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Prison House of Discouragement

By Pastor Dennis Williams

Isaiah 42:6-7  I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

DISCOURAGEMENT: A sense of unhappiness arising from a loss of confidence in one’s abilities,
• a loss of our dependence on God or in the power of the Gospel.
THE WORD DISCOURAGEMENT COMES FROM THE ROOT WORD COURAGE.
• The prefix dis- means “the opposite of.”
• Discouragement is the opposite of courage

WHEN WE ARE DISCOURAGED, WE HAVE LOST THE MOTIVATION TO PRESS FORWARD.

• The mountain seems too high to climb
• the valley too dark
• or the battle too fierce
• and we lose the courage to continue.
Joshua 1:9: Have, not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
• After God’s leader, Moses, died
• Joshua had “big shoes” to fill
• But God told Joshua that “HE” would be with Him
Deuteronomy 31:6: Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

GOD COMMANDS HIS PEOPLE TO TAKE COURAGE
Psalm 31:24: Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.
Psalm 27:14: Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

THE APOSTLE PAUL’S MINISTRY BROUGHT DIFFICULTIES, DISAPPOINTMENTS, FAILURES AND DISCOURAGEMENT.
• But he never quit
• He was committed to the work
• that God called him too
AT THE END OF HIS MINISTRY HE WROTE IN
2 Tim 4:6-7:For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.7 I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

TO BE A COMMITTED MINISTER OR EVEN A CHRISTIAN
• takes everything a person has
• A selfless commitment
• Which sometimes can bring Depression and Discouragement
PAUL WANTED TO TELL TIMOTHY TO “DEAL WITH” THE SAME KINDS OF SITUATIONS THAT HE HAD TO FACE IN THE MINISTRY
2 Timothy 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God;
• Don’t expect things to be a piece of cake
• Smooth sailing
2 Timothy 2:3: Paul said: Thou, therefore, endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.


Give your heart to Jesus today by saying this prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. Please forgive me. Come into my life. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Please, help me to live for you the rest of this life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, I pray.
Amen.

Related posts:

  1. Spiritual Endurance
  2. Our Earthly House
  3. Hunger for Spiritual Food
  4. Strongholds of Sin
  5. God Our Strength

Bible Verse of the Day

But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
James 5:12

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