Lessons Learned from Sunday

Yesterday was a WONDERFUL day at church. I am so thankful for our little church, for our pastor, and for the encouragement that each Sunday brings.

I'll be honest and say that last week was just a rough week in my walk with Christ. I knew I should be praying, yet nothing inside me wanted to pray. When I made myself pray, I felt like I didn't know what to say or that I was just repeating "normal" prayers even though my heart wasn't in it. Admittedly, this is not at all what I want my walk with Christ to be.

I started feeling a little bit better by the end of the week and was really looking forward to the boost that Sunday would give. Our pastor has been doing a series on prayer and I was really looking forward to hearing the next message.

The message on Sunday was just what I needed - and what I think a lot of others needed as well. Here is a little recap (all notes taken from my pastor).

Three things to do when you are overwhelmed from Psalm 42:

1. Pour out your soul to God (v. 4) - the only way to release a depressed spirit is to use your voice and tell God everything going on inside with absolute, child-like honesty. Seeking His face is the best way to quiet your noisy soul.
   (Pastor gave a visual illustration using two cups, one with water and one without.  Just seeing the visual of pouring water from one cup to another as we should pour out our soul to God was a big help to me.)
2. Counsel your soul (vv. 5,11) - do not be a passive student to every thought and impulse that arises in your soul. Instead, by the Holy Spirit's power, become an active teacher of these thoughts and impulses.  
3. Remember the Lord's past deliverances (vv. 5,6,11) - hope in God that He will do the same in the future. 

At the end of the service, we took time to get with our spouse or with another person from church and just pour out our hearts to God. Boy, did I need this. Just telling my God all that I was feeling was such a huge help. Also just bringing to remembrance all of the wonderful things that God has done and thanking Him for that just lightened my "load."


What are you struggling with today? What do you need to just pour out to God? I would encourage you to do it - and to keep doing it. It makes a world of difference!


Kathryne