Help for Anxiety and Depression

“My anxious thoughts multiply within me.”

 

PSALM 94:19 (NIV – NEW AMERICAN STANDARD)

 

Help for Anxiety and Depression

 

Your thought-life can be the incubator for anxiety and depression, so understand this:

 

 (1) Your thoughts are yours! “My anxious thoughts multiply within me.” You conceive, interpret, assign meaning to, accept or reject them. So be decisive about which thoughts are, or aren’t helpful.

 

(2) You become what your thought-life makes you (See Pr 23:7 NAS). It’s not your circumstances, it’s your thoughts about your circumstances that produce your emotions. Your thoughts trigger biochemistry that determines your feelings, their duration and their intensity. When you begin to think differently you’ll feel differently.

 

 (3) Your thoughts are prolific. The Psalmist said they “multiply” within you. Random thoughts may be temporarily upsetting, but they don’t produce lasting anxiety or depression. That is the work of persistent thought patterns—negative thoughts that multiply, repeating themselves within you. You must “take them captive” and “bring [them] into obedience” to Christlike thinking in order to control your feelings (See 2Co 10:4-5).

 

(4) You must “Let the Spirit renew your (individual) thoughts and attitudes (habitual mind-set)” (Eph 4:23 NLT). Submit your thoughts to God’s Spirit, allowing Him to approve or renew (replace) them with His thoughts. Anxiety and depression cannot continue to control you when you give God control of your mind.

 

(5) People can contribute to your anxiety and depression. They can make you want to live—or die! (See Pr 18:21). They can reduce or increase your anxiety and depression. Avoid those who speak discouraging words, and hang out with those who speak “a good word [that] makes [your heart] glad” (Pr 12:25 NAS).

Turn your Cares into Prayers by Joseph Prince

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God..." Philippians 4:6

My friend, God doesn’t want you to be fearful, fretful or anxious.
Instead, He wants you to “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by
prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made
known to God”.

So when you have a care or worry, straightaway, turn that care or worry
into prayer. That is supplication. And when you are troubled by a care
or worry that you don’t know how to pray for, pray in the Spirit or
tongues. And in the midst of that prayer, thank God that He is already
your healing, provision, good success and victory. That, my friend, is
thanksgiving.

“Pastor Prince, if I am worried about something, how long should I
pray?”

Keep on praying. Pray in the Spirit until the worry lifts or
dissipates, “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. (Philippians
4:7)

Beloved, I believe that we would all worry a lot less and enjoy our
lives a lot more if only we realized this truth: Our Abba Father is so
strong that there is nothing He cannot do, and He is so loving that
there is nothing He will not do for us!

Thought For The Day

Our Abba Father is so strong that there is nothing He cannot do, and He
is so loving that there is nothing He will not do for us!

The Cost of Anger

The Cost of Anger

By

Rick Warren

“People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.”

 (Proverbs 14:29 NLT)                  

Before you allow yourself to get mad back, calculate what you’re going to lose.  Calculate the cost of anger. You’re less likely to get angry when somebody’s pushing your buttons if you realize there’s always a price or returning anger for anger.  

The Bible is very specific about uncontrolled anger:

Proverbs 29:22: “An angry person causes trouble; a person with a quick temper sins a lot” (NCV).                  
Proverbs 15:18: “Hot tempers cause arguments” (GN).

Proverbs 14:29: “A hot temper shows great foolishness” (NLT).

When you get angry, there is a cost: You’re going to get in trouble. You’re going to sin. You’re going to cause arguments. You’re going to make mistakes.  When you lose your temper, you always lose, whether it’s respect, the love of your family, your health, or even your job.  Maybe you use anger to motivate people to do the right thing. Don’t do it! In the short run, you may get the short-term payoff. But in the long run, anger always produces more anger, more apathy, and more alienation.                  

