Why so downcast, oh my soul? Put your hope in God.

We know that David encouraged himself in the Lord. He was in that dark cave with the despondent men who had very little hope in life. They were debtors and down on their luck. Later these discouraged souls become known as the mighty men of valor.

But why does it work? Why does encouraging yourself IN THE LORD help you overcome discouragement?

Well, first we should examine some ways of encouraging oneself in the Lord.

Praise: You knew that would be first. When you lift your voice to praise the Lord, it's nearly impossible to speak doubt. We can't say "Woe is me" and "Praise the Lord" in the same breathe. We have to choose whether we will lift up our faith or speak our problems. The Lord wants you to cry out to Him --of course we are His children--but He wants us to learn to speak His Word and believe we will see His answer. Speak this Psalm aloud and then tell me you don't feel encouraged.

Psalm 147

¹PRAISE THE Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God, for He is gracious and lovely; praise is becoming and appropriate. ²The Lord is building up Jerusalem; He is gathering together the exiles of Israel.³He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds curing their pains and their sorrows.

Prayer: But we need to resist praying the problem. God knows the problem --since you told him twice last week. He wants you to start praying --or speaking -- the answer that's already written in His Word. Remember Job admitting that what he feared had fallen upon him. I want to speak what I want to come upon me NOT what I fear. Fears get more powerful as we speak them aloud. On the other hand, our faith can grow too. Remember Jesus teaching his disciples that the Word of God is like a seed.

Matthew 13:23
But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

I desire to speak God's Word over my situation so that I can see my faith grow and not my fear. That type of prayer will encourage you.

We are reminded in Psalms 107
¹⁹Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivers them out of their distresses.²⁰He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction.²¹Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!²²And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and rehearse His deeds with shouts of joy and singing!

Your Expectation: Do you believe you will always live in a discouraged state with little or no hope? Or are you expecting the Lord to do something wonderful because you are His child and have the favor of the Most High?

Psalms 27: 13 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.

Life or death in the power of your tongue.
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

I want the fruit that produces life so I have to speak LIFE!

Okay, so getting back to my original question:
Why does encouraging yourself IN THE LORD help you overcome discouragement?

Because you are COMMANDING your soul to PRAISE the LORD. You don't give your soul any other choice. Like Nike--Just do it!

Listen to this song and speak the words to this Psalm aloud and then realize you COMMANDED your soul to PUT YOUR HOPE IN GOD!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re6bhW-dQRM