My site is for uplifting and encouraging those that need spiritual advice and guidance.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/php.4.6-7.KJV
Do you ever feel guilty for being a Christian who isn’t “anxious for nothing”? Does having anxiety give you more anxiety because you feel like you’re not supposed to feel it? Lori was in the same boat until she discovered one thing that changed everything. My marriage was in shambles. I was shouldering all of the responsibility of raising three kids, two of them teenagers (Lord, help me!) all on my own. Working, cooking, cleaning, carpooling, fixing, financing, supporting, loving, providing—it was all on me. My anxiety was through the roof, and I didn’t know what to do about it. I was trying everything I could think of: counseling, meditation, medication, music, exercise, reciting Scriptures, you name it! Nothing seemed to take it away. Don’t get me wrong, it was definitely helping to do these things. I learned to use the tools I needed to get myself centered on Christ again. But I was still struggling. Looking back, one thing I realize I wasn’t trying was “not trying.” If you search Scripture, you will find a ton of verses about worry. I know because I was looking for a magic formula to help me conquer it once and for all. In my search, I found something unexpected. You have to pay attention to see it, but in these verses there are implicit instructions from our Father to do nothing. Yes, seriously—nothing. In Matthew 11:28 NIV, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” He is doing the work here, not us. We just have to come to Him. In John 14:27 NIV, He says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you …” Are you sensing a theme? He is giving us peace. He is giving us rest. We do nothing. Again in Matthew 6:25-34 NIV, this famous passage tells us not to worry, for God even “clothes the grass of the field,” so how much more will He take care of us? We’re told to “seek first his kingdom … and all these things will be given” to us. That’s right—did you catch that? Given! God is a giver. He has the answers, and He has our back. Some things we just can’t do ourselves, but that is exactly how He designed it. For us to need Him. All of those things I worried about worked out, one way or another. It wasn’t until I took a breath, rested, truly came to Jesus, got quiet, let go of all the details, told God that I trusted Him completely—and then learned to do nothing—that I finally found peace. Ultimately, my prayers became less about my situation and more about my trust in Him. If you need to do the same, I highly encourage you to rest in Him. You can trust Him. Here’s what I pray when I’m feeling overwhelmed by anxiety again: Dear Lord, I come to You today to ask for help. You are my everything. Lord, I need rest. I give You my worry. Take it, Lord. I accept Your peace, love, and understanding. Help me to turn to You and not to myself. Help me to stop doing and start trusting. Help me to wait on Your answers, because I know that they are good. Give me wisdom, hope, and peace. Thank you, Lord, for Your patience and grace. I love You, and I know You love me so much more than I could ever imagine. Amen. -Lori
I just finished day 4 of the @YouVersion plan ‘Anxious For Nothing’. Check it out here: http://bible.com/r/4AQ
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Revelation 21:1-4, 6-7 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/rev.21.1-7.KJV
In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:4-5 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/jhn.1.4-5.KJV
Thou tellest my wanderings: Put thou my tears into thy bottle: Are they not in thy book? Psalm 56:8 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.56.8.KJV
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Romans 8:11 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/rom.8.11.KJV
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/1pe.5.6-7.KJV
Jesus meets us in the middle of anxiety, even when we don’t feel Him at first. Chelsea first experienced anxiety right after graduating from college. Here’s her story of how God brought her out of darkness and into His peace. The feelings of fear, worry, and depression were so real. I could barely eat because of the daily nausea. I slept more than 12 hours every night, yet every morning it was a battle to even make myself get out of bed. I was so wrapped up in my own mind that most days I simply didn’t speak. I sought help from my family, a doctor, a counselor, pastors, and friends, but my dark days seemed to be never-ending. We all experience dark days. And those dark days may last weeks. Or months. Or years. But if you know the story of Good Friday, the day Jesus gave His life for yours, you know there is good news, friends. Friday is dark, but Sunday is coming! We have a hope in the darkness, and our hope has a name. His name is Jesus. On my darkest day, a Friday in July, I finally drew near to Him just as He had been drawing near to me. I prayed: Jesus, help me reject the lies of the enemy. Jesus, help me overcome my anxious heart. Jesus, help me trust that You are in control. Jesus, help me believe that the Spirit who raised You from the dead dwells in me. And two days later, on Sunday, I woke up without the heaviness of depression and without the feeling of anxiety. For the first time in so long, I could feel His peace. And I experienced a miraculous healing that can only be explained by the goodness of God. During my dark days, Jesus gave me hope. Even when I couldn’t feel Him, He was there. Every single day that I felt far from Him, He was pulling me closer to Himself. I don’t know if you’ll experience the sudden, miraculous healing from your pain like I did. But I know for sure God is with you in the pain. Jesus understands human suffering. And He cares. He cared enough to leave Heaven and die for us to put an end to our darkness once and for all. The Bible says: … His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:4-5 NLT Sunday’s coming. -Chelsea
I just finished day 3 of the @YouVersion plan ‘Anxious For Nothing’. Check it out here: http://bible.com/r/4AQ
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/isa.26.3.KJV
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/jos.1.9.KJV
And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? Mark 4:35-41 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/mrk.4.35-41.KJV
