But there are some remedies.
Instead of falling into the dark hole of despair, we can climb up God's holy mountain so that He can touch us with His holy light and power. We can climb into His presence by praising Him, praising Him even for our problems through which we can learn valuable lessons. Praise God just because He is God; praise Him as Creator, Lover, and Guide.
We love Him because He first loved us. He created us for His glory (Isa.43:7)--Praise has the same effect to the dark world as taking a lion downtown on a leash--the people would back away quickly.
We must deal with unforgiveness. If we are angry or bitter toward someone, the Bible tells us to see to it "that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble" (Heb.12:15). If we have difficulty in getting rid of it, we can ask God to help us. Other sins such as anger, jealousy, or self-pity become a problem if not dealt with. We must repent of all sin.
If our entire life seems to be one massive problem, it is a good idea to write a letter to Jesus telling Him about it. Sign your name, then destroy the letter. One always expects a letter to be answered, and the release of having given the problems to an omnipotent Father gives a quiet assurance and peace.
We can pray that we will find a Bible verse which will help us. The Bible is God's sword to smite the enemy. It is amazing how God will answer such a prayer and lead us immediately to a verse or passage to pierce our hearts like a sword. We can write the scripture down and begin a list of scriptures which speak to us about our particular needs. Read these again when the black clouds return.
If we find the clouds persisting, we will need the love, help and prayers of a strong spirit-filled church to dispel the works of the enemy. We can use the name of Jesus to take authority over it ourselves but, at least at first, we may require help and counselling from someone with more faith than we have.
If we can begin to understand our feelings, we can ask God how He wants us to pray for ourselves. We may be praying in a way which is not the pathway God has chosen for us, or we may need to wait a little longer for the answer. Our heavenly Father teaches us and disciplines us as a loving parent, therefore whatever the circumstances, we must humble ourselves under His mighty hand and be thankful He is with us.
We must realize the power of prayer, and also the necessity to pray. Because we have been given a free will, God waits for prayer before acting. He said, "I looked for a man among them who would...stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none" (Ezek. 22:30). When God decides to move, He first gets someone to pray. If a prayer is in accord with what God wants, the prayer of the vilest sinner will be answered.
It is essential, however, that the sinner get his heart right before God by asking Jesus to live beside and in him for the rest of his life. This is what a born-again or conversion experience is. Because of Jesus' death, the greatest sinner can be set free and be made pure in the sight of God. This is the Good News which the church of Jesus Christ proclaims.
As we press onward and upward to come close to our Maker, the glory of His holy presence gives us peace in the midst of storm and joy in the midst of sorrow (Ps.16:11). We are His children whom He loves, and for whom Jesus, our high priest, prays to the Father day and night (Heb.7:25-26). Let us be sure we do belong to His family!
As we learn to love Him and listen to His voice, the mountains of life's difficulties are the place where we find Him.
© 1999, Doreen Palmer