Search My Emotions - part 2 - Day 15

This is the final week of our prayer and fasting. It is like we are coming down the home stretch.

It reminds me of the runners that are running a race. When they are turning the last corner and coming down the home stretch they begin to run with all their might. So this week I encourage you to be extra focused and give it all you've got. Remember it is not over yet and sometimes it is during the last week or the last few days that the Lord begins to clarify the things that He is speaking to you. As we say the dots begin to connect and you start seeing the picture come into view. Take a minute and look back over the scriptures that He has given you and the things that He has spoken to you.

During this time we are praying everyday the prayer that David prayed in Psalm 26:2 - Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind. I want the Lord to "Examine My Heart" and I know that you want the Lord to examine your heart.

Today's word is listen.

So yesterday we made the point of our emotions being part of our soul. We also said that God wants us to be healthy in our soul. In order to be healthy in our emotions we need to understand how to discern our emotions and deal with them according to the word of God.

Let's use the example of anger. If the Lord is examining our heart and showing us that we have anger issues or tendencies it's up to us to do something about it. So we need to see what God's word says about anger.

Ephesians chapter 4 verse 26 says, "don't sin by letting anger control you." don't let the sun go down while you are still angry." In other words, anger is not sin unless it's controlling you. And if you discover that you're angry, solve it before the end of the day. The solution seems pretty simple, but it requires the grace and mercy and power of the Holy Spirit.

We should not try to justify our anger and hold onto it. The truth is that we can only be angry with the things that anger the Lord. (See Proverbs 6:16-19)

The anger that we are sensing should lead us to do something such as pray, or allow the Holy Spirit in us to make things right if it is possible on our part.

The bottom line to asking and allowing the Holy Spirit to examine us is so that he can show us what we need to correct and give us the steps to correct it.

James chapter 1 verses 19 and 20 give us some insight about dealing with anger. It says my beloved brothers understand this, everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for man's anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires. So, when we find ourselves getting angry, we should listen more intently and speak less. If someone is speaking to us and we are becoming angry at them, we should listen to what they're saying, and at the same time listen to the Holy Spirit. By listening to the Holy Spirit, we are able to say "no" to the anger and "yes" to the spirit so that we know how to properly respond without sinning. We have a verse in Proverbs 15:1 that says a gentle answer turns away wrath.

We should never get to the place where we except the label of… "I'm just an angry person." Again, if we know that we have a tendency to become angry, we should listen more intently to the Holy Spirit. He will show us the way out of every temptation, test and trial.

So, present your emotions to the Lord this morning and allow him to examine and judge any emotion that may be wrong and in need of correction. When we confess it, He is always there with his grace, forgiveness, and help to pass the test and be victorious.

Victory can be defined as walking in the spirit and not the flesh. Remember to listen to the Holy Spirit when you're dealing with anger, or any other emotion that tries to control you. And as you listen to Him, He will show you how to walk in spirit and be victorious.