She was willing, but defeat was nearly palpable. When I was with her, I felt like a jackhammer was running in her mind. For a few minutes, she had clarity and determination and then, in a flash, she would be swamped by some noise of defeat hammering her mind.
I told her regardless of her meds decision, I wanted her to employ a new tool. She is an avid Christ follower, and the surrender of her family to whatever God has for them meant she had a new reservoir of power available to her. How could she discover it for this fight?
Galatians 5:
Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.The free life requires action on our part. Christ did the work of dying on the cross; we have to do the work of learning how to stand against anxiety by integrating that freedom. Believers have access but we have to know how to employ it.
As the jackhammer began yet another round, I said to my friend, "Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind a word that has meaning between the two of you. I'll be quiet until you let me know you have your word."
When she nodded, I continued, "I am going to pray an extensive prayer, most of which you will not remember or perhaps even hear. I am going to call on God and his promises to teach us strength of mind, and ask him to surround you with all the love and power he offers. I am going to ask him to link that prayer with your word, so that all you have to do is utter the word in the days ahead to issue this prayer over and over. That will say to the enemy that you are serious about fighting against him--that the harness of anxiety slavery can no longer be put on you."
Many days have passed and she has repeated her buzzword hundreds of times. And her strength grows...palpably. When we pray what I am calling buzzword prayers, we ignite the power of a prayer set before God when our strength can only utter a word.
My new buzzword is hope. Behind it lies a prayer that only God knows, addressing an anxiety that would grow into a jackhammer if I let it. My friend and I are living proof that strength grows, one word, one Word, at a time.
Tomorrow: One piece at a time.
Comments are welcome at feedyourstrength@gmail.com.