How many kids have become alienated from their dads or their moms because of out-of-control anger? How many people have been alienated from a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a husband, a wife, or a friend because somebody lost his or her cool? Anger destroys relationships faster than anything else.  So when someone starts pushing your buttons, before you retaliate, just ask yourself, “Do I really want to do this? Do I want to make mistakes? Do I want to sin more? Do I want to cause arguments? Do I want to  act foolish?” 

Proverbs 14:29 says, “People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.” There is always a price for anger.  Before you retaliate, calculate the cost. 

Talk About It 

What methods do you use to keep your cool when someone gets angry at you or attacks you?

What has anger cost your relationships?                                     

This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at www.rickwarren.org.

The Single Life: 3 Character Traits to Develop Before Marriage | BlackandMarriedWithKids.com

The Single Life: 3 Character Traits to Develop Before Marriage | BlackandMarriedWithKids.com

Advancing Through Adversity

“God led you through the wilderness…to prove your character.”

DETERONOMY 8:2 (NLT -NEW LIVING TRANSLATION)

ADVANCING THROUGH ADVERSITY 

God led the children of Israel through the wilderness: “to prove [their] character, and…find out whether or not [they] would obey his commandments.” They could choose to perish there, or trust Him to bring them safely to the Promised Land.

One author writes: “How many times have you changed courses in life, rather than pass the test and get through the tough stuff to the promises of God? He wants to know if you are worthy of the blessing that awaits you on the other side of the Jordan.

Do you have the courage to face the challenges, or will you go back and settle for second best? If you’re facing a challenge that stands between you and your promise…look at Joshua 1:9 and Daniel 10:19 for courage. Ask God to give you the courage to face whatever hurdles stand in the way of your claiming what God has prepared for you.”

The landscape along Florida’s Everglades is dotted with wiry, primitive-looking trees known as Caribbean Pines. They thrive in a rugged environment, can withstand prolonged periods of drought and fire, and hold their own against the fiercest hurricanes. In fact, if you plant them in a cultivated setting they usually shrivel and die. Joni Eareckson Tada says: “Like Caribbean Pines, our souls usually don’t thrive during good times.

Our hearts grow complacent, our need of God becomes less urgent, our hope of heaven dims, and our prayer life dries up…in a beautiful setting with our needs met and every resource at our fingertips…our soul shrivels…We need an occasional blast of storm or fiery trial if our faith is to mature.”

This devotionals has been brought to you by Bob Gass Ministries: www.bobgass.org

Advice on How to Control Your Anger by Deepak Chopra

When someone tears you down, how do you react without anger? That's the question Raheem, 22, has for spiritual teacher and author Deepak Chopra on "Help Desk," a new special on OWN.

"I have an anger problem that I want to control before I reach the breaking point," Raheem says in the video.

"Back in my neighborhood, when I do yoga, there’s a lot of people around there that make fun of it and think it’s not a ‘man’ thing to do," he says.

"So I started to get angry and pissed off," Raheem continues. "I want to just relax, and not get in trouble for it."

Chopra has advice for him. "So this is very good that you’re changing, but people around you are stuck in the old ways of violence and false ideas of masculinity," Chopra says. "And they are ridiculing you, and in a way they are challenging your integrity."

"So the first thing you have to realize is that you are transforming, and when you transform, it’s uncomfortable for other people who can’t see where you are going," Chopra tells Raheem.

He explains the challenge is to not react. "You don’t transform them by reacting, you transform them through your personal transformation," Chopra says. "You want to be the change you want to see in them. But you have to be patient."

"Will you try it?" Chopra asks.

"Yes," Raheem says, nodding.

"And I'll come there and I'll help you with this," Chopra says.

Inspirational

Integrity Vs. Popularity by Rick Warren

“Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the

glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:26 NIV)

One day, you’ll give an account of your life before God. When you keep that in mind and have that kind of long-term thinking, it’s going to change what you say, what you do, and who you try to 

impress. It’s the people-pleaser antidote.

