Most of What We Worry About Never Happens

I read somewhere years ago that 85% of what we worry about never happens! And what does happen you will be able to handle better than expected.

When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened. Winston Churchill

Worry is feeling uneasy or being overly concerned about a situation. Excessive worry puts your mind in overdrive and you constantly focus on what may happen. Excessive worriers react intensely to stressful triggers, and even thinking about the situation can lead to great anxiety. When we are worrying, we are in the midst of repetitive thinking that is non-productive. People who are analytical tend to worry more because they are trying to figure out a solution to their problem.

Everyone has normal stress and demands, but when worries and anxieties become chronic; the stress response can be triggered. The stress response is known as “flight or fight,” and causes the body’s sympathetic nervous system to release stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These stress hormones can trigger health problems such as dizziness, fatigue, dry mouth, irritability, headaches, shortness of breath, and muscle tension. The outpouring of stress hormones can lead to a suppressed immune system, short-term memory loss, and heart attack. When we worry our bodies respond the same way it would react to physical danger. Your body will tense up as you prepare for danger and this can turn into aches and pains such as headaches and back pain.

Worry is a waste of time, and it drains us of energy. Why do we worry then? We believe that all our worrying will help somehow. We believe that if we worry enough we might prevent bad things from happening.

If we are worrying, we are not trusting God.

Worry leads to anxiety and anxiety leads to fear. Worry can also make you more prone to depression. Worry disturbs your peace and it becomes more difficult to concentrate when worried.

You can rewire your brain to stop worrying by focusing on the following:

1.      When a worrisome thought enters your mind, immediately take that thought captive to Christ. Ask God to help you to stop repeatedly thinking about the problem and ask for His wisdom. Trust God and take your concerns to Him instead of worrying. It is okay to have concerns about things, but take them to God instead of mulling over them in your mind.

Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God, and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

2.      Become thankful. Be thankful for the things that you do have, and do not dwell on circumstances out of your control. Think on the good things in your life.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8

3.      Focus on one day at a time. Stop projecting what may happen tomorrow. God’s grace is sufficient for the day, He does not give us grace for days and weeks ahead. Remember most of what we worry about never happens.

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious or itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:34

4.      Trust God with your life and with your loved ones, even when you do not understand all what has taken place in your life.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight before you. Proverbs 3:5-6

Worry in not productive and it can trigger many health ailments, including depression. There is always something to worry about, but worry does not change anything for the good. The energy that is expended on worrying could be used for more productive things. It is okay to be concerned over things in our lives, but when we begin to obsessively think about the issues; we are worrying-talk to God instead about your concerns and leave the worries with the One who can do something about them.

Are you a chronic worrier? What action steps can you take today to reduce your worrying?

Feeling Overwhelmed?

Is Your Life Out of Balance?

What are you chasing after more? Time with God, money, people, or possessions? When you begin to experience stress, fatigue, and a feeling of being burdened, it’s time to pull back and reevaluate why.

Oftentimes, we take on too much that God has not called us to, and we take on the responsibilities of others; this is called a false sense of responsibility. When we are living in God’s Divine plan, there is peace and order. When we don’t place God first, our lives become unmanageable. We have a sense that we cannot handle all of life’s problems. Let’s face it, life is tough and without spending time with God to hear His voice and direction; we will get burdened.

The enemy has a plan to create as much havoc and chaos is our lives, and keep us distracted.

Just because something seems good, does not mean it is good for us. We are not to copy what others are doing either. So many times, people get frustrated and overwhelmed because they are trying to mimic what someone else is doing.

You are not meant to do everything and be everything to everybody, this can lead to people-pleasing. If you please man more and not God, you are going to be weighed down.

God has specific tasks for each one of us, but you will not know what those are unless you spend time with God. Our busyness, is not Godly or Holy, but a tactic of the enemy to wear us out. Don’t try and follow what the crowd does, but know what your unique plan is from God.

Other people will not like it when you tell them, “No,” be prepared for this. You must know what YOU are supposed to do. Stop looking around at everyone else for direction. God has not called you to be a copycat. You will find that others will want you to do what they are doing, but you must step away from the desire to please man.

To get your life back in order and free from the pressures and demands of people and life, pull away and be with God alone, especially when you are exhausted. Being tired and overworked is not God’s plan for you. It does not matter what other’s expect from you, but what God desires for you.

