Sometimes we have to take drastic measures. Sometimes we have let the enemy have such free access to our minds and our lives that we have forgotten how to block him out so we can focus and hear the voice of God. Once, during a church service, while I was waiting for prayer, I heard the voice of someone who I know doesn’t like me nearby. Immediately, that critical voice sprang up to say all the negative things I believed she thought of me. I was reeling, unable to concentrate in prayer. I didn’t know what else to do. So I put my hands over my ears and started praying in the Spirit louder, to block out the other voice.
I was amazed at how that helped. It made me think of a news clip that showed a young autistic girl who suddenly began typing on a computer and showing that she was intelligent and aware of everything. She explained why she rocks and covers her ears and makes humming sounds – her system was overloaded by all of the external stimulus (sounds, lights, etc.) and so she would cover her ears and make her own sounds to drown out everything else.
God has been showing me how much access I have given the enemy to my mind, and how my attitudes and thoughts have been affected by his continual negative line of attack. I realized that as soon as someone would say something, this cynical voice (which by now sounded like my own) would start going on and on negatively, derailing me from any positive thoughts. I asked God how I should deal with it. The answer was to drown it out.
Drown it out? You mean, cover my ears and pray out loud wherever I was, with whomever I was? I don’t think so. The He corrected me. No, memorize scripture, and when the critical voice starts speaking, start going over memorized scriptures. I tried it, and guess what? It works!
I have 2 standards I have brought back – Psalm 1 and Psalm 23. I would ambitiously like to memorize Psalm 119, but I don’t know if that’s God’s will or my own extremism. I also pulled out some old music I had written where I had put psalms to music, and started remembering those scriptures as well. Just by having those scriptures available in my head, I have been able to block the voice, because I am incapable of hearing 2 things at once – I can only focus on one thing at a time. This is another reason why the enemy has had such a field day with me; I would be mesmerized by the words he would say and couldn’t focus on reason or how to come back.
Finally, my problem with talking over people would come in handy. I just interrupted the enemy and started saying in my head Psalm 1. That wiped him out COMPLETELY. I moved on to Psalm 23. By that time, the enemy was gone. Wow.
So I don’t know if the strategy will work for you as it has worked for me, but as we all know, negativity is what pulls us away from the hope that we have found in God. Negativity about ourself and others isolates us from God and from our brothers and sisters in Christ, and then allows Satan to do his best to convince us that God ISN’T good, as He has previously shown He is, and CAN’T be trusted. Do whatever you can to block those negative, critical and cynical statements in your head as if your life depends on it, because it very well may. Memorize a scripture and try it.
Penny Haynes
Thank you so much for this! I would love to know if you have support groups all over the country for women like us. Your site is helping many people. Thank u!
Thanks so much for the encouragement. I would love for there to be local groups everywhere eventually, but for now, God has me learning from the women in the online FB group. I hope to create some tools for groups to use to help and support one another based on what I learn. The only local group I have is at a family violence shelter, and not many women come, as most women are ashamed that they deal with depression.
Thank you so much for stepping out and sharing your struggle and insight on scripture. I’ve heard voices you spoke of and dealt with depression since before i can remember. I’ll try the scriptures you suggested. God bless you
Thank you for taking the time to visit and comment, Jennifer. There truly can be freedom from the depression if we are willing to deal with it issues and let the Lord heal us no matter how slow the process. Please consider joining our Facebook group, as I believe you will get a lot of encouragement from the other women there. They understand. God bless you.