Growing up, I was never consistent or persistent in prayer. I had no idea about powerful prayer methods. I didn’t think of prayer as a gift that allows me to communicate with God. I utilized prayer when I felt that I needed it. For instance, in a snag or when hardship hit my life. It did not become a lifestyle until much later in my adult life.
After many difficult years, I was ready to give up on myself and life. Most days, I was depressed. Functioning became impossible for me. I lived most of my life at home with little interaction with my family and no energy to do anything productive. Necessities were hard to complete as well. I ended up hospitalized in Summer 2013 for close to a week. The hospital staff and patients were friendly, but I felt imprisoned by the rules. I wanted to be free, whole and healed.
A pathway to healing
While I was in the mental health facility, God spoke directly to me and through the words of people closest to me. He revealed a second chance that He had wanted me to take for a long time. He offered me His hand and a path to healing.
During my healing and mental wellness journey, God has shown me the power of conversation with Him. I want to share some powerful prayer methods I have used for years to eliminate anxiety, pull myself out of depressive spaces and gain mental clarity.
Powerful Prayer Methods
Prayer Journaling
So, I want to introduce you to prayer journaling. Have you tried it? It’s one of the best ways I release emotions of all kinds. Specifically, doubt, anxiety, and insecurities are all emotions I release during my journaling practice. My journal becomes a place where I brain-dump everything on my mind. As I write, I present the list to God and seek His guidance and comfort in our quiet time together. I ask for clarity on things I do not understand and sit silently to hear from Holy Spirit. Sometimes I don’t walk away with a Word from Holy Spirit, but I close my journal feeling lighter spiritually and emotionally. I feel the peace that surpasses all understanding.
One of my weapons against anxious and depressive thoughts is the Sword of the Spirit, the Holy Word of God. In my prayers, I often speak scriptures I’ve memorized that come against false narratives my mind has accepted to be true. I also love turning to certain Psalms and reading those aloud in the middle of my prayers. I speak scripture that talks about our identity in Christ, healing, having the mind of Christ, and the character of God. The scriptures give me hope because I know they are true. They are able to reveal and refute any lies I find myself believing. I am able to refocus my gaze on Jesus.
Praying during worship
Additionally, I pray while worshiping. I worship through song and speaking words of adoration to God. I use this sacred time in God’s presence to open my mouth and share my heart and the state of my mind with the Lord. It’s a conversation that is clear and transparent. It’s a time of surrender before the Father. When I rise from the floor, I feel lighter and more at peace mentally.
The fear and anxiety that we experience are not of the great God we serve. Many times our anxieties are imaginations that we think up to ourselves. We fester on them and eventually begin to believe them.
This is a snare. It’s a trap orchestrated by Satan. He doesn’t want us to trust God. He definitely wants us to believe that we are all alone. The enemy desires for us to be webbed into bondage by the thoughts and things that we are fearful of.
Have you ever thought of your anxieties this way?
Anxiety is not a God thing. It’s a tool to disable us from fulfilling God’s will for our lives.
Take Moses for instance. He was fearful of a speech difficulty that he struggled with. He actually didn’t believe he could effectively travel into Egypt and command Pharaoh to let the Lord’s people go.
Exodus 4:10But Moses said to the Lord , “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”
Many times like Moses, all of us allow our shortcomings to disable us into fear.
But Proverbs 29:25 says, “whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.”
Do you believe that today? God’s Word is true and never lies.
The next time you are fearful or overcome by anxiety, remember this promise of God. We don’t always know how He does it, but God protects His children. He is graceful, merciful, and kind in heart.
We can trust Him over any anxiety.
I encourage you to break free of your anxiety trap today. Go forth and persevere in the things God has called you specifically to do.
Be not afraid and remember that God remembers us in our fear. We can be reminded by that in scripture when we read that Aaron was sent with Moses to be his spokesman.
Exodus 7:1
And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.
God is always for you and will not forget you. He is your safety.
Pray this week:
Dear Lord,
Please help me to overcome my fears and anxieties. Please correct my way of thinking and remind me that you are my safe place. Build my trust in you and my resistance to any snare.