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-30

Some questions to reflect on:

1.      What do you need to cut back on or cut out of your life to be free from over-responsibility?

2.      What do you crave and desire most from your life? Are you pursuing God first?

3.      Are you a people-pleaser? How do you know? What can you do differently?

4.       Do you feel overwhelmed, burdened? If yes, why? Do you believe this is God’s plan for you?

Choose to Magnify the Good in Your Life

Dictionary.com defines magnify as to make greater in actual size or to enlarge.

What are you magnifying in your life? God’s blessings and goodness or all your difficulties? What you CHOOSE to focus on will become larger. Our problems become larger as we mull them over and over again. A magnifying lens will actually make something smaller look larger, but if you pull the magnifying lens back what you were looking at will get smaller. If we stop gazing at our problems and focus our eyes instead on Jesus we will gain His perspective on our situation-our problems will get smaller in His presence.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

I recently had many opportunities to focus on what was going wrong in my life, but I made a decision to reflect on what was right instead. For a season in my life, I magnified all that was negative in my life. The enemy had me so consumed with what has not come to pass in my life, or my losses, or my trials that I had difficulty seeing any good. Now, I know none of you have ever magnified the bad over the good, but if you ever have done this you will know that it makes matters worse. I did not intentionally set out to amplify my circumstances, but sometimes life hits you with one curve ball after another, and before long you can find yourself deep in the pit of despair.

When we have difficult trials in our lives, magnifying the good will be a conscious choice. In other words, you will not feel like focusing on the good in your life. Heartache and pain can cause you to look at what is wrong in your life, and the enemy will then magnify or distort the true reality of your anguish.

Set your minds on things above, not on things that are on earth. Colossians 3:2

Start your day by writing (5) things that you are grateful for. Doing this will shift your thinking from the negative to the positive. Even if you feel nothing is going right, think again! Dig deep and take some time to reflect on what you do have. Practice the skill of gratitude daily and you will begin to think differently about what is wrong in your life.

We all have problems and situations in our lives that if we stare at them to long, we will become overwhelmed, anxious, worried, depressed, and full of fear. This is exactly what the enemy wants. 

What if instead we gave our problems over to the Lord, and daily cast our cares upon Him? What if we began to magnify the blessings in our lives and stopped gawking at our problems? What would your life look like if you did these things?

How to be More Contented

I always had in mind what I believed would bring me contentment, house with a white-picket fence and 2.5 children. God however had other plans for me than my picture-perfect idea of what I thought satisfaction was. I struggled for years accepting that my life had turned out differently than I had hoped. I lost my contentment by focusing on all my desires that were unfulfilled.

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I learned in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Philippians 4:11-12

I have learned that contentment is accepting God’s control over all my circumstances. Most of us are content when our circumstances are going well, but God wants us to have contentment in all things and in all seasons in our lives.

Be joy-filled today, not when your circumstances will be perfect or you have everything that you want. Enjoy your life right now. Surrender all to God and release all control to Him. Do not dwell, ponder, wish or wonder when, why, or how come things have happened or nor happened.

Contentment is satisfaction with God’s sufficient provision. Satisfied. Not needing anything else. Contentment means not wanting more than what God has given you. Stop and ask yourself how content you are really? Do you wish you had a different family, a spouse, a child, more money, or a different home? I am not saying never desire or want anything, but when that thing you desire becomes an idol (putting anything above God) than you are risking not living content. Not being content will make you a miserable person.

Instead of talking about how big your problems are, start thanking and praising God instead, it will confuse the enemy! Try not to complain about your life’s circumstances and instead have a thankful and appreciative heart. It will do wonders for you to keep an attitude of gratitude.

Change your perspective! How do you handle life’s problems? Talk non-stop about them, complain, worry, become stressed or anxious or do you thank God that He will cause good to come from your troubles (Romans 8:28).

One of the biggest lies of the enemy is that God is a cosmic vending machine, and He is supposed to be my self-help genie.

7 practical steps to gaining contentment:

1.      Ask God to forgive you for wanting anything more than Him.

2.      Surrender ALL your desires and wants to God.

3.      Take it one day at a time. Try not saying, “Things will ALWAYS be this way.”

4.      Be thankful for what you do have.

5.      Believe God is in control and He knows what is best for your life.

6.      Do not compare your life with anyone else’s.

7.      Don’t complain about anything, the weather, your job, or what you are lacking.

The enemy will keep you focused on what you do not have, but that is a tactic of the enemy to keep you discontent. Contentment comes when we want God more than anything else.

