Are you feeling down? Talk to God. Be honest about your feelings. You don’t need to pretend that you’re fine when you are struggling with pain and sorrow. Instead, do as Nehemiah did: Cry. Be sad. Mourn. Grieve. Ask God to help you believe that tomorrow will be better.

We live in a world of instant gratification, so when God’s timing is at work, our instinct is to take our lives in our own hands and wear ourselves out trying to force an outcome. Be patient. When we wait on God’s timing, the ingredients of success and accomplishment will be there.

Life’s challenges can sometimes turn you upside down and make you feel ripped apart. When you are feeling shaken and sifted like Peter in today’s verse, Jesus intercedes. When you are at your lowest, He is by your side.

Instead focusing on past experiences that caused you regret and bitterness, fill your mind with positive thoughts. Spend time with God. Ask Him to help heal your broken heart and turn your pain into power with a purpose.

When you are feeling overwhelmed and exhausted like David in the above verse, know that you do not have to face your problems alone. Take a few deep breaths and exhale your tension. Turn to God. Surrender your anxiety to Him. Pray and ask God to fill you with His perfect peace.

Jesus told his followers to keep prayer simple. Your Father knows what you need before you ask, so you don’t have use formal words or rehearsed language. Pray simply with the understanding that God wants to help solve your problems.