Group 5 – Section 2

…Heart, turn away from hopelessness and despair about God’s presence! I set my heart to be confident about God’s promise to quench my thirst with a river of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39).

…God tells me to glory in Christ and not to put confidence in the flesh (Phil. 3:3); and, “…the nations will bless themselves in Him, and in Him they will glory” (Jer. 4:2). So I rest into playfully confident faith that I can glory in an abundance of God’s presence by faith that He is coming and is around me here!

…Heart, the gush from the fountain of God IS available to me and I am told to delight myself in abundance (Isa. 55:1-2). Like those verses say, I can trade in the worldly glory and power I normally depend on for an abundance of what pours out from all around God.

…earthly things are not the best I can confidently hope to feed on. God forgives me freely by His grace. Lord, I am thirsty for Your presence. Heart, I CAN trust I am coming to the Lord. And He will draw near to me here.

…my glory is not to protect myself with lies. The presence of God is my glory! Hear it again that I CAN do this because God tells me to “…glory in Christ and put no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3). (pause to intentionally be filled with delight about the significance of abiding before the Lord!)

… (Your name), I turn away from dulling my thirst for God…

…by soothing myself with how much money I spend—God has given me access and freedom to draw near. I will not walk in hopelessness or despair! I am trading dependence on earthly and human glory so I can rightly delight myself in the abundance I receive by feeding on God (Isa. 55:1-2)! (pause to be thankful with childlike delight about the greatness of God’s radiance upon you here!)

…by sleeping too much—my access is free and clear because my access to the Father is by faith in Jesus to make it happen, “…through Him we…have our access in one Spirit to the Father” (Eph. 2:18); “…we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him” (Eph. 3:12).

…by playing too much—the intensity of the radiance around God is always greater. Lord, I love that you are a fountain of power and glory. (pause to hear, believe, and love the God who is close!)

…by distracting myself from God because of hopelessness. God is my courage, and He is “…the fountain of living water, even the Lord.” (Jer. 17:13). I will not be afraid.

…by watching too much TV—I can quench my thirst better with the presence of my God. Only the childlike get to drink from God and make Him their refuge (Ps. 36:7-9). So, I praise and thank You, God, because Your grace includes me.

I cut off and turn away hopelessness and despair because…

…It is right and good for me to make God and His heavenly tabernacle (Ps. 27:1-6) my refuge so I can depend on the nearness of His adequacy and God as my God. (Be thankful that Jesus earned the right to let you drink from Him like a sponge freely!)

…Because we enter by receiving the kingdom of Heaven here (Mark 10:15; Matt. 19:14), I set my heart to thrill myself with the abundance in the throne room coming down from above to settle around me here (James 1:17; Heb. 12:22-24, 28). I am making God my adequacy. So, I set my heart to trust the Word of God enough to depend entirely on His coming and His being God to me here. (pause to be thankful and embrace these truths for yourself!)

…I turn from trying to keep myself away from God, and I repent of letting myself lose hope about receiving His presence and then punishing myself for it. I turn away from despair because God gives grace and glory (Psa. 84:11). Lord, I love Your radiance that You offer so freely. Heart, let yourself believe that I am near to the fountain of God and that God is here.

…Because of faith in the strength of the radiance around God and in His desire to be involved in our world, I am boldly directing my heart to believe that God is shining His presence onto and around me here. The “Spirit of glory” ( 1 Pet. 4:14) is INTENSELY present because I am directing my heart to believe with joy that I can open up like a child and receive from God’s radiance that thunders from the fountain of God. (pause to let yourself feel confident and reassured because you are intent on believing God’s desire to draw near so He can be God to you and more freely do His will on the earth!)

…Heart, God doesn’t hold Himself back from me: My God is always a fountain that never stops gushing the Spirit intensely. “‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I have hope in Him.’“ (Lam. 3:24). (pause to be thankful and love God and the radiance around Him!)

..Heart, “…the children…take refuge…You give them to drink…For with You is the fountain…In Your light we see light” (Psa. 36:8-9). So I am directing my heart into faith that I can enter before God and present my body before Him (Rom. 12:1), by receiving like a child the kingdom of Heaven here (Mark 10:15; Heb. 10:19-22; Heb. 12:22-24, 28); “…soul …my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.” (Psa. 62:5-7). (pause to believe and be thankful about drinking from God like a sponge! Love that God IS a fountain!)