We can complain that rose bushes have thorns, or we can rejoice that thorn bushes have roses. Abraham Lincoln.

What has you discontent with life, and what practical steps can you take today to gain contentment?

How to Stay Stress-Free During the Holidays

It’s that time of year again when the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is upon us. This time of year more people suffer from depressive episodes than at any other time of the year, usually brought on by stress, anxiety, and sadness. With Thanksgiving just being a week away, I will share with you some things that can lessen your stress and improve your mental health.

For the last couple of years, I have had many challenges during this time of year. For one, my parents divorced and now they are remarried with separate families, my grandparents passed away and I was extremely close to them, my only child is now my prodigal waiting to come home, and I have been estranged from several family members because of addictions and mental health issues. Needless to say, the holidays can be stressful. Maybe you can relate. Have you suffered the loss of a loved one, recently been divorced, are you taking care of elderly parents, or maybe even a sick child?

Tips on how to stress-less this holiday season:

1.      Don’t try and keep up with everyone else’s spending and busyness. Do what you can do, and ask God what you should be involved in.

2.      Learn to say, “No.” Strike a balance with meeting needs of others and your needs. Set boundaries with difficult people. You don’t have to meet the demands of others. Do what is best for you family.

3.      Take care of yourself physically by exercising and getting rest when needed. Spiritually by spending daily time with God, and mentally by not complaining and speaking negative things over yourself and others.

4.      Be a blessing to someone else, or to several people.

5.      Pray for others who may be going through a difficult time, it can take your mind off your situation.

6.      Step away from all the craziness of the season and do something for yourself like, take a warm bubble bath or watch an old Christmas movie. Do something enjoyable.

7.      Start a gratitude list, and every day write out (5) things that you are thankful for. CHOOSE to focus on what you do have.

8.      Take it one day at a time. Do not project outcomes to situations before they happen.

9.      Let go of ALL guilt. Don’t place unrealistic expectations on yourself. Let go of expectations that you might have for others. Having unrealistic expectations for yourself and others can lead to disappointment and depression.

10.  Start a new tradition for your family, such as taking communion and reading the Christmas story from the Bible.

11.  Focus on the reason for the season. Keeps things in perspective.

12.  Try and not reminisce of how things were before, this can lead to discontentment; instead focus on what is good in your life now.

13.  If you have suffered a loss or have gone through something tragic, be gentle on yourself. Don’t compare yourself to others and what they are doing or what they have. This may mean getting off of Facebook and looking at everyone’s seemingly perfect life. This also may mean that you are not up to going to every Christmas program, party, or family event.

What can you add to this list? Will you join me and share your ideas, it could help someone else, and please pass this on to others who need encouragement.

Why I Choose Thankfulness

Choose- means to make a choice. You have to make a choice to be thankful.

We have to sometimes CHOOSE to be thankful. Being thankful does not come as easy when we are heart-broken, despaired, overwhelmed or rejected. We have to CHOOSE our attitudes otherwise we can slip into complaining, discouragement, and eventually even depression. You might not feel like giving thanks, but remember it’s a CHOICE! Instead of giving thanks you may instead feel like calling your friends and talking about all what is wrong in your life. Let me encourage you not to complain about your circumstances, first it will overwhelm you, then exhaust you and then cause you to feel sorry for yourself (self-pity). I am not telling you anything I have not told myself countless times, and that I have to practice continually; CHOOSING to be thankful.

Being thankful is a choice. You can CHOOSE to be thankful or you can CHOOSE to be ungrateful. You may not have the spouse you desire, children, a prodigal child, or you may even be going through some sickness, but whatever season you are in you can be thankful for the many blessings that you do have. It is really a conscious decision to focus on what is a blessing verses focusing on what are your hardships and trials. There is always something to be thankful for. Don’t get bitter by your life’s challenges and struggles, but see the silver lining in each circumstance. Being thankful and grateful will cause you to live with passion and zest for life.

When we CHOOSE an attitude of gratitude our lives can be transformed and we can begin to have renewed purpose.

If you are grateful and thankful it is very likely you then will be content. When you are content, you are then at peace with yourself and with others. Having the ability to be thankful is life-changing.

