ByOne of the rarest ministries in Christ is the ministry of encouragement. There are several preachers who preach to edify God’s people, but only a few ministers are called only to encourage others in the Lord from scripture.
Many people live depressed, brokenhearted, worried or dejected. Maybe you’ve been hurt by a close friend, or you’ve received an unexpected disappointment from someone. And now, you probably don’t know how to encourage yourself in the Lord. Today’s article is for you.
1. Pray to God about your issue
Prayer is the number one solution to all anxiety and pain. Even atheists know this. So when some of them run into trouble, they pray. I’m just wondering which god they pray to in those times.
Philippians 4:6 (NIV) says,
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Pray to present what discouraged you to God. It could be the death of a child, relationship-proposal rejection, family captivity just like what happened to David (1 Samuel 30:3-6) or loss of your job.
You cannot prevent yourself from hearing bad news. However, you can do something about it in your mind. Share on XGod is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18). Therefore, don’t ever let the enemy deceive you that you’re alone in your trouble. Pray with your heart involved. He hears your prayers.
2. Make divine declarations to your soul
When we encounter disappointments and hurts in our lives, the first (and usually most) affected part of our entire system as humans is the soul, not the spirit or the body. Your soul consists of your mind, will and emotions.
For example, suppose you receive bad news about a loss of a cherished one; your mind will be disturbed before you even start crying. That is why the soul of man is so precious in the spirit realm. Both God and the devil are after souls.
Be careful of using your experience to assume the will of God.
As a Christian, you have an advantage over what you allow to stay in your soul. You cannot prevent yourself from hearing bad news. However, you can do something about it in your mind — either you speak God’s Word to it powerfully to restore your inner peace, or you allow those hurtful words to depress you.
Now David, knowing this well, said to himself in Psalm 42:5 (NIV) that,
“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.”
He spoke to his soul when it was downcast after running into trouble. Be intentional about guarding the peace of God in your soul because it’s your inheritance in Christ (John 14:27).
3. Take action to bounce back
It’s not enough to have the peace of God restored in your soul. You have to step up and take action. When David’s soul was downcast after seeing his family taken captive by the Amalekites, he asked God what to do (1 Samuel 30:8). He was already an experienced warrior. But he didn’t use the advantage of his skill to assume the will of God.
In 1 Samuel 30:6, David strengthened himself in the Lord. But in verse 8, he got to know how to fight back. You have to bounce back better when you’re downcast. Nevertheless, it will require divine direction to get the solution, not mere intellect. Encourage yourself in the Lord, and keep winning against the battles of life. You’re a blessing.
