To give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…Isaiah 61:3. NKJV.

Last week we look at faith and dealing with discouragement. This week, let’s focus on dealing with heaviness. The spirit of heaviness attempts to come when we face difficult challenges. It often appears during these times in our lives. It brings a sense of hopelessness, despair and discouragement. The goal is to render us powerless and to feel like a victim.

Yesterday I was feeling overwhelmed with the needs of many. As I was vacuuming and preparing for our LIfe Group, my heart felt very heavy. My mind roamed from person to person…trying to figure out who I could call to pray for me. Realization hit–just go to the Father! Tell Him how you are feeling. Car crashes, mentally ill sons, strong cancer possibilities, court case not helpful in an abuse situation…all these concerns rolling around in my heart. I felt the weight of them all. As I cried out to Him, deep from the depths of my spirit came this old scripture song based on Isaiah 61:3.

Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness,

lift up your voice to God

Praise with the Spirit

and with understanding oh magnify the Lord!.

This song was written by David Engles in 2009. As I began attempting to sing the words of this long-forgotten song, the spirit of heaviness began to lift. God began to restore hope. Quickly I recognized the enemy was at work, attempting to distract and undermine God’s Word and work.

My voice was cracked and quiet, but as I began to sing over the vacuum, my spirit began to focus on our God. I realized that He knows and loves every person who is facing those concerns. They were heavy to me because I couldn’t/can’t fix any of them. But He can. Faith began to rise. I determined to stay in faith and trust and not let the heaviness of their situations affect me. Our study on the armor of God came back, and I recognized the enemy had shot a fiery dart our way. I say “our” way, because each of those concerns are from our small Life Group. We are a community. Faith began to rise over fear.

Praise naturally led me to look up. That truth of the words of that song shifted my focus and perspective. I began to think about all the good testimonies we were going to experience when our faith became substance. The enemy attempted to set us up for set back, but God is using it to teach us how to move ahead. When we came together for the meeting, I felt it. The concerns weighed heavy on them.

I share my story and made them sing the song…well encouraged them! One gal Googled it and we listened and tried to sing along to all the verses. The heaviness began to lift. Have the concerns shifted? Not yet, but hopefully our perspective has shifted. If we refuse to wear the spirit of heaviness, we get to wear the garment of praise. Jesus died so we get to make the choice. Aren’t you grateful?

I have a choice. I can choose to believe He will work all things together for good in each of these situations. Alternatively, I can choose not to believe it. Adding my faith with theirs lightens our loads. The prayer of agreement also pushes back the spirit of heaviness.

I was challenged again last night with another family concern for one of our granddaughters. I had to cast that concern back to Him, choosing to know He knows her future and it is good. This morning, sending a text to my son, God reminded me of this verse. God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance to every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8. NKJV. My friends, no matter what you facing, turn to Him. Turn in faith trusting you will have sufficient grace to abound in every good work He has for you. Keep trusting my friend. Praise Him for what He has done, is doing and will do in your situations, no matter how difficult they may seem.

Father, Your loving eyes are on all our friends. You see everything that would bring heaviness. I ask you to touch their hearts with hope, faith, and the courage to praise you. That the spirit of heaviness would not overcome, but they would overcome it because of what you did for us on the cross. In Jesus’ name, amen.