I challenge you if you have struggled with being thankful to say out loud everyday (5) things that you are thankful for. This task will increase your gratitude and then your attitude. Don’t look at what you don’t have, what you have not accomplished, your fears and failures, and all your unmet desires. That type of thinking will weigh you down and cause you to have an unthankful heart.

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24

I will give thanks due His righteousness, and I will sing praises to the name of the Lord, the most high. Psalm 7:17

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  1 Thessalonians 5:18

Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things He does for me. Psalm 103:2

Count your BLESSINGS, name them one by one,

Count your BLESSINGS, see what God has done!

BE THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL this holiday season and COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS, ONE BY ONE!

Overcoming the Holiday Blues

The holiday blues occur between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, and is accompanied by depression and anxiety symptoms. These symptoms occur because of unrealistic expectations of how families should be, demands of holiday parties and events, financial strain of buying gifts, reminders of past losses, holiday overeating, and the pressure of preparing your home for guests. Two-thirds of women suffer from holiday blues, and is common among singles, widows, and couples who are childless. These populations are affected more because most activities are centered on family. It can be a painful reminder to them as they ponder the people they have lost, or the families they have never had. Holiday blues affects Christians and non-Christians as well.

It is important not to repress how you feel. There is a healthy way to express grief without letting yourself wallow in self-pity. Denying your emotions and stuffing them, can exacerbate depression and anxiety. Some people choose to self-medicate through heavy alcohol and drug use. While some isolate themselves because they do not feel festive.

Helpful tips for overcoming holiday blues:

1.      Own your feelings. Do not deny them but express them through journaling, talking to God about them, and/or allowing yourself times to cry. Crying can be healing and it allows a release from the pain. Do monitor the frequency of crying, if you are crying continually and cannot stop this can be a sign of something more serious.

2.      Do not force yourself to attend every holiday event, party, or social gathering. Pray about the ones that would be uplifting to you, and decline the rest of the invitations. Do what you can do, and do not feel guilty for what you cannot.

3.      Take time for yourself. Take some time to rest, and do something you enjoy.

4.      Take care of yourself. Exercise, preferably walking, this is one of the best exercises to reduce stress and depression. Eat balanced meals with fresh fruits and vegetables. Try as much as possible to stay away from fried foods and sugary sweets. Take a good multi-vitamin and drink plenty of water.

5.      Try not to have unrealistic expectations for your family. Accept them where they are at, and do not compare your family to other families or what you see on those sappy Christmas movies. If you have had a recent loss, childless, or have a prodigal child-be extra gentle on yourself. Let others take over the heavy load that can come with holiday entertaining.

6.      Set a realistic budget for buying gifts. Look into baking homemade goods or crafts as gifts.

7.      Keep connected to the life source, Jesus Christ. Have daily time communing with God, and getting quiet before Him. Let God bring you the comfort that you could not receive from anyone else.

As the winter season approaches, it is common for people to have an increase of depressive episodes, most often referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD); and then the holiday blues on top of that can be difficult to handle. If you are feeling suicidal or having suicidal thoughts, it is time to have an evaluation by a medical doctor. This is serious, but also very common during these times of the year. Spending time with God can help reduce depression and anxiety, along with praying and surrendering your thoughts.

If you are feeling blue, depressed, anxious, or suicidal, please don’t give up. You are not alone, Jesus Christ who died for all of us, does love you. He does see you and He will bring help. Say out loud, “Jesus Christ does love me and every spirit of depression that is working against me must flee in the name of Jesus Christ.”

Take it one day at a time and remember to breathe! 

Have you truly experienced Christ’s freedom?

You might say, “What does God’s freedom look like?’ If you are free in Christ you are not bound by people’s opinion or approval of you; you follow Christ not man’s desires for you; you are not bound by guilt and condemnation; and you are not bound by religion.

You have been free to have a personal, intimate walk with Christ. You are able to say, “No” to others easily if you feel God is leading you elsewhere or you don’t have peace in a situation. God may be calling you to rest and be renewed with Him instead of going to that church function or get-together with friends or family. You have appropriate boundaries with others, including your family. You don’t feel you should be, ought to be, or could be doing anything. Instead, you are led by the Spirit of God to direct you to do something. You are less concerned about people pleasing and more concerned about pleasing God. You no longer try and fulfill the needs and expectations of others, but instead focus on fulfilling God’s plans for your life.

