Have you ever been in a season where you have run out of things to say? You become so drained by the adversity in your life, you don’t know what to pray anymore, you have nothing to say to your friends and you are tired of retelling what you are going through? If you have experienced this, welcome to the ranks of the overcomers!
This is not an attempt to give you a quick fix in seasons of hardship. There’s nothing worse than when people throw out a quick Christian cliche or a slap on the back saying, “You’ll be fine!” Those thoughtless comments do more to irritate than help, but I have found three habits that help in the deepest of trials that bring a hope and an awareness of God’s loving presence:
1. Worship From the Heart
Sometimes the only thing I hear to do during adversity is to simply praise and worship God; without agenda or demand for answers. I do not believe that God is the author of adversity, but these trying circumstances are often training arenas that can pull out a greater level of who I am that has not manifested yet.
Adversity has a way to awaken our attention and our heart. That is the time to pour out our hearts like never before—establishing a new level of relationship that is beyond the “heady”religious ruts people fall into.
I remember years ago when I was going through debilitating anxiety, panic attacks and depression. One of the first things God spoke to my heart was “Praise Me. Worship Me.” My first thought was, “God are you a sick?” I am going through emotional hell here and you want me to just worship You? How bout fixing me so I can worship You with a clear head?”
This was before I understood many of the teachings I bring today about spiritual root issues and healing to the broken heart. My first step in my personal renovation was to build a foundation on the love and presence of God. This practice in the middle of adversity set the tone of relationship for the rest of my life.
Sometimes its best to just shut every thing down and worship God with all your heart. With song, with words or just be still.
2. Recognize the Inner Groanings
I remember speaking to a pastor friend of mine. I was sharing some obstacles I was working through, pouring out my heart about the land I live in, my heart to see people free and the frustration that I’d had with people not necessarily receiving truth. As I opened my heart and spoke my frustration, I was expecting some tips or things that I could adjust in my life to get this anger and irritation out of my heart. I was looking for help in my repentance of this anger and grief I was feeling.
What my friend spoke to me shocked me, but was right on and I believe from the heart of God. He reminded me about the passages in Romans 8 where it speaks of the “groanings” in creation that are taking place. There is an aspect of creation that longs for something more full and complete. We are in this journey of contending for things that are not manifesting yet in every way.
What my friend reminded me of was that many of my inner groanings were actually things that God was feeling over his creation! He was longing to set them free, deliver them and heal them. I was actually in some ways connecting with the heart that Jesus had when He mourned over Jerusalem, because He came to heal them and they would not receive.
Have you ever realized that some of your frustrations may be the groanings of heaven over the land? Instead of letting it make you bitter, let it motivate you to further prayer and intercession. God may be using you to pray the change into existence.
3. Speaking in Tongues
If you don’t believe speaking in tongues is relevant for today, my goal is not to convince you. I know for me, my prayers in English only go so far. Even though praying in my known language can always grow and improve, sometimes my known language and human intellect can only comprehend so far.
That is why sometimes your spirit man needs to take over in a deeper way. As the Bible says, when you pray in an unknown tongue, your spirit prays to God, but your understanding is unfruitful. You move past trying to figure everything out in your own understanding and you move into the heavenly realm of prayer that cuts past the clutter in our minds.
In fact, the Bible says that when a man prays in a unknown tongue, he edifies (encourages) himself. Have you missed out on some great edification because there is no value for tongues in your life?
When you pray in tongues, encouragement and hope can be revived in a way that just speaking or praying in English cannot do. I have personally experienced this. I walk away not having all the answers, but I am given a greater hope to stay in the game and grow stronger in the storm.