and let him go.” – John 11:44

“Rest in peace,” reads the headstone of the grave that has been metaphorically dug for you. Your life has so spiralled out of control that friends, family and loved ones have written you off as a lost cause. You have given up on yourself, and can’t see anyway out of the hell that you have been living in. You feel as if there is nowhere to turn, hopelessness, despair and despondency have overtaken you. 

In the eleventh chapter of the book of John, we read the story of a man named Lazarus from the town of Bethany, he is the brother of Mary and Martha. After Lazarus became sick, his sisters called Jesus to heal him. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days, and the town was in mourning. There was not one person who believed that he would rise again. In verse 39, Jesus instructed the bystanders to, “Take away the stone,” their response was, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 

The length of time that Lazarus had been dead was of no consequence to Jesus, He knew that He had power over life and death. When he released the words, “Lazarus come forth” from His spirit, verse 44 says, “And he who had died came out…” 

If you put your trust in the Lord, and lean not on your own understanding, Jesus Christ, the Bright and Morning Star, The Lion Of The Tribe Of Judah will resurrect every dead situation in your life. The bible says, “With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Whatever it is that has you bound, no matter how long you have been down in the gutter, if you allow Jesus to direct your steps, “Rest in peace” will transcend into “Rise in power. Click To Tweetif you allow Jesus to direct your steps, “Rest in peace” will transcend into “Rise in power,” as your new life becomes an inspiration to those living in bondage. 

“Oh Lord be gracious to us; we have waited for You. Be their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.” – Isaiah 33:2

Isaiah chapter 33 focuses on the turmoil faced by Judah and Jerusalem by Sennacherib’s invasion. In this verse, the prophet lifts up his voice to the Lord, as he contemplated the judgement that was about to come upon the Jews. The arm symbolises strength, it is used throughout scripture as an emblem of divine protection. He prayed this way because God had already given him the prophecy concerning the invasion.

The bible warns us that we are going to be attacked by the enemy, 1 Peter 5:8, says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.” Therefore, like Isaiah, we should ask God to be gracious to us, and protect us from the wiles of Satan.

The scripture says, “Be their arm every morning,” we must start our day prayerfully asking for Gods protection and guidance. Communion with a God that we cannot see does not come naturally, it is a habit that we must cultivate. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to be disciplined in every area of our life Click To TweetAs disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to be disciplined in every area of our life, most importantly in our prayer life. Prior to Jesus crucifixion, and Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane with his disciples, He told them to, “Watch and pray,” but when He came back, He found them asleep. Jesus said “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:40-41).

The enemy is constantly watching, waiting to attack us in our areas of weakness, unless the spirit is stronger than the flesh we will fall. One way to strengthen the spirit is through prayer. As soon as we open our eyes in the morning, the devil is looking for an opportunity to assail, if we arm ourselves with strength for the battle in the early hours, we will have the power to stand against the devices of Satan. All of the prominent men and women in the bible sought God in the morning, David said, “Early will I seek thee” – Psalms 63:1. “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” – Mark 1:35

Waking up an hour before you’ve got to leave the house and saying a two minute prayer while you are on your way out of the door is not going to cut it. Go to bed early, and rise early so you can sit in the presence of the Lord before you go on your way.

There is an special union that takes place when you give God your time first thing in the morning. Become an early riser, and experience a new depth in your relationship with Christ.

May God bless the hearers and the doers of His word.

I suffer from a very rare form of anxiety; I don’t like talking about it or thinking about it because it makes me anxious. But it’s there and some days are worse than others. As believers we often shy away from mental illness because we fear that it will make us look like we don’t trust God – you know, since according to Philippians 4:6 we should be worried and anxious for nothing right? But the reality is that the devil has got a job to do, and that is to kill, to steal and to destroy (John 10:10) and that is exactly what he is going to do. One of his tactics is to steal your peace by attacking you with anxiety, but praise be to God, we have a weapon of warfare that we can hurl back in his face and that weapon is prayer.

You’ve only got to read through the book of Psalms to know that David battled with anxiety. He had sleepless nights where he wept until his pillow was drenched with tears (Psalms 6:6) Click To Tweet

You’ve only got to read through the book of Psalms to know that David battled with anxiety. He had sleepless nights where he wept until his pillow was drenched with tears (Psalms 6:6), there were times when he was so afraid that his bones were shaking (Psalms 6:2). But David overcame these negative feelings with prayer. Here are three of the psalms he wrote during his worst days.

1: Psalms 23: This Psalm reminds us that God is our faithful shepherd, we can turn to Him during times of trouble and He will still the noise in our minds with His gentle love.

2: Psalms 121: In these verses we read that we have help in the Lord. No matter what we are going through, we can lift our eyes up to Him and He will deliver us. The Lord is constantly watching over His children, and He will not allow the storms of life to overtake us.

3: Psalms 91: When your mind is raging a war against your soul, it frightens you. Praying Psalms 91 will provide you with the comfort you need during times of trouble.

I make these psalms personal and replace the word “you” with “I”, it makes me feel secure knowing that the Lord is speaking directly to me. When I go through periods of anxiety, I pray through these Psalms until I feel calm again.

May God bless the hearers and the doers of His word.