To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Isaiah 61:3 KJV
There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
Acts 5:16 KJV
—
“Vexed” spirit
++*Troubled
++*Harassed
++*Annoyed
++*Distressed
++*Irritated
++*Anger
++*Tossed about
++*Despondency
++*Despairment
++*Overwhelmed
—
Goals of the spirit of heaviness
*To weigh you in order to keep your eyes & head down so you won’t look up from where your strength comes from. (Torment)
*To create darkness that covers God’s light & lamp unto your feet. (Confusion)
*To destroy you, your family, your church, your trust in God. (Death)
21 million American adults struggle with depression (1 out of 15) 1 out of 6 adults will struggle with depression over their lifetime.
—
Since Covid…….
++Mental confusion.
—
Since Covid…….
Depression.
—
Since Covid…….
51% increase of suicide attempts for young for young women (12-17).
—
Since Covid…….
70% will not seek help.
—
Since Covid…….
Loss of zest (lethargic ness)
—
Symptoms of spirit of heaviness:
*Continual sense of sadness
*lack of rest/sleep
*Loss of energy
*Emotional numbness/emotional check-out
*Worry
*Anxiety
*Loss of joy & peace
*Loss of appetite
*Sense of hopelessness and worthlessness
*Thoughts of death as a solution
—
King David
++1 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? 2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent.
—
14 I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax,; It has melted within Me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death.
Psalm 22:1-2, 14-15 NKJV
—
14-18 Curse the day I was born! The day my mother bore me- a curse on it, I say! And curse the man who delivered the news to my father: “You’ve got a new baby- a boy baby!” (How happy it made him.)
—
Let the birth notice be blacked out, deleted from the records, And the man who brought it haunted to his death with the bad news he brought. He should have killed me before I was born, with that womb as my tomb, My mother pregnant for the rest of her life with a baby dead in her womb. Why, oh why, did I ever leave that womb? Life’s been nothing but trouble and tears, and what’s coming is more of the same.
Jeremiah 20:14-18 The Message Bible
—
King Saul
14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
I Samuel 16-14
—
Judas Iscariot
—
How does the spirit of heaviness enter?
++*Open doors
++*Generational bloodlines (Fruit of bad roots)
++*Depression
-Chemical
-Circumstantial
Spiritual
—
However you encounter or classify this spirit. Satan our adversary knows this and will torment and capitalize it’s oppression on you.
—
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn, 3 to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning,the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Isaiah 61:1-3 KJV
—
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 KJV
—
“Who died and left you in charge?”
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Matthew 28:18 NKJV
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
John 20:21 NKJV
The only way we can do the works of the Spirit, the ministry of deliverance and walk in the fullness of His peace is in God’s authority.
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
John 15:15 NKJV
—
The Flow of the Spirit of God in believers
The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts.
Proverbs 20:27 ESV
*The problem for followers of Christ is not the _inlet_, but the problem is the _outlet_.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
John 10:10 ESV
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you. and that your joy may be full.
John 15:11 ESV
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 ESV
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus.
II Corinthians 1:3-4 ESV
Practical understanding of the spirit of heaviness.
*When faith is not flowing out of you….there is fear, worry, and torment.
*When love is not flowing out of you….there is isolation, rejection, betrayal, emotional wreckage, tormentors.
—
*When the Spirit of God is not flowing out of you….you can’t access your gifts, fruits of the Spirit, confusion means less purpose, and absence of God’s presence.
The spirit of heaviness seeks to rewrite and restrict our memory to harm and torment you.
Your memory can enslave you or it can serve you.
“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.
I Corinthians 2:16 ESV
How did Jesus deal with the spirit of heaviness?
Jesus wept.
John 11:35 ESV
—
Rejoice always
I Thessalonians 5:16 ESV
—
And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it
Luke 19:41 ESV