…I “…have boldness and confident access through faith in Him” (Eph. 3:12). “…we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus…draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Heb. 10:19, 22).

…(Your name), I turn away from despair and toward bold confidence because…

…sin is not my best hope of something to glory in. God has promised to fill my soul with abundance and with His goodness (Jer. 31:14), and I set my heart to intentionally treasure God and the greatness of His glory, more than the temporary glory there is in sin. Heart, “…the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge…” (Ps. 73:28). (pause to delight in God’s goodness and nearness to you here!)

…when I believe the Word of God, I can open up more easily and receive God’s Heavenly kingdom coming down here (James 1:17) because when speaking of the mountain of God, Heaven, and angels the Bible says that “…since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude…” (Heb 12:28). Lord, “You are my God…I exalt you” (Psa. 118:28 NIV). Thank You God!

…I can cut off receiving glory from the world, other people, or myself because sin will never satisfy my falling short of God’s glory. The twisted temporary glory there is in rebellious sin makes me feel miserable and is far from what satisfies me best! I turn my heart to believe the supreme goodness of God and open up to Him. I love Your holiness near me, God! I turn my heart to love the significance of receiving God’s Heavenly kingdom around me so that I can do my part in helping advance the rule and reign of Jesus on earth.

…I can repent of depending on glory from pride. I can humble myself and boldly direct my heart toward boasting in the nearness of God. Heart, it is not prideful to boast in God because; “My soul will make its boast in the Lord; The humble will hear it and rejoice” (Psa. 34:2); “…let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares the Lord” (Jer. 9:24).

…I can repent of despair, hopelessness, and unforgiveness even when I don’t get as much attention as others. I can repent because the attention I crave is only satisfied by the nearness of my great God. Lord, I love that You see me. The truth about me is that I crave the nearness of God’s love. By faith in God’s grace to draw near I can have His love with me here.

…Heart, Jesus said to “…abide in my love” (John 15:9). And, “…God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (2Cor 6:16). So, by faith, I believe that Heaven is coming down from above (James 1:17) more and more; God love is touching me all around, and my eyes are looking at Jesus before me here.

…I can repent of despair and hopelessness because of my lacking athletic abilities. Lord, I love Your adequacy close to me, and by satisfying myself with You, You become my God instead of other things. I am directing my heart to love the closeness of God as my significance. When the demonic realm tries to push despair or hopelessness onto me, I turn my heart to God and punish them by playfully receiving Heaven here like a child! I love Your glory, Lord. YOU are my God.

…I can repent of pushing for pride from having the right things and the best clothes. God is my greatest possession. God says to me, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32). So I set my heart on loving that I can clothe myself with God’s heavenly kingdom! Thank You for drawing near and being the armor of light and holiness around me that burns demonic enemies when they try to get close enough to tempt me with sin (Rom. 13:12-14)! (pause to be thankful and love God and His holiness close and touching you here!)

…I set my heart to repent of being afraid to depend on God to draw near to me here! I bind the power, influence, and effectiveness of pride and fear in me. I loose the mountain of God, the kingdom of Heaven, and angels onto my pride and fear and any demonic beings pushing me into holding back for these reasons. I loose the mountain of God, the kingdom of Heaven, and angels so that every high and lofty thought that rises up against the knowledge of God can be broken down; and so that the will of God can be done more fully on earth as it is in Heaven.

…(Your name), I turn from dulling my thirst for God…

…by trying to soothe myself with a cigarette because God is “…the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3). Because “…the kingdom of God is…righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17), I can turn my heart to love that the presence of God and the peace that comes with Heaven around me soothes and calms me better!

…by taking drugs. I love that I can escape into God and His kingdom as my hiding place and refuge. Cuddling into and hiding in the presence of God takes away all reasons for needing to escape in other ways! By receiving the presence of God, the kingdom of Heaven around me here becomes a reality that is more real than the material world! Heart, be thankful and love that by His sinless life and death on my behalf, Jesus earned the right to send the Holy Spirit to me freely, for salvation and after (John 16:7; Psa. 54:4).