Is peace really possible today? Cheri went on a quest 11 years ago to find out. Here’s what she discovered along the way: I remember it vividly. The day I decided I couldn’t live like this anymore. Here I was, a fully devoted follower of Christ, responding to life pretty much like everyone else. I lived in fear and worry, yet I knew it shouldn’t be that way! Consistently I read in the Word of God not to be afraid and to be anxious for nothing. But that sounded impossible! God has a lot to say in the Bible about fear and its antidote: peace. In one instance, Jesus and His disciples were on a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee when a furious storm threatened to sink them. They all fought to keep afloat, and what was Jesus doing? He was sound asleep! Right in the middle of the storm. The disciples asked, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” Jesus got up and rebuked the storm, and it went completely calm. Then He asked the disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:40 NIV That pretty much summed up the conversations I was having with God. I could feel Him asking me why I was afraid, and I was answering, Isn’t it obvious? Look at my circumstances! Who wouldn’t or couldn’t be afraid? In my quest for peace, several things became crystal clear. My circumstances were determining my level of peace. If life’s circumstances were all good, then I was at peace. If storms were encircling me, I was stressed, anxious, and tired all the time—exhausted from my emotions. I was just like the disciples in the storm. I was fearful of the storm, hurt, and confused because I thought God didn’t care. But Jesus brought me to my next point. Jesus was trying to teach me peace is possible, no matter the storm. Are you relating to this battle? It’s not easy, is it? I was still struggling to understand how Jesus could expect me to experience peace in the storm, wondering if He truly even cared, when I realized my next breakthrough point. My storms revealed my level of trust. Peace doesn’t mean everything is going right in your life. It means being at peace when storms are shaking your life. I hadn’t learned to trust God and find peace even in those storms. Have you hit that wall yet? It was obvious I had some room to grow. But I’m learning that the path to peace is found by trusting and fixing our thoughts on the One who is never unsettled by storms. It didn’t happen overnight, but little by little, more peace and rest rejuvenated my tired, weary soul. -Cheri
I just finished day 2 of the @YouVersion plan ‘Anxious For Nothing’. Check it out here: http://bible.com/r/4AQ
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Revelation 22:13 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/rev.22.13.KJV
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: For thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.4.8.KJV
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:13 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/rom.15.13.KJV
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/2co.12.7-9.KJV
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/php.4.6-7.KJV
What if anxiety can bring you closer to Jesus? Jordan spent a whole year praying his anxiety away until he discovered something deeper—a stronger relationship with Jesus. Maybe you can relate to his story: “I think I’m going to die.” That’s exactly what I thought to myself numerous sleepless nights last year. I would try to fall asleep, only to be woken up in terror for no particular reason. My chest was tight. I felt like I was choking, and I couldn’t breathe at times. The cycle would repeat, and eventually I resigned myself to sleep on the couch so I’d stop waking up my wife. One day, I went to a doctor and explained my symptoms—the chest pain, the trouble falling asleep, and the panic attacks. After a couple of tests over a few visits, he diagnosed me with anxiety. Can I be honest? It made me feel like a failure as a Christian. Hadn’t I been praying against this the right way? I’m not supposed to deal with this, I would think to myself, I’m supposed to have peace and not worry—that’s what Jesus said to do! After following the doctor’s instructions and starting to take a small dose of medication, I continued praying for anxiety to just go away. I didn’t want to have to deal with it anymore. In 2 Corinthians 12, in the NIV translation, Paul described his “thorn in the flesh.” While we never know for sure what Paul’s “thorn” was, anxiety can certainly feel like one for a lot of people, including me. Paul said that he pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away, but instead, Jesus told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (emphasis added) The grace of Jesus is sufficient, no matter the circumstances. As I began praying for healing, I began to draw closer to Jesus. Like Paul, God hasn’t taken away my “thorn.” However, I’ve found myself more passionate about reading His Word, and I’ve prayed more than I ever have before. I thought what I needed was healing for my anxiety. In reality, I needed more of Jesus. Now, I’m not saying if I had been closer to Jesus that I wouldn’t have had anxiety. I’m also not going to stop praying for anxiety to leave. I keep praying to be delivered from this thorn just like Paul did. But something even better is happening to me than being instantly healed from anxiety: I’m developing a deeper understanding of God and a richer relationship with Him. Instead of just praying for peace, I found myself drawing closer to the Prince of Peace. When I began to worry about my future, I reminded myself that He is the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end, the first and the last. I prayed for my anxiety to go away, but I found something much better: the overwhelming, loving presence of Jesus in my life—even in the midst of anxiety. -Jordan
As I was posting my article I wrote, I decided to go through my archives to see how far I have come since I have been writing. I searched up some of my older posts and read through them. I am so amazed that my writing has improved over the years compared to what it was like when I first started posting my articles. I came across posts that I have not read since I posted them three years ago. It amazes me that I am still able to write what I am feeling and thinking in full detail about any subject I have chosen to write about. Some of my posts still brings tears to my eyes because I can still feel the emotions as I read what I wrote as if it were written yesterday. There is nothing wrong with looking back at what has already been written, it brings back memories. It makes me think about when my children were here with us before they left to live their own lives. I am glad I added some of our pictures to my posts so I can still remember what we looked like years ago. It is always fun to talk about those times when I am talking to my children. They are so proud of me for doing what I love to do. I know sometimes I don’t post anything; it is because I am thinking of new things to write about that I want to share on my podcasts. I draw inspiration from my other posts when I read them to help me feel good about what I am going to write about. Sometimes I think about what others may want me to write about. I know I write a lot about religion, and this is what my site is all about, but I do like sharing other things that I am interested in, that’s why I try to share my other writings to this site so everyone will get the chance to see what else I am writing about.
