Encouragement for those sick or in hard trials: take what God has said & is saying and yield it like a sword.

I am lifting you up. I have been there; sick in body, tired, strange ailments, numerous near death experiences, bad doctor reports, job loss, family & friends who died, and serving others in the midst of extreme circumstances. I joke I have been through 7 levels of hell and back. My encouragement today is sink into what God has said.

No word from God ever fails, it accomplishes EVERYTHING it is sent out to do (Isaiah 55:11). Unlike humans, God always speaks with intention. His words are seeds and when we believe God those words they become a weapon in our hands. Paul told Timothy to wage war with his prophecies.

It is not simply knowing the truth that sets us free. It is believing the truth that sets us free. What we agree with we empower. I confess some days the body will not want to align with truth because it is tired. The body gives out before the mind. There have been moments of professing God’s truth in my mind.

Some things that helped me through hard times:

1. Getting alone with God and asking Him what aspect of His character I am learning through the trial.
2. Worship of God. Worry is worship of the problem. When we turn our eyes to God it recalibrates what we see and our hearts. Sometimes I sleep with worship playing or scriptures playing.
3. Go back and review previous victories with God. Each battle victory becomes a memory stone. Call the mind to remember who God is and what He has already done.
4. Ask the Holy Spirit to search me with the finger of God to reveal any lies I believe or soul wounds unhealed. When we believe lies, we empower the liar (Satan). When we have soul wounds that are unhealed, they can be breeding grounds for infirmity and spiritual attack.
5. Put the word, His promises in front of my face. I have a wall covered in sticky notes with promises from God in my office area. I review and recite what He says.
6. Journal. Get alone with God and write out what God is saying and what is on your heart.
7. Eat healthy, whole foods and drink water. Processed foods introduce major inflammation in the body.
8. Only share struggles with faith filled people not negative, fear filled people. I keep most people on a need to know basis.
9. Cut off the negative medical diagnosis. Yes on paper it says this, yet my destiny is tied to what God is saying. It’s not denying, it’s choosing to align with a greater report. Cease saying “I have …..(insert negative report).” I learned to say they told me this, yet I am believing God for restoration. I stopped claiming what I did not want.
10. Reduce stress. Sometimes that stress is people. I limited some interactions with toxic behaving or needy people. I was drowning and they wanted me to be their savior. No! Go find Jesus and leave me alone.
11. Give thanks daily. I would write out 3 things I was thankful for daily. Gratitude releases feel good hormones in the brain.
12. Stick my feet in earth. It’s called grounding and it does wonders for the body. Whether it was sand or grass, I stick my feet on the earth. There is scientific evidence it greatly improves the health of the body.
13. Find a way to laugh! Laughing boosts the immune system. Laughter truly is medicine for the soul.
14. Let some calls go to voice mail. People have sometimes tried to use me as their crisis manager and it’s draining and not my job. Some people I do not answer the phone for them. I had one lady who would try to take up hours of my day just because we were in a ministry network together. She was selfish and draining. I always felt like I needed a 2 day nap after dealing with her. I set boundaries and prayed her away from me. I was glad when she moved along to her next victim. Set BOUNDARIES!!!!! You also do not need to keep everyone informed of your life details. Some people do not care and just use it as a gossip tool. As said before, I tell people what they need to know only.
15. Take authority over each day. I learned to pray, “I take authority over this day in Jesus name. I bind all accidents, sickness, death, destruction, spiritual attacks, and works of evil.”

What has God said? Stand on that. Proclaim that. Repeat that. Post it where you can see it. Meditate on it daily. Focus on the goodness and power of God. God gave us seed to be used as a weapon against the darkness. Satan works through deception and human agreement. Agree with God. I am alive today because God is faithful to His word. Doctors can say whatever they want, yet God has the final say. In grief and loss, the comfort of God is supernatural. He can be trusted. God loves you!

Love in Christ,

Erin