…I can repent of drinking alcohol because God designed me to drink from Him and be “satisfied” by the greatness of His power and glory close to me (Ps. 63:1-2, 5)! Heart, the radiance around God is my escape. Lord, I love that I don’t have to lose confidence to drink from You. I love that Your holy brightness washes me clean (1 John 1:5, 7). Because God washes me holy, I can trust that I am close to God without fear. I love that “…those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You” (Psa. 9:10). Alcohol is not my best hope for reassurance and what soothes my pain. The nearness of God is my comfort and I turn my heart to depend on Him instead of alcohol.

…(Your name), I turn away from embracing hopelessness about drinking from God…

…I set my heart to maintain my faith in God and avoid hopelessness by intentionally enjoying that Heaven comes and is far greater and better for me than earthly glory or sin!

…Because “…we…receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Gal 3:14), and we are to receive Heaven with gratitude (Heb. 12:22-24, 28), I set my heart to enjoy believing that Heaven is coming to me here! The radiance of God’s “Spirit of glory” (1 Peter 4:14) and power (Acts 1:8) around me is available because God “gives grace and glory” (Ps. 84:11) and He tells us to delight ourselves in abundance (Isa. 55:1-2).

…I grab my soul and turn it away from using despair in order to soothe my pain. I turn from trying to avoid hope. And, I turn from letting myself lose confidence about receiving God’s presence and then punishing myself for it. Lord, I love that I can confidently draw near to You and “…drink of the river of Your delights” (Psa 36:8). I face my whole being toward You and by faith I am trusting that my eyes are looking at You. (pause to thank God that you can receive God’s radiance on and all around you!)

…Heart, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psa. 73:26 NIV).

…”…I have hope in Him” (Lam. 3:24), and I maintain that hope by continuing to direct my heart into greater childlike love for God and dependence on His presence. Life works best when I turn away from other things and depend on the kingdom of Heaven and the presence of God around me here for my sense of well-being; “…You are my Lord; I have no good besides You.” (Psa. 16:2).

…Lord, You have promised me that “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Heb. 13:5), and because of salvation, this will always be true. But heart, more is available than just drinking from God for salvation (1 Cor. 12:13). It says, “…You give them to drink…For with You is the fountain…” (Psa. 36:8,9); “…through Him we…have our access in one Spirit to the Father” (Eph. 2:18); “…draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

…”Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new…I will even make a roadway in the wilderness…and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people. (Isa 43:18-20). The “something new” that God promised is that we would “drink” from Him. God wants all people to drink from Him because “All who forsake You will be put to shame. / Those who turn away on earth will be written down, / Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the LORD” (Jer. 17:13).

…So heart, “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord” (Psa. 31:24); “…Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence” (Psa. 42:5); “…You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my confidence…” (Psa. 71:5); “You are my God…I exalt you.” (Psa. 118:28 NIV). (pause to be thankful; delight in the abundance of God!)

…(Your name), rejoice that my glorying in God is not prevented by…

…the people who didn’t love me when I was growing up. My God loves the weak and cares about those who have been hurt. (pause to thank Jesus for earning your right to receive the presence of God freely and by faith!)

…the abuse I received. My God isn’t the same as those who hurt me. My God is good, and I can confidently trust Him. (pause to be thankful and love the God who is close!)

…what _____________________ did to me. Lord, I love that You are good and that You do good.

…the health that I don’t have yet. My God is a God who heals. Lord, I love that I can trust You for healing. So, I set my heart to believe more and more that where Heaven is, there is no sickness or disease. Thank You, God, that healing comes, when You touch a sickness or disease.

…their ability to intimidate people with the strength of their anger and contempt.

…their cold-hearted shamelessness.

…the religious games they play.

…their ability to make people hurt.

…their cunning deceitfulness and their ability to lie.

…their love of sin.

…how much they treasure meaningless and trivial things.

…their love of controlling people with fear.

…how impressive or important they are.

…(Your name), I turn away from ways of finding confidence apart from God…

…I turn away from confidence based on twisted forms of pride. Heart, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Gal. 6:7). I repent of being unforgiving, bitter, and prideful toward people who don’t understand and have no interest in drinking from God. Thank You, God, that You hear me when I pray for them! Thank You, God, that I can receive on their behalf.

