Being in a state of distress is difficult! Our distresses can be the result of mental suffering caused by grief, anxiety, or unhappiness, hardship or problems seemingly caused by lack; physical pain or discomfort; or great difficulty that needs immediate attention. We often worry that there will be no way out of the problem, and we feel closed in, as our distresses seem and feel like an unending cycle. But at this hard place, we must choose to turn toward Jesus. He is the avenue we must travel to find release, rest, and direction for our overburdened heart. It’s ironic, but true; Many of us don’t seriously go to God for help until we finally see we don’t have the wisdom or knowledge to fix the problem on our own. When we finally recognize this and call upon the Lord and cry out to Him, things happen inside our hearts. A wise C.S. Lewis said, “Prayer does not change God, it changes us”. First, our loving heavenly Father hears our cries, just as a loving earthly father would not ignore the cry of his precious child. Next, as we cry out to God with our hearts’ distresses, we release the emotional baggage we carry from living in this imperfect world. Satan attaches to this baggage, and fights to keep us from releasing, and letting is go. Then, as we continue to work out our distress by expressing our feelings of fear, hurt, or anger, He will take a layer of those negatives and…… if we don’t run away from the place of prayer too fast….. Jesus will give us a glimpse of something wonderful in return: a new taste of hope, faith, peace, love, and joy! This kind of prayer pushes back and will defeat our spiritual Enemy. Whatever state of distress you are in today, don’t give up on God; Call on the Lord….. He will help you… hold you up…. and take you to a place where your heart can experience the victory Jesus bought for us.

“In my distress [when seemingly closed in] I called upon the Lord and cried to my God; He heard my voice out of His temple [heavenly dwelling place], and my cry came before Him into His [very] ears” (Psalm 18:6).