Do you ever wake up and immediately “life and the to do list” starts ticking away in your brain? It’s like the second my eyes pop open, a tidal wave of the things that didn’t get done yesterday starts cascading toward me and threatens to take me out. I can get overwhelmed in the blink of an eye.
The world seems to spin faster and faster with each passing year. So, how do we fight for peace when civilization at large would push us to live at warp speed?
First things first.
The first thing I do is take a breath. Just breathe and choose to say no to the onslaught. Joyce Meyer says we need to set our minds and keep them set each day. I love that woman! She is such a mentor to millions and a mentor to me. So I breathe, and consciously choose to set everything aside for morning devotions. The world can wait. I need to take the reins before things get out of control, and then hand them over to Jesus.
After all, Christ is the Chief Cornerstone and the True Vine. If I don’t connect with Him, how will He show me the way out? I roll out of bed, grab my favorite cup of cheer and head to my chair to connect with Him.
“The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning.” Psalm 25:14 AMPC
Put on your armor.
Every day I need to put on the armor of God. It’s essential. The enemy doesn’t fight fair and we all need divine protection. This instruction is found in Ephesians 6:13-18.
When we started homeschooling a few years ago, I was given a simple and sweet resource for praying through the armor. My girls and I read it each morning during table time and now we have it memorized. It takes just a few minutes to pray through but it’s worth it’s weight in gold. I recogize my need to put it on for myself as soon as I get up and going, and I can tell the difference on days I forget to implement it. Although it’s titled “Kids Prayer”, I will always count myself as a child of God and cultivate childlike faith so I’m good with it.
Jump into the Word.
Remember how I said the Bible is pastureland for my soul and my school book for life? This is one of those times when it comes in really handy to seek Him in His word. I’m a sheep. I need pasture and a Good Shepherd. Some days it’s more apparent to me than others, but it’s true every day. Choosing to lean into my Shepherd and the pastureland of His word guides me on the path of life and helps me remember that He Himself is my peace.
Some of my favorite devotional resources are listed below. These are just jumping off points for me. Some days I just have time to read the entry and pray, which helps settle my heart and puts me in the right mindset. Other days it leads me to deeper study when I can carve out more time. Do what works for you! These are all great places to get started or wonderful tools to add to your collection.
- Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
- Rachel Wojo’s Daily Bible Reading Challenge (find her @ RachelWojo.com)
- Sparkling Gems from the Greek by Rick Renner
- Read the Psalms daily on a rotating schedule (1st day of the month read Psalm 1,31,61,91,121; 2nd day of the month read Psalm 2,32,62,92,122 etc.)
- Read a Proverb a day
Jot down your thoughts.
Some days, especially “onslaught days”, I have trouble sitting still long enough (or quiet enough) to hear Him. I think they call it the human condition. Haha! I have to unburden my heart to Him so all the noise in my head can go quiet. And oftentimes, I have to jot down a few things as I’m processing with Him. (Yes, that’s okay!) Little things pop up and if I don’t capture them on paper, I can tend to get squirmy.
I keep a little notepad close so I can jot down any little “to do” items that may run through my mind as I’m spending my quiet time with Jesus. Once I write them down, I’m able to let them go and refocus my attention where I want it.
Turning it over & Inviting Him in.
The thing I love about Jesus is that He makes Himself available to me at all times of the day or night. And He’s always willing to help. He actually wants me to rely on Him! When I consciously cast my cares on Him and ask for His help, I believe it blesses Him! He wants partnership and for us to go about this thing called life together. He’s my best friend, my safe place and my Rock.
When things feel like they’re spiraling out of control, I use a simple scripture as my go to.
“When I said, My foot is slipping, Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, held me up.” Psalm 94:18 AMPC
I pray a little something like this:
“Jesus, my foot is slipping and I need You to help me up. Can You redeem this day before it even gets started, cause I feel like it’s already out of control. Holy Spirit, I invite you into every space. Please show me what’s important and needs attention today and show me what can wait until tomorrow. Thank You for Your help/participation/intervention and for Your leadership and guidance in my life. I need Thee every hour (runs through my head like the melody) and I’m so grateful for Your friendship and companionship. Help me to keep turning things over to You as they come up. Help me to remember to breathe, choose peace and walk in love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.”
One last thought.
I feel so much better! Don’t you? To recap, the steps I follow are:
- Take a breath and say no to the onslaught
- Grab a cup of cheer and head to my chair
- Put on the Armor of God
- Read the Word
- Jot down thoughts as they come up
- Pray, turn it all over to Him, and invite Him in
Once I do the above steps, I’m ready to get going with my day. I have much more peace in my heart than when I woke up. I’ve taken steps to eliminate a chaotic spirit that would keep me running stressed all day and yield bad results. After this, I put on the worship music and hum my way through what needs to be done. I know I can turn to Him at a moment’s notice if little things try to rear up again throughout the day.
I hope these insights into what helps me out of onslaught are helpful to you. And remember, no matter what time of day an onslaught tries to come at you, you can call a timeout for 5 minutes and implement a mini-version of this. I’d include your armor and a quick prayer for help. Remember, He prepares a table for you in the presence of your enemies. May God give you joy on your journey and the deep sense that He is with you through it all because, He is.
Warrior on friends!
~Kim♥