When you take that long look and realize you’re going to give an account for every word you say today, you’ll ask yourself,

“Do I want God disapproving of what I just said or did, or do I want this person disapproving of what I just said or did?”

I know this because I’ve been interviewed on lots of tv shows. In those broadcasts, they will ask me the toughest questions possible. They want to put me on the spot and, because I believe a certain thing, make me look like a bigot or a fool. They intentionally 

try to get me to back down off of what the Bible says.

When I’m in those interviews, my human nature wants to be liked, just like yours does. My human nature wants to compromise,divert, punt, and leave out the truth. I’ve actually heard guys being asked those questions on tv and they’ll say, “I just leave that up to God” or “Everybody has to make up their own mind.” There’s a word for that: cop-out! Those are politically correct, people-pleasing cop-outs. Those people are not standing for the truth.

In those moments, when I could say something that would be politically correct and wouldn’t offend but would be a lie, I 

remember these truths –

• First, I remember what Jesus Christ did for me on the cross. He didn’t deny me. He didn’t back down for me. He died for my sins. I owe him my life. He created me. He saved me. He forgave me. He’s taking me to Heaven. I’m not going to deny him.
• Second, I remember that one day I’m going to give an account to God. And at that point God’s going to say,“What did you say in that interview? What did you say in that conversation at work? What did you say to your friend at school?” I remember that integrity is more important than popularity. And I’m not going to give up my integrity.
• Finally, I tell the truth, and I let the chips fall.  The Bible says in Luke 9:26, “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (NIV).

Talk About It

What kinds of words are you more likely to say that 

you know won’t please God?

How can you change a situation so you are more 

likely to honor God with your words?

                   *** *** *** *** ***

This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at www.rickwarren.org.

This devotional ©2013 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Dope Spoken Word Poet.....

Marshall Davis Jones

Touchscreen

CollectivePOW Summer 2013

Ladies of POW working out:

I attended Rhetoric with a few of the POW Ladies.  We had a blast.  The poets used their art to confront national issues.  I was deeply touched by their passion to honor women, marriage, and deal with real issues. If you would like to watch Rhetoric 2013 visit the following link:

If you would like to watch Rhetoric 2013 visit the following link:

http://p4cm.com/event/rhetoric-2013

CollectivePOW girl's night this summer :)

THE COST OF COMPROMISE

11 KING SOLOMON, HOWEVER, LOVED MANY FOREIGN WOMEN BESIDES PHARAOH’S DAUGHTER—MOABITES, AMMONITES, EDOMITES, SIDONIANS AND HITTITES. 2 THEY WERE FROM NATIONS ABOUT WHICH THE LORD HAD TOLD THE ISRAELITES, “YOU MUST NOT INTERMARRY WITH THEM, BECAUSE THEY WILL SURELY TURN YOUR HEARTS AFTER THEIR GODS.” NEVERTHELESS, SOLOMON HELD FAST TO THEM IN LOVE. 3 HE HAD SEVEN HUNDRED WIVES OF ROYAL BIRTH AND THREE HUNDRED CONCUBINES, AND HIS WIVES LED HIM ASTRAY. 4 AS SOLOMON GREW OLD, HIS WIVES TURNED HIS HEART AFTER OTHER GODS, AND HIS HEART WAS NOT FULLY DEVOTED TO THE LORD HIS GOD, AS THE HEART OF DAVID HIS FATHER HAD BEEN. 5 HE FOLLOWED ASHTORETH THE GODDESS OF THE SIDONIANS, AND MOLEK THE DETESTABLE GOD OF THE AMMONITES. 6 SO SOLOMON DID EVIL IN THE EYES OF THE LORD; HE DID NOT FOLLOW THE LORD COMPLETELY, AS DAVID HIS FATHER HAD DONE.

