Over the last few weeks at our
ministry, we have had so many calls,
both from men and women, sharing how
they have become so discouraged and
disappointed with their lives. No matter
how much they pray and give things to
God, the depression remains. One
believer said, “it’s almost as if my
blood supply has dried up.” This
feeling of heaviness seems to be
absolutely epidemic at this time of
year.
How many of you, at one time or
another, have found yourself in this
same state of mind? Because I have
personally experienced this darkness in
the past, I have given it a name “the
enemy’s cycle of defeat,” which
goes something like this:
discouragement leads to confusion;
confusion then develops into
depression; depression results
in loss of vision, disorientation,
despair and finally, defeat
(feeling like totally giving up).
Because the end result is just what the
enemy wants, he will do anything he can
to send us down this slippery slope.
And, unfortunately, he is succeeding in
many of our lives.
What’s the answer? How can we, as
believers, pull ourselves out from
discouragement, confusion and
depression? How can we stop the enemies
trap? And, how is the “joy of the Lord”
restored in our lives? We know that
it’s impossible to change our own
feelings, so what do we do?
The
answer is: Praise and Worship.
Praise is important because it
immediately quenches the enemy’s arrows
and opens the door to God’s dwelling
place. But worship is
absolutely critical because it’s what
leads us directly into the Lord’s
presence and thus, restores our joy.
Remember Psalm 16:11, “[Only] In Thy
presence, is fullness of joy.”
Praise is something we do externally.
It’s giving thanks to the Lord for all
He has done. Worship, however, is
something that is done internally.
Being in His presence, we will
experience a mutual Love that will bring
us that “fullness of joy” both in our
soul and our spirit. Worship is simply
a divine encounter with God. It means
bowing down and adoring Him in the
spirit. It means prostrating ourselves
before Him in utter dependency and
love. Worship, then, is the key to His
presence (intimacy) and thus, to our joy
and happiness. Our true relationship
with God is actually shown in our
worship of Him.
Where many of us fall short, however, is
that we don’t understand it’s
impossible to worship the Lord if
we are “in the flesh.” Read John
4:23-24, which says “the true worshipers
will worship the Father in spirit and in
truth.” Only when we are “clean,” can
we truly bow down, reverence and adore
Him in our inner man. In other words,
we must first (by faith, not feelings)
confess and repent of “anything in our
lives that is not of faith” (the doubts,
insecurities, fears, etc.). Then, we
must (by faith) give those things to God
and replace them (those negative
thoughts) with His Word. At this point,
(by faith) we are cleansed vessels and
can worship Him “in the beauty of [His]
Holiness.” (Ps.29:2)
Another thing many of us don’t
realize is that worship does
not have to be done in
church, or before a Bible Study or at
certain times of the week. It can be
done daily at home, in our bedroom, in
the bathroom, in our car or even in a
closet. All we need is a willing and
clean heart, our Bible and perhaps some
CD worship music. This is the time when
we can pour out our love for the Lord
and the joy of the Lord will return.
Therefore, the reason why so many of us
have become discouraged, confused and
depressed is because we’re not true
worshippers. Worship not only promises
to restore our joy no matter
what circumstances we face, it also will
bring us the strength we need
to get through those difficulties.
Nehemiah 8:10 tells us, “the joy of the
Lord is our strength.” No wonder the
enemy works so hard to keep us in his
“cycle of defeat.”
How about you?
Do you really worship the Lord? Do you
worship Him privately and in the “beauty
of His holiness?”
Years ago, when I asked myself that very
question, the Lord interrupted my
thoughts and said, “Nancy, you don’t
even know what the word “worship” means;
that’s why you have no joy.” I remember
His voice so clearly. It stopped me in
my tracks! From that time forward, I’ve
made it a point to learn how to truly
worship Him in private and it has
changed my life. Yes, we’ve continued
to have many difficulties and struggles
(as so many of my books reveal), but
that “joy of the Lord” which comes from
my daily intimate worship times, has
given me the strength to persevere
through them all. Truly, “private
worship” is the key to intimacy, joy and
strength.
In closing, R.A. Torrey, the great
author and evangelist once said:
“Transformation only came into my
experience when I learned not only how
to praise (give thanks) to the Lord, but
how to worship Him, asking nothing from
Him, occupied and satisfied with Him
alone.” (Intimacy with God, by
Oswald Sanders, page 21)
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Should you want more information on “how
to” worship, I would recommend our book,
“Private Worship; the Key to Joy.”
And, should you want to learn more about
the enemy’s “Cycle of Defeat” and how to
counteract it with God’s “Cycle of
Trust,” you might want to look at the
little book “Never Give Up.”
Finally, I would again so appreciate it,
if you would pray for our son Mark who
is going in for his reconstructive
surgery on Jan.26th. It looks like he
is cancer-free, so now they are going to
put him back together. Your prayers
have been such a blessing not only to
Mark and his quick recovery from the
last operation, but also to Chuck and I
and the whole family. What a difference
prayer makes. Thank you , thank you,
thank you… “the effectual, fervent
prayer of a righteous man [truly does]
availeth much.” (Ja.5:16)
I love you all,
Agape,
The King's High Way Ministries
