Practical Steps

Love you all, praying for you,
 
I just love God’s Word – It’s practical.  Have you ever been discouraged?  It’s easy to be discouraged, and allow discouragement to grow.  God’s path is life and hope and peace, the devils path for you is discouragement, despair and depression.  The answer is always in God’s Word – the Word of life.  Why do people get discouraged?  Why are you downcast o my soul?  First – things happen, they go wrong.  The dog eats your homework, you didn’t get what you wanted for Christmas.  Things happen other than you wanted them to, or hoped they would.  Second – you fail. You sin, or fall short, and it’s discouraging.  Or you make a mistake, an unwise choice, which always carries consequence, and you may have done similarly before – and it can be discouraging.  Third – people disappoint you, whether betrayal, rejection, or just selfishness.  Or maybe even unfair expectations on your part.  People aren’t perfect, and your personal feelings, are rarely their priority - and to be fair, not really their job.  It still can be disappointing, and discouragement is always knocking at your door.  So what does God say to do – when your soul is downcast?   Psalm 42:5 – Why are you downcast O my soul, why so disquieted within me.  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him my Savior and my God.  My soul is downcast within me, therefore I will remember you…  By day the LORD directs His love at night His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.  I’m so thankful for PRISM, for the S: of PRISM – Study the Word – S.O.A.P.ing out a verse to give God the chance to reveal the truth you need for today, by the Holy Spirit.  But I’m also thankful for Extracts.  Taking a multi-verse view and pulling out the takeaways. What does God say we should do when our soul is starting to feel downcast?  You can listen to that voice… or you can hear and obey the voice of God.  What do you do when your soul is downcast?  #1) Put your hope in God – you do it with your words. Its a choice, a decision… Speak it out of your mouth – and you’ll be speaking to the discouragement trying to get a foothold.  #2) Praise Him yet – the sacrifice of praise, for the spirit of heaviness.  It’s a sacrifice – when you don’t feel like it.  Yet will I praise Him, even now – He’s working everything out for your good – if you trust Him, and obey His next step.  #3) Remember Him – Don’t look at the discouragement – encourage yourself in the LORD – Remember Who He is and What He has done, and what He has done for you.  This isn’t the first time you’ve had the opportunity to be discouraged.  But He promised to be with you – and He has delivered you every time!  #4) Sing His song – even in the night – He gives you a song.  Sing when you don’t feel like it.  You don’t need a voice like Whitney Houston – just sing.  It delights God, and it changes you.  Sing a new song.  Go off the page.  Just like Praise the Word of PRISM.  If you start it, the Holy Spirit will finish it.  If you don’t know what words to sing for this new song – just use the Word of God – Sing the Word.  #5) Pray – to the God of your life.  Don’t complain, pray.  Don’t bemoan your circumstance.  Ask God, present your plea, and then pray in adoration of the power of His Might.  Thank Him for what He has done. Pray for others instead of just yourself.  Pray the Word over them, it will change your focus and build your faith.  Praying that you will notice discouragement knocking – and not answer. That you will Put your hope in God, Praise Him yet, Remember Him and what He has done – and pray to Him while He may be found.  Praying that discouragement knocking, would just begin a reversal in you where your emotions are surrendered to the greatest power on earth, the One who is in control of everything, who loves you, who delivers you from every trouble, and every fear, whose plans for you are good!
 
Love you all,
dad