7 ON A HILL EAST OF JERUSALEM, SOLOMON BUILT A HIGH PLACE FOR CHEMOSH THE DETESTABLE GOD OF MOAB, AND FOR MOLEK THE DETESTABLE GOD OF THE AMMONITES. 8 HE DID THE SAME FOR ALL HIS FOREIGN WIVES, WHO BURNED INCENSE AND OFFERED SACRIFICES TO THEIR GODS.

1 KINGS 11:1-8 (NIV – NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION)

Our society nurtures a popular misconception that tolerance is the only reasonable worldview to have. But when it comes to the law of God, King Solomon’s life shows that compromise is a destructive choice.

In the early years of Solomon’s reign, he was committed to doing right. But later, when he saw the opportunity to promote himself politically, he ignored Scripture’s command forbidding marriage to pagans (Deut. 7:1-3; 1 Kings 3:1). Though he may have viewed the union as an insignificant deviation, Satan’s strategy is to convince us to compromise small portions of God’s Word, one at a time.

Solomon admired beautiful women of other nationalities, but instead of finding ways to avoid temptation, he permitted himself one relationship and then sought more and more. Surrounded by foreigners, he inevitably became involved in their religions. Eventually he was ensnared by sin, and his heart turned from God.

Solomon’s temptations may differ from ours, but accepting compromise can trap us as well. Unchecked admiration for something beyond God’s will for our life can convince us to pursue it. Though we intellectually know this choice is wrong, it’s easy to harden our heart against the Spirit’s warnings. A preoccupation can deepen until the desired object, person, or activity holds a place of greater priority than our Father. If we allow that to happen, we lose our freedom in Jesus Christ and become caught in a prison of sin. In other words, the cost of compromise is the corruption of our soul.

I Concur with Clutch Magazine Article

Curing the Age-Old Back-Pocket Girl Syndrome

http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2013/06/escaping-the-age-old-back-pocket-girl-syndrome/

He dumped me without warning or reason. We’d been intertwined for five months, separating so I could attend class and study before interlocking our limbs again. It was five months of uncontested bliss – until it wasn’t. The grief oozed through me. I was incapacitated in bed, shrinking beneath the covers and hoping he would call.

One weekend passed. Then another. And another. Concerned friends forced me to eat, do homework and shower, but never mentioned his name or the unforeseen breakup.

Several weekends passed with no progress, but then it got better. I smiled again. I reclaimed the happiness I thought he had stolen. I decided it was time to erase him from my life, so I started in the first logical place: Facebook.

His relationship status screamed at me as I searched for the unfriend button his on profile. Ex boo-joint is in a relationship with someone who didn’t remotely resemble me. I immediately scoured his page, searching for a sign that she was present when we were still entangled. She was. I was devastated.

I asked him for answers and was prepared for the usual responses like I’m afraid of commitment or I need space or it’s not you, it’s me. Nothing could’ve readied me for his painful, succinct text messages.

“You’re too good for me. You have all of these big dreams and stuff going on. You’re going to outgrow me and resent me, so I’m ending it before we’re both too far gone to stop it.”

His response seemed like a camouflage, masking the real reason he ended our relationship. But as I reflected on our late-night conversations, I realized how silent he was as I spoke of building empires and earning other degrees. He was satisfied with his burgeoning rap career, but often struggled to book shows between restaurant gigs. I was comfortable with his level of ambition, but he was uncomfortable with mine.

I had become his back-pocket girl.

Back-pocket girl (noun): The woman he’ll settle with after he’s amassed a success similar to hers; the one he keeps in his back-pocket, in hopes that she’ll be there when he’s ready to remove her.

Many women have lived as back-pocket girls. It has no socioeconomic or degree perimeters and no level of success attached to it. Back-pocket girls have something that paradoxically draws men in and forces them out, leaving us with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s and “Sex and the City” marathons.

Sometimes men will leave back-pocket girls for women with less – less ambition, less attraction, less common sense – but their decision speaks to their insecurities.

