The other morning, I woke up feeling disturbed by a dream. I could only remember bits of it, but the last sound I heard in the dream was a woman crying out for help.
The sound of the cry was so real that I thought maybe my next-door neighbor was in distress. I soon realized it was simply a sound from the dream. Nevertheless, I was left with an uncomfortable feeling, an uneasiness.
In moments like this, when something disturbs us, it can be an easy step to begin to brood and worry. “Was this a warning dream? Is someone in trouble that I know?” And many events in life beyond dreams can also, of course, threaten to unsettle our minds.
But I am reminded of biblical advice as in Psalm 37:8, “Do not fret. It only causes harm.”
This verse seems to be connected to the idea of “Don’t let yourself get angry or stirred up over things,” but it is sound advice no matter what the stimulus. Fretting is not helpful to us.
If we get wound up and worried, it’s hard to stay in the flow of the Spirit. At moments when our peace and rest in the Lord are threatened, the best thing we can begin to do is pray and declare God’s Word over our life and situation, or that of our loved ones.
Taking this step clears away our uneasiness and begins to change the atmosphere surrounding those things for which we have concern. The Bible speaks of the power of the Word:
“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isa. 55:11, NKJV).
Don’t fret!
For more on prayer and declaration, listen here. {eoa}
Dr. Pam Morrison is a pastor who has both led churches and also ministered in the inner city with recovering addicts. She is the author of Jesus and the Addict: Twelve Bible Studies for People Getting Free from Drugs. Her CPN podcast is Rooted by the Stream. Find her at https://linktr.ee/pammorrisonministries and at her website at pammorrisonministries.com.
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