This week I want to take a small break from our Wellness Revelation Bible Study just to share some things the Lord has been revealing to me. He has been helping me to dig deep, and I know this digging deeper will bring me complete healing and that He is going to use this to help others with the same struggles. And, that is exciting!

This past weekend I attended a “Speak Life” retreat with 9 other ladies. It was a weekend of pouring into one another. One of the exercises we did that had a HUGE impact on all of us was to write down all the negative thoughts just scrolling through our minds about ourselves. We were only given a coupe of minutes to do this…..yet every single one of us came up with several things that we had written down. Mine were:

• I feel misunderstood.
• No one will listen to me.
• I have to prove myself.
• I am only loved if I meet expectations.

Other ladies responded with things like: I am not enough. I am a bad mom. I am not pretty, and many more. And, with a group of 10 ladies, I am sure you can imagine all the deep heart struggles we all came up with and the vulnerability shared. And, it was HARD. It is HARD to share these thoughts out loud. Have you ever tried to? I think the enemy likes us to keep these thoughts (given to us by himself….as the father of lies) to ourselves, never speaking them out loud, because once they are spoken aloud, they can be combatted with the TRUTH, and are no longer valid!!! And, that is exactly what we did!! We listened to these painful beliefs, then we immediately shared with one another what we saw that was TRUE about whoever had just shared. And, every single time, it was the OPPOSITE of what the person felt within their mind.

Here are the TRUTHS that the ladies came up with for me:

• I am loved.
• I am worthy.
• I am a survivor.
• I am seen.
• I am valuable.
• My voice matters.

It brings such healing when we SPEAK LIFE into others, and receive that life from others. Why do we not do this more often? Why don’t we use our voice to be an encouraging word to someone that is probably thinking these same thoughts that we all do!? This is something that I was very convicted to do…to use my voice to bring hope and healing to others. We all have struggles and thoughts that aren’t serving us. We need to dig deep, speak them aloud, and allow the Spirit to fill us with truth through the words of others or through His Word.

After we did this exercise, later that evening, we took the list of negative, non-serving thoughts we had, and tossed them into a bonfire, and then we spoke the TRUTH out loud instead. It was powerful and freeing.

Over the remaining time of the weekend, we had the opportunity to write encouraging notes to one another on cards. We each had a box with our name on it and everyone put their handwritten notes in the each person’s box. This way, at the end of the weekend, we could take our boxes home filled with encouraging notes from all of the other ladies. It was so emotional reading them once we got home, and everyone was so encouraged.

My challenge to you this week is to do this same exercise with someone you can trust. Get vulnerable. Share your heart, and let them help you come up with TRUTHS to combat those lies. If you don’t feel like you have anyone to share with, share with the Lord. Speak them out loud! Then, search His Word for truths that combat those lies! Then, speak those aloud, too! Satan wants to keep us stuck in these thoughts that keep us from moving forward in truth. Don’t allow him to win! God has so much more for each one of us! And, speak some life over someone you know this week….maybe hand write some encouraging words to someone, or speak them out loud. We all can use these kinds of affirmations in our lives!

Love you all!

Dena

P.S. Here is one more powerful video we saw this weekend! It just shows how when we get the lack of belief out of our minds (usually with the help of others) we are set FREE to be who we truly are!! You can watch that here!