Not everyone will be happy or pleased when you begin walking in freedom. Some people will try and hold on to controlling, manipulating and guiling you in to their plans. When you begin to flow in the Holy Spirit’s will for  life, don’t be surprised if people in your life get upset that you are not doing what they want. People, situations, and circumstances will try and keep you bound, but who can contain the work and flow of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit goes and does what it wants. If you are a follower of Christ and not people, you will have to let some people down. That may difficult for you if you are accustomed to people pleasing and needing the approval of man. Whose approval are you really needing anyways? Hopefully, your answer is God.

You will have an abundance of peace and joy when you begin to live in freedom. You are no longer bound to religious duties and dead-religion, but you are transformed by the living God. You walk in God’s flow and in His ways. You are no longer looking to pleasing man or fulfilling religious duties, but you look to Jesus who leads and guides you.

Break out of your old ways and be completely transformed to live a life of true freedom. If you are free in Christ, you are free to love, to worship and to serve Him. Freedom means you are no longer bound by people approval and addiction; religion not relationship with Christ; guilt and condemnation; fear of disapproval; and fear of man. You are free to be who Christ made you to be, free to follow Christ and His desires and plans for your life. Freedom does not mean we can do anything we so desire, but it means we can follow Christ and what He wants from us. If we follow man, we surely will be misled. Don’t follow man, and don’t follow religion. There is no freedom in being bound by religion. Religion follows after a set of rules, duties and regulations but following after Christ brings life. In our Western culture, we have many religions and many different sects of Christianity, all can be confusing. We don’t have to be confused, let’s keep it simple, follow Christ not religion or man. Even if your family is from a certain religion or sect of Christianity that follows rules and duties, you can be free and follow just Christ. What freedom that brings.

Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.

I am empathetic about this. The moment any one of you submits to a circumcision or any other rule-keeping system, at that same moment Christ’s hard-won gift of freedom is squandered. I repeat my warning: The person who accepts the ways of circumcision trades all the advantages of the free life in Christ for the obligation of the slave life of the law.

Galatians 5:1-3, the Message Bible

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

Galatians, 5:13, NIV

Got Peace?

In His presence there is peace, safety, guidance, joy, and love.

  

Are you feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, lacking in peace and joy, frustrated or even worried? Are you involved in various church activities, functions and attendance but don’t feel refreshed? Maybe it’s time to step away from the busyness of life and step into His presence. People may not understand, and they may try and sway you to do things. There is refreshment and restoration in His presence. Sometimes we need to say “No” to things and people, even if they are good things. Life will keep you busy. You should get into a quiet place and get rid of all distractions like electronic devices.

If we stay so busy we can have trouble hearing from God and what He wants for us. We can become easily distracted and lose focus. Our strength comes from the Lord. If we feel weak and worn-out, we may need to step away and go to the throne.

When you come into His presence He will lighten your load, and will speak truth about your situations. There is no other place to “fill up” like this. We try and bring comfort to ourselves with food, TV, staying busy with activities, electronics, and for some it can be sex, alcohol, and drugs. But there is no replacement for God’s Holy presence.

What can you do in His presence?

You can sing and worship with praise music.

You can read the Bible and selected scriptures to meditate on.

Be sill and listen for His voice.

Cry, rejoice, and talk to God as if He is your best friend.

Journal what God speaks or impresses to you.

There is no formula to being in His presence. You can do a mixture of things or just one thing, and each time you spend with God can be different. Don’t be set on spending time with God in a certain way. Let the Holy Spirit guide you to what He wants you to do.

Anyone need refreshment, restoration, and guidance? If yes, plug into the source, the presence of the Holy Spirit. After being in His presence you will feel refreshed and renewed and in His presence there is no fear, worry, anxiety, stress, and frustration. Step away, carve out time, and say, “No” to things/activities that would pull you away from this time. Everyone needs this, not just pastors and leaders but every Christian who is fighting in this spiritual battle needs to be in His presence. Every Christian also needs this for God to direct and guide their steps, plans, and pour out His anointing on what He has called you to do. In His presence you can receive an outpouring of grace, mercy, joy and peace, and every believer needs this.

You will show me the path of life. In your PRESENCE is fullness of joy;

As your right hand are pleasures fovermore.