In Jesus’ Mighty Name,
Amen
Do you need someone to pray for you? Send me your prayer request here.
Do you want to become a believer today? I’ll show you how here.
*This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment with a healthcare professional.
Today I thought that I would discuss choosing a therapist. These statements come from my experience. Choosing my therapist was scary, but some of the things I considered made the process easier to get through.
So, I chose my first one-on-one therapist around the age of 19. I had just returned to Maryland from college in Pennsylvania. I had left the fun of college and all my Resident Assistant responsibilities and came home.
Honestly, it was the best thing for me because I had begun to experience some agoraphobia. I was afraid to leave my dorm room. I stopped going to the cafeteria, going to class, and going to meetings. It was time for me to get down to what I was struggling with, get help, and talk to someone professional.
Factor One For Choosing My Therapist
The first factor my mother, father, and I considered was what therapists we knew. My mother was familiar with a female LCSW who had worked with the family in the past. She was also great with girls who were around my age. That was a bonus, so she received a big checkmark of YES.
RECAP: My factor number one is to go to a referred therapist or the family’s former therapist.
Factor Two For Choosing My Therapist
The next factor is the flow of our conversation. It is imperative that I feel comfortable opening up to a therapist. Generally, once I complete the initial evaluation and come back for the second session, I can soundly decide if they will be a good fit.
I’m looking to feel the following:
Unjudged
Heard
Understood
Respected of my values and faith
Advocated for
Here’s a word of advice from myself, a patient:
“Don’t throw in the towel on your therapist search too quickly. Do what some may call shop around. Don’t give up on finding the professional who can assist in your healing.”
RECAP: My factor number two is comfortability with the therapist.
Factor Three For Choosing My Therapist
Finally, factor three is “Will I see success with this therapist?” Just as I value the conversation with the therapist, the effectiveness of my sessions is key.
This final factor is crucial. I do not want to waste time and money in inadequate therapy sessions when I should be healing.
Most sessions I expect to leave with:
a question to consider
problem-solving skills
an assignment
a breakthrough
newfound hope
If I consistently see that this is not happening, I will consider alternatives. The one thing I will never do is completely cut off therapy. I believe in it too much. Therapy is a part of my mental wellness toolbox.
RECAP: My factor number three is the effectiveness of the sessions.
Conclusion
I hope that this post gave you some ideas for when you need to choose a therapist. Again, this is my personal experience, so I want to leave you with scholarly sources for more in-depth information.
American Psychological Association. (2019, October 17). How to choose a psychologist.
'And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” '
I know from experience that mental illness is a long journey. Like the woman with the issue of blood, I suffered daily for years. It sometimes seemed never-ending. It became worse over time. At one point, I refused to believe that God could heal me. I had no faith that the pain, the confusion, and the anguish could weaken and become non-existent.
Among this defeat, people of prayer constantly lifted my name and my circumstances to God. Essentially, all those who prayed for me stood in the gap, praying for my relationship with God and healing. Eventually, I began to welcome God again into my everyday life. My heart began to soften.
During this time of reconciliation, I went to a conference for women. There I realized my distance from God had stripped me of my faith. At this conference, we had nightly services. During the end of one service, I went forward to the altar for prayer. I desperately wanted to be healed in my mind and free from the pain in my abdomen from anxiety.
Like the woman with the issue of blood, I pressed toward the altar. I was weak from all the pain, but I knew in my heart that going to that altar for prayer would be a declaration that I believed God could heal me. I had faith that He is mighty to heal and deliver, just like the woman with the issue of blood.
For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.”
The apostle Dr. Monique Flemings, met me at the altar. She already had the discernment to pray over my mind and my abdomen. It was such a supernatural experience in the presence of God. As she prayed, she encouraged me to be set free. She told me I must believe in my healing and freedom for myself.
I did and after that prayer, I knew I was free like the woman with the issue of blood.
'And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” '
God’s power had broken through the mental stronghold that had me bound. Before the end of the conference, Dr. Flemings reminded me to stay free. And I have ever since. I have my bad days, but I am no longer in spiritual and mental bondage by bipolar 2 disorder, PTSD, depression, or anxiety.