It might seem appealing to implement changes or hide whatever it is that drew him in and spit him out, but dumbing ourselves down to massage the ego of an insecure man is a disservice. Back-pocket girls deserve men that recognize their worth and are unafraid of rising to the challenge to meet it. We don’t exist as handkerchiefs, pulled out when a craving is in need of satisfying.

Back-pocket girls deserve men that bask in our essence instead of shrinking from it. It was a difficult lesson, but I’d learned it and would never settle for the back-pocket girl position again.

He called, almost nine months after he dumped me without warning or reason. The girl he’d left me for was unfaithful to him with her children’s father and he’d had an awakening. He sounded remorseful as he told me how wrong he’d been and how much he missed what we had.

I told him I was no longer available.

Have you ever been a back-pocket girl?

Grieving the Death of a Relationship!

No matter what type of relationship has ended in your life, it is important to acknowledge the death of your relationship.  At least for me, that has been apart of the process.  These are a few things I have learned during my grieving process:

• Your 1st obligation is to yourself.  You are the one who is left to deal with the aftermath (ALONE).
• Acceptance: accept that the relationship is over.  Acknowledge the hurt.
• Accept responsibility for your role or actions in the relationship, so you can grow and learn from the experience (andso you do not repeat the same mistakes over and over again).
• Don't replay the bad experience in your mind.  It's over!  You don't ever have to experience that again with that person/those people.   Let go and move on from that place. 
• Forgive yourself! Forgive the other person/persons involved.
• Come to a place of PEACE and embrace your circumstance - knowing that God is in control. TRUST GOD!
• Healing must take place; Give yourself time.  Relationships aren't built overnight, so moving on without the other person/persons is hard. Heal means to make sound, whole, to restore, put back together; to make pure.
• Be open to what God wants to show you and eager to understand his purpose/lesson.
• You are WORTH it.  You are VALUABLE!! Guard your heart and choose wisely next time.
• God is with you in all situations, He will meet you where you are (low points and high points), and He will never forsake you.  So, don't stop loving, laughing, or form new bonds.

So, that's just some of what I have learned, but I am forever a student.  I hope to learn more, grow more, and share more.

Lady of POW (Go MAP)!

Destination Style Spring Fashion Show, May 2, 2013

 Working the Runway (CATWALK)

Fierce!!

Collection is from Parrot (Boutique in Riverside)

The designer of these pieces owns Parrot (Boutique in Riverside)

Video Diary 5: Encouraging the Ladies of POW

I am feeling his SWAG!!! YeAh!

Lost Sheep Spoken Word

Grace Bags (March 2013 Donation)!

Hello All,

In December 2012, when we made our first donation to the Riverside Access Center, we decided to donate bags every 3 months. At the March Collective, we assembles 105 bags. Big HUGS and THANKS to Chandra, Angelique, Noelle, and Shawntae for donating and helping to assemble bags.

Check out the pics below:

 

Hopefully next time we can do more :)

Prayer Line Glitch

My apologies to those who were unable to get on the Prayer Line Wednesday morning.

****** The devil tried to shut us down, but that's OK!  We will continue to call in every Wednesday.  Hope you are not discouraged or too frustrated to join us next week.******

After being notified about the problem, I contacted FreeConference.com and here is there response:

From: "Conference Support" <conference-support@telephony.com>

Date: 8 Mar 2013 09:22:10 -0800

To: ME

ReplyTo: "Conference Support" <conference-support@telephony.com>

Subject: RE: FreeConference.com Support Request Incident Nbr: 123839

Good morning,

My sincerest apologies. There was a network glitch at the telephone company where our equipment is located, the result of which was the issues assigned with your assigned dial-in number.

The issue has been resolved. Again, I'm sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused you and your conference participants.

Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

Will Reed
Conference Support

Urban Cusp Article.....