It has been a very long night, well, morning now, but I will record a few things I have in mind sometime today when I finish a few other things I have to do. Now that I have everything like I want it, I will be recording more of my posts in its entirety, as to where it will be more added to it the original post, so stay tuned for that. I have already posted my Easter message, but I have not recorded it as of yet it will be longer than the original post, and when I do record it, I will share it like I always do unless I record something at random, and when I do that, it cannot be found on my site, but it can be found on the platform that I will share it from. I think I am going to do a flash from the past recording on some of my archived posts from when I first started up until now. I think that will be fun to do. Well, I guess I will try to get some sleep now. I have been writing since yesterday evening, and now it is 3:31 in the morning. I always lose track of time when I am writing. So, see you all when I awake from my slumber. Good night, and good morning. God bless, and stay safe.
LOOKING THROUGH MY ARCHIVES.
Feel free to click on any of these titles to read them if you choose to do so. I thought I would share some of my other writings and things that interest me since I have been writing. Feel free to leave your comments in the comment section. I really want to know what you think. Have a wonderful day. ©2022
Normally I would be talking about COVID-19, but tonight I want to talk about healing. Sometimes we go through things in our life that causes us pain, but in the pain that we are feeling, there is healing for the pain. Pain comes in all forms. When we are hurting from pain, we want the pain to go away right then, and sometimes it does, but sometimes it doesn’t, we have to wait for the pain to subside, and that can take a long time. Healing does not start on the surface; it starts from within. It starts from within our heart and soul, but we have to condition our mind to receive the healing that we need to make the pain go away. We have to let go of past hurts in order to be completely healed, and that will give our mind a chance to heal from all of the bad memories that we hold there.
Healing is what is needed around this whole world. Look at everything that is going on now. War, COVID-19, death, sickness, and destruction everywhere; when will the healing start? When will the pain end? When will things go back to normal? Is this the new normal? Every time you turn on the television, there is something being said about someone being killed, or a storm has devastated neighbourhoods, fires destroying everything in its path, and there is just no end to it all. So many hearts have been hurt because of all of this. I know lives were spared, but it is the memories that were lost in it all that will take time to heal through it all. Starting over can be hard when you don’t have the means to do it. That is where faith comes in. God always makes a way where there seems to be no way. When we are least expected, He shows up and turns things around for the better. When that happens, all of the pain that we were feeling somehow melts away.
See, Jesus is the healer of our soul. Healing is in His hands. Healing is in His words that He speaks to us through the Spirit, and through the Word of God.
HEALING SCRIPTURES:
Psalm 147:3-The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gahtereth together the outcasts of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
Psalm 147:3- He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 30:2. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. Psalm 41:3
Jeremiah 17:14-Heal me O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.
Isaiah 41:10-Fear thou not; for I am wit thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
James 5:14- “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the mane of the Lord”.
So, we see where our healing comes from. Healing is a process; it comes with emotions that we have to get over so we can heal from the pain that is within us. It may not happen overnight, but it will happen. One day at a time we have the opportunity to do something that can take our mind off of the pain that we feel on the inside. When we do positive things, we do not think about what is making us hurt. It is better to be positive in the pain than to be negative in happiness, because pain is just for a short time, but happiness keeps the heart happy, and the soul filled with delight. Well, this is all I have for now. Thank you for following me on my journey with Food for the Soul. God bless, stay safe. ©2022
Food for the Soul 