My sister, you too are able to have the faith to believe in healing for your mind. God has not forgotten you in your pain. Having faith like the woman with the issue of blood will allow you to be free from bondage in your spirit and mind. You may still have a clinical diagnosis, depressive days, and anxious days, but you will not be in bondage by it. You can still have abundant life like God intended you to.
Finally, I have to tell you how I stay spiritually and mentally free. I fervently pray over my mind and cast down high thoughts that are lies. I also read my Bible almost daily and worship when I feel weak.
If you have been suffering for some time, choose now life without bondage. Reach out to God and receive His healing power. I suggest therapy and other mental wellness tools and strategies as well. Please know that I’m praying for you, your faith, and your strength to stay free. You got this!
Pray this week:
Dear Heavenly Father, I have suffered for so long. I have even waivered from my faith in you. I need restoration. I want to believe in your power to heal. Once I am healed from bondage I want to stay free. I desire to be well, and I confess you are my source of power and strength to be free. I place my faith in you and embrace freedom through Jesus Christ.
In Jesus’ Mighty Name, Amen
Join my free prayer circle for support from a community of women who pray for one another everyday.
Do you want to become a believer today? I’ll show you how here.
An effective nightly routine to improve sleep and reduce depression is essential. A sleep routine has benefited me after years of difficulty with insomnia and depression.
Today, I want to share some statistics with you about the link between sleep issues and depression. Also, I am going to share what remedies have been beneficial to me.
Sleep Foundation Statistics
So, let us start with some statistics from the Sleep Foundation.
Almost all people with depression experience sleep issues.
Insomnia is the most common sleep issue associated with depression. It is estimated to occur in about 75% of adult patients with depression.
Sleep issues may contribute to the development of depression through changes in the function of the neurotransmitter serotonin.
That’s unbelievable, right?!
I have to Admit
First, I will say that my sleep and insomnia issues have caused me to fall into a more deepened depression than usual. Many of you already know that I have a bipolar one disorder. A lack of sleep also springs me into bits of mania. Mania is the high mood, while depression is the low mood. To learn more about bipolar disorder, visit the link here.
Next, when I began to have sleep issues accompanied by depression, I made my psychiatrist and psychotherapist aware of it. I would suggest that you start with your primary care doctor or mental health providers if you learn that you are suffering from sleep issues and depression.
Effective NightLY Routine Ideas
Now, I want to get into what remedies have helped me get better sleep and overcome insomnia. These are in no particular order.
Medication
The first is sleep aid medication. When my insomnia was unbearable, my psychiatrist prescribed me a sleep aid to get my sleeping stabilized. When some time had passed, my psychiatrist suggested I conclude the sleep aid medication and try some home remedies. Neither one of us wanted me to become dependent on the sleep aid. I also have found that the longer I am on a sleep aid medication, the less effective it is overtime.
Bible
Number two is reading the Bible,listening to the Bible, or meditating on scripture before bedtime. A verse that I have memorized is Proverbs 3:24.
It says,
You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly.
When I meditate on this verse, I can release every fear and care to God. I know I can lay my head down and sleep safely, without fear of danger or my anxious imaginations coming to life.
Prayer
Three is to say a nighttime prayer. Prayer is the perfect way to cast all your worries at the feet of God. Sometimes I will opt for prayer journaling which is also very therapeutic.
hot tea
Four is tea. It is the perfect way to de-stress before bed.
My favorite teas are:
Bigelow, Cozy Chamomile Herbal Tea
Celestial Seasonings Peppermint Herbal Tea
Bigelow Lemon Ginger with Probiotics Herbal Tea…I use this tea to soothe my stomach when I am experiencing IBS brought on by nighttime anxiety.
Aroma
Number five is misting my pillow, sheets, and air with lavender. My go-to brand is Nature’s Truth Mist Spray, Rejuvenating Lavender. Lavender spray helps me to relax, fall asleep and stay to sleep most nights. It has been one of my favorite home remedies.
Limit the light
About an hour before bed, I have my phone automatically switch over to soft screen lighting. I also begin to limit my screen time 30 minutes before bedtime.
