Often I have conversations with people about upset and disappointment.  And what is always evident is that we as humans skew naturally to the disappointment... to dwell upon it, and then carry it as our form of meditation.  We rehearse and rehearse, too often without releasing it regularly on to the shoulders of our burden bearer. 

To check that, what are you ruminating on right now?  What have you spent much of your week rehearsing?  Positive or negative things?

The things that burden us are typically not trivial things, but heart centric things.  Maybe we are making mountains out of mole hills in certain circumstances; but more than likely, our upset can be traced to deeper issues related to betrayal of trust, unforgiveness, disappointment, pride, lies, hurt, etc. 

Here are some examples of what people have recently confessed to me, that is consuming them:  

- a teenager who told her mom that she is bi-sexual and a satanist
- a woman who is consumed with anxiety that her senior mother's life depends on her sustaining her mom
- an adult who is caught in the middle of lifelong friends who cannot resolve their philosophical differences, so now their friendship circle is broken
- an adult son who has so much conflict with his mother that he wants nothing to do with her, but is wrestling with that choice within and its causing great anxiety
- an adult who wonders why God allowed 3 different big disappointments within the last month
- an adult who is grieving a death of a loved one, while also discovering upsetting secrets of another loved one

We are carrying burdens, deep, heart centric burdens.  Instead of rehearsing them constantly, we need to give ourselves a break and just enjoy Jesus!  We rehearse too much!  We need to process in His presence.  But practice positioning in rest so He can speak peace to still the storm!  

Do not draw away from Him in trial, let it lead to personal transformation through His supply of resurrection power! That is not a platitude, it is a promise.  And it is discovered in His presence!

And BONUS...  it can be done without words!  You can do this by visualizing spiritual promises from the Bible.  No words needed, just a willingness to "see" the pictures Jesus paints in His word.

Jesus tells us to cast our care upon Him, 1 Peter 5:7.  What if you saw Him carrying what you are trying to carry right now?  

He understands.  See Jesus carrying it.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you form images in your mind.  In inexplicable ways, the Holy Spirit will do supernatural lifting of burdens within as you release them to Jesus.  I hope you try the following exercise.

A VISUALIZATION EXERCISE:

Isaiah 61:1-3 has a handful of pictures for you to use in His presence without words.  Pick one from below, and then place yourself in a humble position in His presence.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you as you begin.  "God I need help visualizing Jesus' promises, bring them to life within my mind's eye."

• The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord resting on you
• Jesus binding up your broken heart.
• Jesus releasing you from a prison of darkness
• Jesus comforting you in your mourning
• Jesus exchanging your ashes for a crown of beauty
• Jesus depositing within you the oil of joy instead of mourning
• Jesus lifting off a spirit of despair, clothing you with a garment of praise.

The unbelief in you might be tempted to say, "That's ridiculous, how will it help me to picture any of these?  As soon as I get up, my reality will be unchanged and the stress will remain."

Cast down that argument.  Hold your thoughts captive to the promises of Christ.  He says, "Look to me.  Do not doubt, only believe.  Set your eyes on things above, not on earthly things.  Ascend." 

Believe in the power of God! Believe in His spiritual promises! Be blessed in your time with God!  If you want to experience more visualization of scripture, please listen in every Tuesday to Peace Be Still Daily prayer download!  Listenership continues to grow!  Praise God!

Here are a few direct links to our Monday - Friday podcast:

• Apple- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peace-be-still-daily-prayer-download/id1506101286
• Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/2iswiKhfl0Zkg7RYjLWHgt
• Spreaker- https://www.spreaker.com/show/peace-be-still-daily-prayer-download 

The program can also be found on Amazon Music, Podbean, iHeart, Google podcasts, Castbox, etc.  Blessings!  

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Today being Good Friday, we’ll look upon Jesus’ suffering, because the punishment that was upon him brings us peace, and by his wounds we are healed, Isaiah 53:5.

One of the most beautiful promises Jesus brings us is a promise to renew our mind, to calm, soothe, and still our emotions.  Jesus puts us back in our right mind.  It is a continual renewal of thoughts that he promises.  It is experienced through remaining with Him.  But everything is not always up and to the right as Christians.  We struggle.  It’s a clue indicating our critical need to deepen in relationship with Jesus.  In Western culture, anxiety was at epidemic proportions prior to the pandemic, so what now?  Of course, it has increased.  No need to quote statistics, we are living it out, we know anxiety has increased.

Does Jesus care?  Does He understand the anxiety that overwhelms?  Yes, he does and we find clues of his extreme mental and emotional distress when we read the accounts of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane before he goes to the cross.  The book of Mark and Matthew inform us that Jesus admits to his disciples that his soul is overwhelmed to the point of death.  The book of Mark tells us that he fell to the ground and prayed.  He didn’t kneel and pray, he fell to the ground.  Both Mark and Matthew tell us he agonized for a long time in prayer, praying 3 different times, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”  The book of Luke reveals that he was sweating profusely in this agonizing time of prayer, and was so disturbed within, it triggered a rare physiological condition where he sweat blood.  The condition is called hematidrosis and is extremely rare, with only a handful of documented cases.  All who experienced it were victims of extreme mental and emotional trauma and terrifying violence.

Piece all those Gospel clues together.  Jesus falls to the ground, a sign of physical weakness from overwhelming internal turmoil.  He agonizes in prayer 3 different times through the night.  He is not getting a good night’s sleep before going to the cross.  He is running on no sleep.  And though an angel comes to strengthen him, Luke records that after, he was still in anguish, Luke 22:44.  Jesus kept praying, and doing so even more earnestly.  In this state, he was sweating profusely, his sweat mixed with drops of blood, the drops falling to the ground. 

When you piece the Gospel accounts together, can you see how clear it is that Jesus was experiencing mental and emotional distress at a level no one else ever will?  Your worst panic attack?  Your soul crushing depression?  Jesus knows.  He went there.  He bore the burden.  He experienced it all.  He carried the weight of it all upon Himself and took all human brokenness, all sin, all shame, all sickness to the cross. 

In the midst of this distress, Jesus gives his disciples a prayer challenge, “Could you not keep watch for one hour?"  He was worried for them, urging his disciples to watch and pray so they would not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.  He knew the spiritual traps coming to test Peter.  He had just told Simon Peter after the Passover meal, "Satan has asked to sift you like wheat", Luke 22:31.

Peter's saving grace was that Jesus prayed for Peter's faith not to fail, Luke 22:32. Praise God today that He is your continual intercessor...

Hebrews 7:25- "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them."

Are you sleeping?  Tell God, confess your weaknesses.  Wait in the mercy of His presence.  Call on help from the Holy Spirit if you do not know what to pray, Romans 8:26-27.

Peter and the other disciples slept despite the warnings.  And the consequences are immediately obvious.  Peter responds in the flesh at the first temptation, acting violently, pulling his sword and cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant who come to seize Jesus, Mark 14:47.  Jesus however responds in the Spirit, taking the man’s ear and putting it back on his head, fully restoring his ear, Luke 22:51. 

Flesh versus Spirit!  What a difference in terms of outcome, Romans 8:6!

Let the example of Jesus urging his disciples to watch and pray challenge you to take some quiet time.  Assess.  What is the state of your walk with Jesus today?   Are you prayed up?  Are you in the flesh or in the Spirit?  Take all anxiety and internal upset to Jesus to be strengthened by Him.  He understands your anxiety.  He's endured on your behalf.  He promises to comfort you.  Practice staying longer in His presence, resting under the covering of His precious blood shed on the cross.  Please visit our podcast page to find some inspiration to linger longer with God.  Amen.