" PRAYER RELEASES STRESS "

Welcome, come on in and sit a spell. This week we will be looking into stress and how we can live a stress free life. What is stress and how is it characterized in the dictionary? [ pressure; strain; a force that tends to distort a body].

Difficult circumstances often lead to stress, and complaining is a natural response. When pressure comes your way, resist the temptation to make a quick escape. Instead, focus on God's power and wisdom to help you deal with the cause of your stress. Prayer can release our tensions in times of emotional stress.

Trusting God to be our Rock, Salvation, and Stronghold will change our entire outlook on life. No longer must we be held captive by resentment toward others when they hurt us. When we are resisting in God's strength, nothing can shake us. Resisting the pressure of the moment, satisfying immediate desires without pausing to consider the long-range consequences of what you are about to do.

When we see something we want, our first impulse is to get it. At first we feel intensely satisfied and sometimes even powerful because we have obtained what we set out to get. But immediate pleasure often loses sight of the future. We can avoid making mistakes by comparing the short-term satisfaction with its long-range consequences before we act. When we feel sexual pressure, a marriage vow may seem unimportant. We might feel such a great pressure in one area that nothing else seems to matter and we lose our perspective.

Getting through that short pressure-filled moment is often the most difficult part of overcoming a temptation. If we attempt to meet life's challenges with human effort alone, we will find the pressures and temptations around us too great to resist. We often focus our hope and confidence on some influential leader, failing to realize that in reality it is God who is in command.

Acknowledge God as your Commander In Chief, and avoid the temptation of relying too heavily on human leaders, regardless of their Spiritual Wisdom. Are we clear?

Until Next Time...
Jim,