Dear Lord,
Sometimes my soul is troubled with sadness. But because You are my help and my God, I know that I can praise You anyway. I call out to You, and You answer me.
Things happen in life that are sad, and at times my sadness is an appropriate emotion. However, when that sadness won’t quit or when a dark spirit tries to chain my heart to despair, it’s time to place myself under Your authority. It’s time to shoo that dark spirit away. So I say to any dark spirit trying to attach itself to my emotions, “Shoo! Leave now in the power and authority of the name and the blood of Jesus. I revoke any agreement I may have made with you that allows you to torment me.”
Lord, I also know that You never place darkness into my soul because You give me the light of Your presence. You allow me to trade my ashes for a crown of beauty, my sorrow for the oil of joy, the spirit of hopelessness for the spirit of praise. I make that trade now!
Because of all You’ve done for me, I will be like a beautiful oak tree planted by You.
Fill my mind with beauty and truth instead of darkness or dark media. Lead me to meditate on those things that are honorable, right, pure, lovely, good, virtuous, and praiseworthy.
My sadness will dissolve, and I will praise You for the joy You have restored to my life.
In the name of Jesus, amen.
Why are you sad, O my soul? Why have you become troubled within me? Hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my help and my God.
Psalm 42:11 NLV
In my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me.
Jonah 2:2 NIV
So place yourselves under God’s authority. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you.
James 4:7 GW
To those who have sorrow in Zion I will give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes. I will give them the oil of joy instead of sorrow, and a spirit of praise instead of a spirit of no hope. Then they will be called oaks that are right with God, planted by the Lord, that He may be honored.
Isaiah 61:3 NLV
Finally, brothers and sisters, fill your minds with beauty and truth. Meditate on whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is good, whatever is virtuous and praiseworthy.
Philippians 4:8 VOICE