For Church Girls Who Considered Compromise When Living Holy Wasn’t enough
By Candace M. Benbow

In the year since Whitney Houston left us, I have not been the same. I never met her. But I knew her.
I knew the girl who grew up in church, singing on the choir. I knew the girl who smiled as church mothers told her how pretty her dress was and said “thank you” when deacons snuck her an extra piece of pound cake at the annual church picnic. I knew the girl who graciously accepted the standing ovation after she sang her first solo or recited her first Easter speech. I knew the young lady who was thankful for the Bible she received for her high school graduation. I knew the young woman who struggled to reconcile her foundation of righteousness with the everyday demands of budding popularity and the complexities of human emotion.

I knew Whitney because, in many ways, we were the same.

Granted, I do not have millions of albums sold. No one will ever refer to me as “The Voice” and I will not be remembered for singing about unrequited love so effortlessly that it made everyone, for 4 minutes and 35 seconds, want that old thing back.

But I do know the pain of falling short and hearing a mother or grandmother say, “Now you know better.” I know the embarrassment of people laughing when the stench of your defeat hits their noses. I know the price of living under the weight of people’s perception of who they think you should be. And I know what you lose when you search, desperately, for moments when you can simply be yourself. Be free.

It would seem that this was Whitney’s plight. On the surface, she was a woman who, to many, squandered potential. She was beautiful. She had talent. She was witty. And homegirl had a smile that could make the heavens open. She had it all. And, like a tragic Lifetime movie, we watched it all slip away. She lost the adoration of many of her fans and the respect of some of her peers. In many ways, it seemed Whitney lost herself.

There were those who rushed to assess blame for Whitney’s painful spiral. It was all Bobby’s fault, we thought. Recently, we found a new place to focus blame for losing the Whitney we knew when her brother Michael confessed to introducing her to drugs. But no matter where we pointed our fingers, guilt still laid there at our feet. No one wanted to admit that, while Whitney was indeed a woman capable of making sound decisions, we did not make it easy for her. Forcing people to maneuver through constructed false realities is, both, repressive and demonic.

As a child, I was taught the importance of holiness, though the concept seemed a bit flawed. I wrestled with the education that not doing a host of things made me somehow right in God’s eyes.

If I didn’t drink, I was holy.

If I didn’t curse, I was holy.

If I didn’t lie, I was holy.

If I didn’t have sex, I was holy.

My identity, then, became encased in the ability to articulate who I wasn’t more than who I was. As I stand now, a year older and wiser, I refine my definition of holiness. For me, to be holy is to live authentically and unapologetically in the freedom of my creation. I believe we are created to bring light and goodness into this world. Anything that betrays that fact is not holiness. I am my holiest when my actions align with the truth of why God made me.

Walking in this reality is not easy. And, as a result, I compromised. At times, I have lived in opposition to myself, experiencing moments of wild abandon where my purpose didn’t matter. In private, in darkness, I rebelled. Many of us find fleeting moments of freedom in drugs, alcohol, sex, retail therapy, food, school, careers and the like. We wake up in stupors, sobering from not caring, only to find that pain is still there. For a few moments, we just wanted to be free. But we were not free. Whether it is living up to the unrealistic expectations placed on us by everyone else or finding painful mediums through which to escape, we are still in bondage.

Contrary to what people say, this life isn’t an easy one to navigate. I would argue that the church has not made it easy for us. Even the most well polished church girl struggles behind the scenes. We have perfected the performance of happiness. We know when to smile and what to say. Behind those smiles and words we fight to believe ourselves is the truth: we want to know freedom too.

But we can have it. We can be free of the church girl weight that so easily besets us. Our actions must be deliberate and intentional. We must choose ourselves. Our desire to look in the mirror and like what we see must be greater than the need to have others pleased with daily caricatures of who we are. We must listen to the voice inside that tells us when we are being inauthentic. It tells when we are not being holy. And we must fight. We must fight against everything that would try to make us deny that we are holy when we are, simply, ourselves.

Since Whitney’s passing, I have mourned her but also envied her. She does not have to deal with this anymore. The stigma of who she isn’t and the weight of living up to who she does not want to be is no longer her concern. A lot of people say they wanted Whitney to “win”. I don’t know what that means entirely. I just know I wanted her to be free to be her own person. I wanted her to be able to be the Whitney she wanted to be.