…Heart, “‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I have hope in Him.’” (Lam. 3:24).. The Lord is my portion because I am setting my heart to depend on nothing else!

…Heart, God is worthy of our love because He tells us what He values when He says, “…let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,’ declares the Lord” (Jer. 9:24). God wants freedom to act with lovingkindness toward people. It is evil God wants to judge. He doesn’t want judgment for people unless they choose it: “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil” (1 J1 John 3:8).

…Strongly, I grab my soul and turn it away from thinking I should settle for hopelessness and despair. I can have more because my God gives grace and glory (Psa. 84:11). I turn away from letting myself lose confidence about receiving God’s presence so I can then punish myself for losing hope.

…Lord, I love that I can confidently draw near to You and “…drink of the river of Your delights” (Psa 36:8). Lord, I love Your abundant grace. (pause to delight yourself in the abundance of the fountain of God! Isa 55:1,2)

…“…as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more” (Psa. 71:14); “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord.” (Psa. 31:24); “…I have hope in Him.” (Lam. 3:24) (pause to be thankful and love the God who is close!)

…“…soul…my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.” (Psa.. 62:5-7): “…Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.” (Psa. 42:5). (pause to let yourself feel reassured and strengthened by God’s presence!)

…Lord, You are my confidence. Because I have to open up to God with the freedom of a child, I must turn away from self-protection by holding onto hopelessness about receiving God’s presence! I submit to the truth in the Scriptures and I rest into bold faith that I am before the throne of God with my physical body here: the radiance around God is so great it makes a lake and a river of the Spirit before the throne (Rev. 22:1; Rev. 4:6)! Heart, love that by humbling myself to take refuge in the Lord, I can drink like a sponge from the fountain of God and from the river of God’s delights (Psa 36:8).

…“Let the godly ones exult in glory…Let the high praises of God be in their mouth…” (Psa. 149:56).

(pause to be thankful and delight yourself in the abundance around God!)

…(Your name), I turn away from losing confidence to drink from God when…

…people try to prevent what is good.

…people don’t care enough about unrighteousness and even seem to disapprove of what is right.

…people I care about appear to love lies and think that evil is good.

…it feels like the risk is great, and “self-protection” seems better.

…they don’t share my hope for the future and don’t want to understand.

…they are not the friend that I wanted them to be.

…everything seems to be going against me, and nothing is cooperating with my goals.

…they don’t value my contribution or what I have to offer.

…lovingkindness and compassion are not valued.

…people are insensitive and hurtful. (Be thankful about not having to lose hope or confidence about drinking from God!)

… I turn away from letting my confidence be shaken…

…when others keep trying to justify themselves.

…when people seem to think I am a joke and want to gloat over being ‘above’ me.

…when other people try to get me to do bad things. (Be thankful about not losing faith to drink from God!)

…when others won’t receive my help. (Be thankful about not losing confidence to drink from God!)

… when people are afraid to face the truth and change. (Delight with faith about the abundance from the fountain of God!)

… when people reject the gospel that God has used to set me free. (pause to love the abundance around God!)

… when friends don’t want to talk to me sometimes. (Believe you CAN drink from God and receive His presence!)

…when others put limits on me because they don’t have vision. (pause to delight in the abundance of the river!)

…I don’t have to lose confidence to glory in God because I “…have boldness and confident access through faith in Him” (Eph. 3:12). (pause to delight yourself in the abundance of the fountain!)

…I turn away from despair because my best hope to quench my thirst is not with myself. I turn from trying to force myself to stay away from God. And I repent of letting myself lose confidence about receiving God’s presence and then punishing myself for it. Lord, I love that I can confidently draw near to You and “…drink of the river of Your delights” (Psa 36:8).

…The Lord is my God, and I love YOUR closeness, Lord. By faith in the strength of the radiance around God, I set my heart to believe that God is shining His presence onto me here. God’s Spirit is coming and is more INTENSELY present with each moment because of the power of the radiance that thunders from the fountain of God. (pause to let yourself feel delight about the abundance of the radiance coming from the fountain of God; Isa 55:1-2.)

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psa. 73:26 NIV); “…God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (2Cor 6:16). (pause to hear, believe, and love the God who is close!)