Psalm 16:11

What to Do When You Are Disappointed

A relationship does not work out, a job does not go through, or your prodigal child that you have been praying for does not seem to leave their rebellious life. We all have experienced times of disappointment, and it is a normal part of life. What is important to know is that if disappointment is not dealt with, it can eventually lead to depression. This is a scheme from the enemy. Something you really wanted does not work out, you dwell on why it did not work out, and eventually you begin to feel depressed.

Your thoughts will always follow your behavior.

7 Things to do when you feel disappointed:

1.      Consider that what may have not worked out could be God’s doing. Perhaps, He was protecting you from something you did not even know about.

2.      Go before God and ask Him to help you deal with your disappointment, and to show you the truth. Ask God to show you His perspective on the situation.

3.      Take every thought captive. Do not let your mind wander and think whatever it wants. When something disappointing has happened in your life it is natural to want to feel sorry for yourself or even think about it endlessly, but do not go there! IT IS A TRAP THAT WILL LEAD TO DEPRESSION.

4.      Do not feel sorry for yourself and “lick your wounds.” Go to God and tell Him how you feel and then release the need to feel sorry for what has happened to you.

5.      Realize that everyone, not just you, will have times that things disappoint them. It is what you do with the disappointment that will make the difference.

6.      Get up again. Shake it off. Cry if you need to, but then move on! That may sound harsh, but it is not. The enemy would love for you to “camp out” in your disappointment. He hopes you will stay a while so that it will develop into total despair.

  SIT at Jesus’ feet as long as you need to for Him to speak to you and lift off whatever is causing you to feel disappointed.

All kinds of discouraging encounters can happen to us. When they seem to pile-up on us, that is when we need to be most aware. One disappointment in our lives can be tough, but when a series of disappointments come at us, that can be paralyzing if we are not careful. Recognize those times in your life when it seems that one thing after another is occurring in your life to bring you discouragement. Discouragement is always rooted from the pits of hell, and is never originated from God. Check the source, is it God bringing discouragement or the enemy? Think about where you are at in your life that so much discouragement is coming your way. It is always a set-up to defeat you.

Ask yourself the following questions:

1.      Are you getting free from some sin area in your life, or have completely been set-free from some long-term sin in your life?

2.      Are you standing for the truth in God’s Word?

3.      Are you using your life to better the Kingdom of God?

4.      Have you recently given your testimony somewhere?

Answering yes to any of the above questions could be a very good indicator why so much discouragement has come your way. Ask God to show you. Keep moving forward, do not stop and look at all what has gone wrong, and resist the enemy and he will flee from you. Worshipping and praising God will lift off feelings of discouragement. Keeping things in perspective as well as counting all that is a blessing in your life will help.

What about you? How do you deal with disappointment in your life?

Why Hasn’t God Answered My Prayers?

When we pray, God will answer us with yes, no, or not now. We can grow impatient as we wait for the answer to come to our prayers. Trusting God knows the best outcome for our lives puts us in a restful and peaceful place. God does not answer everyone’s prayers the same way. God has a unique and individual plan for everyone. Be careful not to try and figure out how God will answer your prayers. God is a creative God, and you might be surprised how he answers you. If you have been praying for something for a long time, and it seems that God has not heard you, rest assured that He has! God’s plan for your life is perfect. His plans for you are good and not to harm you (Jeremiah 29:11).

The work of God takes time. Prayer requires persistence. Most people in the Bible who asked God for big things waited a long time to receive their answers. Abraham waited well into old age to receive the promise of a son. Joshua and several others wandered for 40 years in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land. Hannah endured taunting from Penninah as she waited years for a child. We are to ask, make our request known to God, but not to control the outcome or God’s timing.

Prayer has been compared to childbirth. When God gives you a promise, you become “pregnant” with the promise. A “seed” has been planted of God’s promise. If you plan on carrying God’s promise to full-term, you must learn to travail. God does answer some our prayers immediately, and other times the answers to our prayers take time. God has heard you, and you can rest that His perfect will for your life will come to pass.

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines earnest as serious and intent mental state; a considerable or impressive degree or amount, and defines vigilant as alertly watchful especially to avoid danger or carefully noticing signs of danger.

The apostle Paul says we should “continue earnestly” in prayer and “be vigilant in our prayers.” Faith should not die if the answered come slowly, for the delay may be God’s way of working His will in our lives. When you feel tired of praying, know that God is present and always listening, always answering-maybe not in ways you had hoped, but in ways He knows are best.