“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
To all who mourn in Israel,
He will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair [a spirit of heaviness].
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the Lord has planted for His own glory.” ~ Isaiah 61:1-3, NLT
“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!” ~ Psalm 30:11-12, NLT
“Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Do not hide Your face from me;
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation …
Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies …
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living …
Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!” ~ Psalm 27:7-9.11.13-14, NKJV
Rescue Me from this Sadness
Lord, the Christmas bells are still ringing, and twinkling lights still dot the landscape. Sanctuaries still announce Your birth with red, gold, and silver raiment laced through the evergreens, and yet a spirit of heaviness weighs me and many others down. I need a breakthrough of joy, Lord. Rescue me from this sadness.
It has no rhyme or reason — this sadness. It just is. Perhaps it’s an accumulation of sadness — sorrow upon sorrow, until now it is beginning to consume me. Now I can distinguish it as a spirit of heaviness.
Set me free, Lord. You have promised the oil of joy for the spirit of heaviness. You have promised to set the captives free. I rebuke this heaviness in the Name of Jesus, and I ask You, Holy Spirit, to flow through me with Your Living Water to wash away its grip on me.
I need a breakthrough. Tear down the walls of this stronghold and set my feet to dancing again.
I will sing praise to You and not be silent. I will give thanks to You forever, for You are my God.
You Have Overcome the Spirit of Heaviness
I need a breakthrough with joy, Lord. Transform my sorrow into a whirling dance of ecstatic praise! Not because of my circumstances, but because of You — my faithful, loving God. You alone are worthy of my praise.
I love You, Lord.
In the Name of Jesus I pray,
Amen
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Please don’t carry your burdens alone. I would be honored to pray for you. You may contact me directly at nan@nanjones.com
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Thank you so much for stopping by. I would love for you to share what’s on your heart in the comments below. Scroll a little farther down, and you’ll see where you can leave your comments. Together, we can find the nearness of God in our darkest moments.
Sweet blessings to you,