…You will never leave us or forsake us (Heb. 13:5), but You also tell us to seek (Matt. 6:33) and to receive the kingdom of Heaven with gratitude (Heb. 12:22-24, 28). When I trust Your kingdom comes to me here, I can say with confidence that “…You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my confidence…” (Psa. 71:5); “…Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.” (Psa. 42:5).

…Thank You, again God, that I can confidently put my hope for the help of Your “presence” (Psa. 42:5); “…as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more” (Psa. 71:14); “…My soul clings to You…” (Psa. 63:8). (pause to hear, believe, and treasure the Scriptures about depending on God who draws near!)

…Heart, even “Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places.” (Hab. 3:17-19). (pause to hear, believe, and love the radiance around God!)

…“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psa. 34:18); “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord.” (Psa. 31:24).

…Because we receive the Spirit by faith (Gal. 3:14), it is by faith in the strength of the radiance around God, that I can freely believe and treasure that God is shining an abundance of His presence onto me here. Heart, it pleases God when I believe He is coming to me because of my faith (Heb. 11:6).

… I turn away from finding reassurance, protection, and confidence apart from God…

…I delight that don’t have to believe lies that I need to avoid being confident of my hope to glory in God. I denounce these things! Lord, You are the God of all glory. Lord, You are my God—I pray that You would rebuke any enemy pushing me to protect myself with disbelief. And Lord, I ask that with Your authority and power, You would command the forces of evil to leave me alone and never come back. (pause to let yourself believe that God is doing it)

…I turn away from hopelessness and despair. I turn from trying to keep myself away from God. I repent of letting myself lose confidence about receiving God’s presence and then punishing myself for it. Lord, I love that I can confidently draw near to You and “…drink of the river of Your delights” (Psa 36:8). Heart, let yourself believe that I am near to the fountain of God and that God is here.

…Heart, as long as I stay open to receiving, God’s Spirit comes increasingly because the glorification of Jesus never stops gushing from Him (John 7:37-39). Thank You, God, that the radiance around You thunders with intensity, and when I receive Heaven upon and around me, the fountain of God is before me here (2 Chron 29:11; Ps. 100:2). Because of Your drawing near, I can trust God as my adequacy. And, “Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God (2 Cor. 3:4-5). (pause to let yourself feel adequate because God is your God, and His adequacy is close and all around you here!)

“‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I have hope in Him.’“ (Lam. 3:24).

“…love is from God…” (1 John 4:7). “keep yourselves in the love of God…” (Jude 1:21). (pause to trust with faith that the love of God is surrounding you and treasure love reassures you!)

…I rest into believing that You are radiating Your Holy Spirit onto me: “…God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psa. 73:26 NIV) (pause to hear, believe, and love the God who is close!) “How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O Lord, they walk in the light of Your countenance. In Your name they rejoice all the day, and by Your righteousness they are exalted. For You are the glory of their strength…For our shield belongs to the Lord, and our king to the Holy One of Israel” (Psa. 89:15-18). (pause to love the Holy Spirit pouring out from God — John 7:37-39.)

…Lord, I joyfully submit into bold faith I can enter and come with confidence before Your throne (Heb. 4:16). Thank You, God, that You wash me clean when I trust by faith, and I am grateful for receiving Your heavenly kingdom here (Heb. 10:19-22; Heb. 12:22-24, 28). (pause to love that you can open up inside and your body can drink from God like a sponge.)

…Heart, when I come before the Lord, there is “…a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Rev. 22:1); “…and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal….” (Rev. 4:6; 22:1); and, because the pattern of the Old Testament temple was a copy of Heavenly things (Heb. 9:24), it applies to me as a kingdom priest that “…the sea was for the priests to wash in” (2 Chron. 4:6; see also Exo. 30:21).

…(Your name), I repent and turn away from dulling my thirst for God…

…by sleeping too much—the radiance of God is readily available to me personally. Lord, I praise You God.

…by stuffing the pain with food—I can fill myself with the presence of God. Lord, I love Your grace.

…by soothing myself with sin—it is much easier and better to soothe myself with the radiance of God close to me and touching me.

…by wanting to find pleasure in rebellious sin—standing before the Lord and having Him before me is far more thrilling. (pause to grow your faith that the radiance from God is freely available if only you will believe you are receiving.)