I want that for all of us. I pray we can have it while we are here.

What are your thoughts on Candice's reflection? What has Whitney Houston's death led you to think about and what does it mean to you in the context of faith? Talk to us!

Candice Benbow is a Social Ministry Consultant and Rural Sociology doctoral student at the University of Missouri. She is also the host of Divine Dialogue, an internet radio show discussing socio-religious issues in the African-American Community.

Video Diary 4: Vision Board

Vision Board: Embracing God's Will for Me

Vision Board: Tree Planted by Living Water (Psalm 1:1-3, Jeremiah 17:7-8)

Vision Board: Service for the Divine

Vision Board: Live (Thrive), Become (Dreams Realized, Promises Materialized)

*Idris is HANDSOME (swag!)

Can You Get a Prayer Through?

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.

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

---

Prayer: an opportunity to communicate with the ALL-POWERFUL, ALL-KNOWING CREATOR/ FATHER;  a privilege we have that allows us to access the THRONE of GOD. 

I can't help but to think about the oppotunities I miss, on a daily basis, to connect with God.  I am not ashamed, I MUST confess:  I NEED theLord.  I cannot afford NOT to pray.  God is the seed, source, beginning, and end.  From Him all other things originate.  Acknowledging God through prayer, praise, and testimony builds our faith to trust Him more!!  

Are you experiencing sickness?  Are you facing financial difficulty?  Do you want to be closer to God?  Are you overwhelmed?  Are you fed up with life?  Do you need better friends?  Need help healing past hurts?  Need direction for your life?  Don't be  intimidated, turn to God in prayer.  Take time during the day to talk with God.  Clear your mind, focus on who God is in your life.  Tell Him all about your day and wait for Him to respond. It is only a matter of time and God will shift your whole perspective and work things out for your GOOD. 

Can you get a prayer through:  ^"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him".  -1 John 5:14-15 (NIV)

I have a prayer request:  Lord, please bless the women of POW.  Bless their families and loved ones. Whatever they need, meet them where they are, O Lord.  Some of these women are facing life altering trials, others just need strength to make it through their test.  Whatever it may be, God move like only you can move so they know that it was Your power, Your spirit, and Your love.  In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen!!!

Strengthen Yourself in the Lord

⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?

    Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,

    my Savior and my God.

⁶ My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you

from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

⁷ Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

⁸ By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me—

    a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?”

¹⁰ My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me,

saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

¹¹ Why, my soul, are you downcast?

    Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him,

    my Savior and my God.

 PSALM 27:4-8 (NIV)

Whenever you're feeling down, the best place to turn is the Psalms. In today's passage, the writer asks: "Why are you in despair, O my soul?" (v. 5). Surprisingly, this question is the first step in overcoming discouragement.

Look within. Before you can deal with your despair, you need to know what is causing it. If you're not sure, ask the Lord to help you figure out what's going on inside you.

Look up. The next step is to lift up your eyes to the Lord and place your hope in Him. Remember, discouragement comes to everybody at one time or another, but it doesn't have to stay. In the course of time, you "shall again praise Him for the help of His presence" (v. 5).

Look back. Despair has a way of erasing our memory of all the good the Lord has done for us over the years. Instead of wallowing in our present misery, we must make an effort to remember His past care and provision. Then our faith will overpower discouragement (v. 6).

Look Ahead. Knowing that God's plans for us are good, we can look forward to what He going to do in the future. His lovingkindness will support us by day and bring comfort by night as we trust Him to work all things out for our good (v. 8).

When your focus is right, you'll respond correctly to discouragement. The key is to fix your eyes on the Lord. Circumstances may cause you to think He's forgotten about you (v. 9), but His Word promises that He's there and will bring you through the valley. Even if you feel lonely, you're never alone.