There will come a time in your life when you'lI find yourself completely alone. Not necessarily in a physical sense, but emotionally and spiritually. A time when even the people you thought would be there for you seem distant or unavailable. A time when the encouragement you're waiting for doesn't arrive. When the comfort you're craving doesn't come through someone else.
In that moment, you'll come to understand what David understood. Sometimes you have to encourage yourself in the Lord. David found himself surrounded by grief betrayal, and threats. Not from strangers, but from his own people. The very ones who had fought beside him were now so broken by their losses that they turned their anger on him. Their pain clouded their perspective. And suddenly David wasn't a leader. They saw him as the reason for their suffering. What did David do? He didn't crumble. He didn't retaliate. He didn't even argue. Scripture simply says, "But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God." There was no friend to hold him up. No one to speak life into his weary
heart. But David had cultivated something deeper. He had built a foundation in God that could not be shaken.
So in the absence of outward support, he turned inward into the presence of God and you will need to do the same. There will be seasons where the text message won't come, the phone won't ring, the worship song won't hit the same, and the silence will scream louder than the comfort of any human voice. That's when you must speak to yourself. You'll need to remind your own soul of God's promises. You'll need to rehearse his faithfulness in your mind. Not because you feel it, but because you believe it. You'll have to say to your heart, "Be still. God has not abandoned you. He's still working. He's still sovereign. He's still good." Encouraging yourself doesn't mean ignoring your pain. It means speaking truth in the midst of it. It means declaring victory while you're still surrounded by battle. It's choosing to believe even when nothing around you has changed yet. You may have to start by whispering it through tears, but keep speaking. Keep reminding yourself of who God is. Tell yourself the word of God and you'lI see strength begin to rise within you. Say to your soul, Nahum chapter 1 verse 7. "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. Even when I feel forgotten, he is still good. He still sees me. l'm not overlooked. I am held. Declare Psalm 1: verse18 to17. "I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord." I will not be defeated by this season. I will live through it. I will testify of it. This is not the end of me. Remind yourself of Isaiah 40:29. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. When I feel too tired to fight, too drained to believe, he strengthens me. I am not doing this alone. Hold on to Deuteronomy 31:8. The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. I don't have to figure everything out. He has gone before me. He walks beside me. He never leaves. This is the power of encouraging yourself in the Lord. You don't need a platform, an audience, or a choir. You need the word of God in your heart and the willingness to believe it even when your circumstances scream the opposite.
And when you begin to declare the word, the lies of the enemy are exposed. The chains that tried to bind your thoughts start to break. Fear loses its grip. Discouragement begins to lift. Why? Because you're no longer leaning on feelings. You're standing on truth. Think of the word of God like a life jacket.
In this unpredictable ocean of life, storms will come, waves will crash. Sometimes you'll feel like you've been thrown into deep waters with no warning. And your boat, your plans, your strength, your understanding may feel like it's falling apart. But if you're wearing the word of God like a life jacket, you won't drown. You may feel the water rise, but you'll stay afloat. You may be shaken, but you won't sink. That's what scripture does. It keeps you buoyant in the flood. It anchors you when the ground gives way. Jesus said in Matthew 7: 24-25, "Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house. Yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock. That rock is the word of God. That rock is Christ himself. He is the unshakable foundation. And when you build your life on him, you will withstand hard times. So when no one else is speaking life into you, speak it yourself. When you feel empty, pour the word into your soul. Let it fill you. Let it remind you of who you are and more importantly, whose you are. Psalm 121: verses 1-2 says, "I lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." So, lift your eyes today. Speak truth over yourself. Encourage yourself in the Lord your God.
Now, let's take a moment to pray together.
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for teaching me that I don't need to wait for someone else to remind me of your faithfulness.
I can open my mouth and speak life. I can declare your word over my mind, my heart, and my situation.
Thank you for giving me the power through your spirit to encourage myself in you, just like David did when al hope seemed lost. When David stood in the ashes of Ziglag, betrayed and abandoned by his own men, you were still there. And instead of sinking into despair, he found strength in you. And so today, I choose to do the same. When I feel pressed on every side, I will run to your word.
When fear whispers in my ear, I will speak your truth aloud. When discouragement surrounds me, I will
stand and say,"My God is faithful. My God is good. My God has not forgotten me." Lord, let me never forget the power of speaking your promises over my soul.
Let me never become silent in my battles. Teach me to talk to myself, not with worry, but with the confidence of your word. Teach me to preach to my own heart, to remind my spirit of what you have already said.
I declare Nahum 1 verse 7 over my life again today. The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.
You care for me, Lord. Even when I feel unseen, even when my prayers feel unanswered. You are my place of safety. I declare Psalm 118:17. I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the Lord.
I speak life over every part of me that feels dead. I will not be buried by discouragement.
I will rise and live again. Lord, your word says you give strength to the weary and increase the power of the weak. I receive your strength today, Lord.
You've already walked ahead of me into every battle l will ever face. You've already prepared a way through what looks impossible.
So, I will not be afraid. I will not be discouraged. I will walk forward knowing that you are already there. Your word is my life jacket, Lord. I may be thrown into the deep, but I will not drown. I may be tested by fire, but I will not be consumed. Because your word is alive. It breathes courage into my lungs. It holds me when nothing else can. And in your word I find you, Jesus. You are the word made flesh. You are the living truth.
And I declare that my heart will cling to you. I will not wait for others to lift me up. I will lift my eyes to the hills where my help comes from. My help comes from you, the maker of heaven and earth.
Holy Spirit, dwell in me richly. Stir up a boldness in my spirit. Help me to resist the enemy's lies. When he tells me l am forgotten, I will remind him that l am engraved on the palms of your hands. When he tells me l have failed, I will declare that your grace is sufficient. When he says the battle is lost, I will proclaim that the victory is already won through the cross of Jesus Christ. Help me to fight not with anger or fear, but with faith and truth. Let your joy be my strength. Let your peace be my anchor. Let your voice be louder than the noise of the world around me. Lord, I cancel every plan of the enemy in the name of Jesus. I plead the blood of Jesus over my life, over my family, over my home. Every trap that has been set by darkness, I command it to fall apart Every lie spoken over me, I break it with truth. Every spiritual chain, I declare it broken by the power of your name. I take refuge in Psalm 34:1-9. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. Yes, Lord, the road may be filled with trials, but your word assures me that you will deliver me out of all of them. Remind me of this when I forget, Holy Spirit. Etch this promise into the walls of my heart. Let it become my song in the night. When afflictions rise, I will not fear because I know that deliverance is coming. Lord, I will not put my hope in human wisdom. I will not trust in money, fame, approval, or intellect. I will not rely on the temporary. I will plant my life in the eternal. I trust in you, Lord. So l speak it now boldly and with faith. l am encouraged in the Lord. I am strong in the Lord. I am covered by the blood of Jesus. l am walking in truth. I am protected by angels. l am delivered from every plan of darkness. I am a child of God rooted in Christ standing in victory. And so, Father, I offer you this prayer, this heart, this worship as a declaration of trust. I know you hear me. I know you love me. And I know you are already at work on my behalf. Thank you, Jesus. In your holy, victorious, everlasting name, I pray.
Amen.
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