…I repent and turn away from dullness about drawing near to God because of…

…my human condition or my lack of significance apart from God.

…circumstances or people that aren’t cooperating. (pause to stir up confident faith about drinking from God and that He will come to you so He can be God to You here!)

…how much I have struggled with sin and failed. (pause to delight yourself in abundance Isa 55:1,2)

…the clothes I don’t have.

…the promotion or the job I didn’t get.

…my human imperfections.

…my not thinking as clearly as others. (pause to be confident in your faith about these things)

I repent of losing confidence about opening up to God and trusting Him to draw near…

…I turn from despair because my best hope to quench my thirst is not with myself. The Lord is my God. I turn from trying to avoid God by letting myself lose confidence about receiving His presence and then punishing myself for it.

“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.” (Psa. 43:5)…

“My soul shall make its boast in the Lord…” (Psa. 34:2)

Heart hear this: “He is your praise…” (Deut. 10:21)

“…as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more.” (Psa. 71:14); “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I have hope in Him’” (Lam. 3:21-24).

…I humble myself into believing I can “…worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus…” (Phil. 3:3); “I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Your name forever.” (Psa. 86:12); “…My soul clings to You…” (Psa. 63:8). (pause to let yourself love God’s presence!)

I turn away from losing confidence about God drawing near and drinking from Him…

…when unrighteousness seems like it is everywhere.

…when other people try to get me to do bad things. They don’t keep me from depending on God as my God!

…when it is a struggle to allow my heart to believe. I can fight with my disbelief and boldly direct my heart into greater faith.

…when evil is being so evil. (pause to let it sink into your heart that God is your confidence, security, and worth.)

…when the right things didn’t get done.

…when injustice wants to overwhelm me.

…I turn my heart to enjoy trusting that when I receive Heaven with gratitude and faith of a child, the peace of God comes down upon injustice in the world; the mountain of God crushes evil; the holiness of God burns injustice away; angels come to fight, evil gets destroyed, and God’s will is done on earth as it is in Heaven. (determine that nothing can stop you from drinking from God and enjoying Him as your God.)

…when the circumstances don’t cooperate or when circumstances want to overwhelm me. I turn my heart back to God with joyful declarations of faith about His will being done more fully on earth when, by faith, I enjoy receiving His kingdom here.

…when other people make God’s approval a thing to achieve. I declare to my heart reasons for joyfully bold faith. I have God’s acceptance by salvation (Rom. 15:16). I have His approval by my faith (Heb. 11:1). I have God’s pleasure by believing He is rewarding me with His presence when I seek Him (Heb. 11:6)!

…when someone doesn’t want to be my friend. Heart, God is my friend, and when I trust He is around me, I can cuddle into His presence for comfort and reassurance!

…when they won’t move ahead because of their fears. Instead of getting stuck by that, I thank God that I can be faithful to receive His kingdom and keep working to fulfill my calling.

…I turn from despair because my best hope to quench my thirst is not with myself. I turn from trying to distract myself from God. I turn away from twisted ways of keeping myself away from God; I cut off letting myself lose faith in receiving His presence and then punishing myself for it so I won’t want to let Him draw near. Heart, the Lord is my God, and He is a far better God than I could ever be to myself!

…“Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.” (Psa. 43:5).

…Heart, “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord” (Psa. 31:24);

“…The Lord is my God.” (Zech.. 13:9); “…I have hope in Him.” (Lam. 3:24); “…My soul clings to You…” (Psa. 63:8); “…as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more.” (Psa. 71:14).

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psa. 73:26 NIV); “…soul…my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.” (Psa. 62:5-7); “My soul shall make its boast in the Lord…” (Psa. 34:2); Heart, “He is your praise…” (Deut. 10:21). (pause to believe you ARE receiving the radiance from God as cleansing! Determine that nothing can keep you from opening up and drinking from God! )

…Heart, I turn my heart to believe I can draw near and drink (receive) the Holy Spirit, any time, anywhere, as much as I want! Jesus said, “…come to Me and drink…From [my] innermost being will flow rivers…of the Spirit…” (John 7:37-39). “…come to the waters…delight yourself in abundance.” (Isa. 55:1,2); “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; and You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.” (Psa. 36:7-9). “Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary…” (Psa. 150:1).