Background Noise and music
Next, seven involves noise. There is nothing like relaxing sounds to set the mood for sleep! I enjoy using the White Noise phone app for Apple and Android devices. I also listen to music from time to time. I love searching for traditional classical or instrumental worship music! I like to use the Spotify music app.
there’s more
Also, other ways to encourage your body to fall asleep are a soothing bath/shower, creating a to-do list for the next day, guided meditation, melatonin, focusing on something positive, dimming down the lights, tidying up rooms like the kitchen, office, or living room before bed, etc.
EFFECTIVE NIGHTLY ROUTINE Take away
Most importantly, choose what practices fit best into your bedtime routine and be consistent. Commit to and adapt to it.
To sum it up, when I have a restful night of sleep and get the optimal number of sleeping hours…I am energized, in a better mood, and more alert.
I hope these ideas help you create your effective sleep time routine.
Before you go, do you need prayer? If you feel led to, submit your prayer request here.
Anxiety is quite a struggle for women and men alike. Many of us are constantly working to overcome overwhelming anxiety. Anxiety is very inconvenient and takes no thought of what I’m trying to accomplish. Come to think of if it is an invasion of my peace.
I also find that anxiety shows up whether I’m ready or not. I have felt it creep up on me in moments like during or after time with family or friends.
That is out of line, right?!
Next, it’s important for you to know that anxiety often presents itself as quick-moving thoughts, a restless leg, upset stomach, tension headache, shortness of breath, you name it!
CIRCUMSTANTIAL or relationship driven anxiety
Most commonly, my anxiety stems from a circumstance involving other individuals. By this, I mean that it is as a result of a person or persons attending an event or person(s) involved with certain news.
These are a few examples of how anxiety can be brought on as a result of interaction with someone.
These circumstances can produce panic.
Example 1 – I’m attending an event/gathering with family and/or friends. A conversation triggers me, sending me to a place of insecurity or offense toward another person(s).
Example 2 – I’m attending an event/gathering with family and friends. A person walks in the room who triggers my insecurities or changes my comfort level.
Example 3 – Watching the news or having a conversation with someone sends me into a whirlwind of emotions.
So, do any of these examples resonate with you? If you seem to encounter anxiety as a result of your circumstances with others, I want to share some hope.
What Would God Have me do To overcome overwhelming anxiety?
God’s will is that we would serve him and that his sons and daughters would love, honor and respect one another. As we serve God and are being filled with the Holy Spirit, he wants three things from us.
Number one, as believers we should walk this earth always remembering the bright future we have ahead of us. We can always take joy in the certainty we have of the second coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the eternal glory we will experience.
Secondly, life on this earth is difficult even for believers. This is not our home. Heaven is our home. We face situations that cause us to become frantic and stressed. But the word of God says for us to be patient in distress. Patience requires us to take a deep breath and dial the intensity back. We may not receive an answer immediately or solve a problem instantaneously with a brother or sister, but having patience allows us to endure as we wait on God to have his way.
Finally, we must stay committed to prayer. God wants to hear from us about everything. As scripture mentions, he wants us to come to Him for wisdom, guidance, and strength. We must not stop praying, even when it’s hard to. Prayer ultimately assists us in our relationships and interactions with others. Call out the name of Jesus, even if you cannot manage to utter the prayer you desire. He will hear your cry, guaranteed.
So, you may be wondering why there is a connection between anxiety and the circumstances/people related to it. Staying hopeful, patient, and prayerful will lower the heightened response that often turns into anxiety and panic.
Wrap up
The anxious thoughts and the physical feelings of distress may come, but I have found that when I focus on what gives me hope, become patient and pray tirelessly that my anxiety begins to lower.
For example, the other night, I was in a lot of pain from stomach spasms brought on by stress. The stress came about after obsessing over what others may think of me. It was so intense. Instead of suffering in pain, I practiced hopefulness, patience, and prayer. Ultimately, God took my pain away. Not only that, he placed me into a state of peace.
It’s is amazing!
Above all, the next time anxiety arises in your life due to your interactions and responses to other people, slow your thinking down and try out these biblical practices. They will assist you in your desire to overcome overwhelming anxiety.
Before you go, do you need prayer? If you feel led to, submit your prayer request here.
Weekly Scripture
“Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” Romans 12:12
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