I took a sabbatical.  What I didn't know as I entered this rest was that the discouragement I had been going through would continue to crash on me.

Discouragement makes you lose hope, and you get spiritually tired. It can cause you to lose faith and begin to doubt God. Discouragement is a powerful attack from the enemy because it can cause someone to quit what God has called them to do.

This is exactly what I was feeling, daily I would offer to quit, I'd put this calling, this ministry, on the altar and ask God to take it back and he'd tell me "NO."

And in the throes of it, I'd get up and serve my clients and my family with every ounce of what I had in my tank. Then I'd crash. EMPTY.

God cares about our discouragement. He wants us to hang in there and keep going. He wants us to choose to trust Him and have faith; you know that Hebrews 11:1 stuff, the substance of things hoped for that is not based on what we see.

He wants us to stand firm and hold tight to His promises, keeping our eyes on Him and not our circumstances.

When we ROAR BACK at discouragement, when we know deep down that God is faithful all the time and we fiercely declare the promises of God, then we get the strength we need to keep going.

And, yes, sometimes this is a daily fight. We have to push back as hard as the pressure is pressing in. You know why?

Because when we keep pressing back against the pressure, then we push through it into a new experience of His presence.

Pressure births His presence.

God was using my discouragement, despair, frustration, and disappointment to birth a new experience of His presence.

And while we are pushing back, the anticipation of experiencing His presence in a new way can be just what we need to keep going.

Hang in there...God's presence is coming. This is not just for me, but for you too.

Have you felt like me this season? Let me pray for you today.

Father God, I thank you for your encouragement to keep pushing. I thank you for reminding us the birth pains are bringing in your Presence in a new way. I declare that you are in this season of frustration and discouragement, WITH US. And through it, out of it, you are going to reveal yourself to us in ways we have not yet seen. We thank you that we live by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) and that this discouragement is temporary. We declare that we will see the glory of the Lord (Exodus 16:7). Thank you, God, for not letting us quit, for helping us be strong and courageous in the face of our trials. God, I release these keys to overcoming discouragement to those reading this today; I decree you are with them in this too. We declare that this season of pressing has a purpose and your presence is coming for us. Amen!

Let's encourage each other, can we do that?

As you push back, please share with me how God is encouraging you to keep going.

~ Cherlyn

P.S. If you are feeling the pressure and need tools on how to stand on the promises of God, then I recommend my book, ROAR BACK: Transforming Struggle Into Strength.

P.P.S. And if you'd like to try prophetic coaching, let me know. Each week God shows up in my coaching sessions and my clients get just what they need to step into freedom and move forward. Email me or message me over social media, and let’s see if working with me is a good fit for you.