Finding peace in mental prison
In a perfect world our lives after salvation would be an endless string of blissful days without interruption. But the reality is that some days are better than others.
Perhaps one of the more troubling aspects of living in Christ is when we face difficult situations. After all, we entered into our relationship with Jesus thinking that all would be taken care of from that point forward. We anticipate the stress and burdens of our old lives will be removed to experience this peace everyone has spoken about. While, in some ways, this is true, we must understand that God does this in his way, and more often than not, his ways are not ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).
If our ways were working, we wouldn’t have needed to get saved in the first place. So the first thing we must do is begin reconditioning our minds to think like Jesus. First, we must realize that this does not mean trials and tribulations will stop once saved. This can be a complex concept because how can such peace come from a seemingly increased frequency or intensity of the tests in our lives? Let us understand now that Jesus will not remove those difficult times from our lives; instead, he will have an increased presence in them once we are saved. In the eye of the storm, we will often truly discover God, and in those moments, we find the real meaning of peace.
Cry Out To Jesus!
“I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication” (Psalms 142:1). As a daddy, nothing captures my attention faster than for my daughter to cry out for help. Regardless of what I am doing, it takes an immediate back seat when I hear that little voice call out for me. In Isaiah 6:3, we find that the seraphim were worshipping the Lord, but in verse 6, we see that one of them went to minister unto the prophet, Isaiah. After hearing one of his children cry out for help, God temporarily released an angel from the duty of worship to assume the responsibility of ministering. I pray that you will take a moment to realize this fully. When God hears the cry of his children, he will respond.
I also like the wording of this verse. The author cried to the Lord, “with my voice.” I am convinced that it is often not enough to think or contemplate our needs and dependencies on the Lord. When we use our voices, we release them into the atmosphere, and oddly enough, it is more difficult to say them instead of just thinking about them. It takes effort and faith to speak with your voice.
Release It Now!
“I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble” (Psalms 142:2). I firmly believe in fully revealing things unto the Lord. This, of course, is not to say that anything is hidden from him, so this “release” is not for God’s benefit but ours. There is just something about this 2-step process we have uncovered so far. First is to cry out to the Lord, which intimates the need to speak and not just think about it. Next, we need to open our hearts and souls to God completely. This allows us to realize our complete frailty without him and begin the process of building or strengthening a total dependency on him. These are the first steps for us coming out of our mental prisons.
Overwhelmed With Hope
“When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path …” (Psalms 142:3). Now for the crux of the matter; overwhelmed. Our situations will throw their total weight on us, destroying our will to trust in God. But we must remember that he knows our path! He knows how we got here, how to help us walk in it, and he will be there when he leads us out. Never lose hope; therein lies the peace spoken of even while in a mental prison. Maintaining the faith and hope that Jesus has not forgotten about us and is still attentive to our needs. He hears our cries and will stop at nothing to be our strength in the times of our greatest need.
So let us know that it all lies in his path, not ours. When we try to solve our situations, we walk in our path. Since our thoughts are often not his, our courses are often not his. This illustrates that the sooner we give Jesus total control and walk his path, the sooner we will start escaping our mental prisons. Also, by doing things God’s way, we will find the source of our peace. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isaiah 26:3). Your mind has stayed on Jesus when you are walking by faith and believing that in his time you will be delivered.
I Still Feel Abandoned
“I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul” (Psalms 142:4). But what if you cry out to Jesus, release your burdens, and declare your faith, but you still don’t feel the release you need? Allow me to share something I have learned over the years with you. God often allows your situation to reach its greatest desperation before he shows his hand. While there are many reasons for this, I will only point out one. He wants us to know for sure that he brought deliverance. If our situation is at its direst end and we have exhausted everything we understand without any results, it will confirm that God did it all by himself and deserves all the praise and Glory. We now have something to hold onto the next time our faith is tested.
Take, for example, the story of the Exodus for Israel from bondage in Egypt. This was physical bondage, but it applies to our mental prison. “And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen” (Exodus 14:18). Note how the verse says, “when I have gotten me honour …” which is critical to understanding trials. Yes, the children of Israel were going through this, but one of the purposes was for God to get the glory. Take this to heart, and understand it isn’t about you when you go through it!
“And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face and stood behind them:” (Exodus 14:19). See here how God “went before the camp of Israel” thus reinforcing what we spoke of earlier regarding paths. We must follow God’s path while in our mental prisons because only he knows the way out. Lastly, even though Israel followed God (pillar of the cloud), they still faced tribulations from Egypt. Even after getting saved, we will face hard times, but if you read the rest of the story, you will find that God not only provided a way out but also destroyed Egypt!
Never Give Up!
“I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living” (Psalms 142:5). I dare you to believe God so much that you will fight for your breakthrough. Even after crying out, cry out again, and again, and again! He won’t leave you all alone. He is right there, standing right there! “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). When you are going through this, remember that God has already made a way out, so follow his path with unwavering faith.
Restate Your Dependence
“Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low …” (Psalms 142:6). Cry out, “God, I still need you!” Use the humble voice of prayer that stirs God into a frenzy and causes him to assemble the powers of heaven to come to your aid.
For Your Glory God
“Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name …” (Psalms 142:7). Praise him in private for your breakthrough but be prepared to praise him before the earth after he moves in your life. Be ready to share your testimony (another reason for your test). I guarantee he will show up if you cry out to God and state your needs. It may not be in your time, but his timing is perfect. Always remember to cry out, express your dependency, and praise him. Continue this pattern until you are finally released from your mental prison.
