Praying through Every Emotion Read online

  Praise for When You Need to Move a Mountain

  “Got a mountain? Want to see it move? Prayer! Our beloved prayer expert, Linda Evans Shepherd, helps us learn to dig deep for the best spiritual excavation in When You Need to Move a Mountain: Keys to Praying with Power. We can make a difference through the power of Christ—a difference in the lives of our families and friends, a difference in this world we live in, a God-powered, God-ordained difference even in our own hearts. This book. It’s like a manual for glorious faith landscaping!”

  Rhonda Rhea, TV personality, humor columnist, and author of 14 books, including Messy to Meaningful, Fix Her Upper, and the award-winning Turtles in the Road

  “Have you ever had a prayer request so big you were convinced there was no hope for a positive outcome? In When You Need to Move a Mountain, Linda Evans Shepherd reveals the secrets of intercessory prayer. She’ll teach you how to break strongholds, how to win personal battles, how to protect your family through powerful prayer strategies, and what to do when God says no. This book will transform your life.”

  Carol Kent, speaker and author, He Holds My Hand

  “Linda Evans Shepherd is a powerful prayer warrior, so it’s no surprise to me that she has written such a power-packed book on prayer! When You Need to Move a Mountain is grounded in Scripture and filled with practical suggestions to make your prayer life more effective. If ever there was a time in history when we need prayer warriors to rise up, it is now! May God use this book in your life to compel you to your knees.”

  Becky Harling, international speaker, leadership coach, and bestselling author, How to Listen So People Will Talk and Who Do You Say That I Am?

  “With the wisdom of a Jedi warrior and heart of a mother, Linda Evans Shepherd guides and equips even the novice to understand and persevere in intercessory prayer. Hands-on and practical, When You Need to Move a Mountain is part training manual and part motivation to engage in prayers that literally change everything. I wish I’d had this when I was a new believer!”

  Julie K. Gillies, author, From Hot Mess to Blessed and Prayers for a Woman’s Soul

  “Everyone faces times in their life when their life circumstances feel like an insurmountable mountain that only a miracle of God can move. Linda has provided a handbook on prayer to help us live in cooperation with God’s plans. If you desire to see a God-sized answer or gain guidance from God’s Word as you pray, keep this book with your Bible as you hit your knees in prayer.”

  Pam Farrel, author of 46 books, including bestselling Discovering Hope in the Psalms: A Creative Bible Study Experience and A Couple’s Journey with God

  “An expression has been circulating in the Christian community: ‘pray small.’ Personally, I think God wants us to pray BIG. Jesus healed people of diseases, and he brought people back to life. Our God knows how to give good gifts—and his Son encouraged us to pray prayers that would move mountains. In her newest book on prayer, Linda Shepherd challenges us to pray those mountain-moving prayers, and I highly recommend that you read it and put those big prayers into practice.”

  Janet Holm McHenry, award-winning speaker and author of 24 books, including the bestselling PrayerWalk and her newest, The Complete Guide to the Prayers of Jesus

  “This book is for everybody who needs to move a mountain. The keys to praying with power will simplify the complicated and fuel your heart with faith to pray so that the mountain is moved. Be ready for an adventure and to see that mountain move.”

  Monica Schmelter, general manager, WHTN Christian Television Network

  “Just when my prayer life seems a little lackluster and routine, I read Linda’s book, When You Need to Move a Mountain. It’s a fresh breath of the Holy Spirit to reenergize your prayer life. She reminds us of many ways to pray and the supernatural power of our almighty miracle-working God to answer prayers. She also shares about types of pray-ers who are called to pray in different ways with different focuses. She provides great tools to energize our prayers. Identifying prayer blockers to overcome, such as sin problems, lack of faith, and forgiveness issues allows readers to address those issues and become effective prayer warriors.”

  Karen Whiting, author, international speaker, former TV host, and Bible study teacher

  Books by Linda Evans Shepherd

  Praying God’s Promises

  Empowered for Purpose: Winning Your Daily Spiritual Battles

  Called to Pray: Astounding Stories of Answered Prayer

  How to Pray in Times of Stress

  When You Don’t Know What to Pray: How to Talk to God about Anything

  How to Pray When You Need a Miracle

  Experiencing God’s Presence: Learning to Listen While You Pray

  When You Need to Move a Mountain: Keys to Praying with Power

  Praying through Hard Times: Finding Strength in God’s Presence

  Novels

  The Potluck Club

  The Potluck Club—Trouble’s Brewing

  The Potluck Club—Takes the Cake

  The Secret’s in the Sauce

  A Taste of Fame

  Bake Until Golden

  © 2021 by Linda Evans Shepherd

  Published by Revell

  a division of Baker Publishing Group

  PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

  www.revellbooks.com

  Ebook edition created 2021

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

  ISBN 978-1-4934-2895-3

  Scripture quotations labeled ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2016

  Scripture quotations labeled GNT are from the Good News Translation in Today’s English Version-Second Edition. Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

  Scripture quotations labeled GW are from GOD’S WORD, a copyrighted work of God’s Word to the Nations. Quotations are used by permission. Copyright © 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations. All rights reserved.

  Scripture quotations labeled KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

  Scripture quotations labeled MSG are from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

  Scripture quotations labeled NET are from the NET Bible®, copyright © 1996–2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

  Scripture quotations labeled NKJV are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  Scripture quotations labeled NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

  Scripture quotations labeled NLV ar
e taken from the New Life Version, copyright © 1969 and 2003. Used by permission of Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683. All rights reserved.

  Scripture quotations labeled PHILLIPS are from the New Testament in Modern English by J. B. Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.

  Scripture quotations labeled TPT are from the Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017 by BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  Scripture quotations labeled VOICE are from The Voice™. Copyright © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  Published in association with Books & Such Literary Management, www.booksandsuch.com.

  For my readers

  But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

  Galatians 5:22–23 NLT

  Contents

  Cover 1

  Praise for When You Need to Move a Mountain 2

  Half Title Page 3

  Books by Linda Evans Shepherd 4

  Title Page 5

  Copyright Page 6

  Dedication 7

  Epigraph 9

  Introduction 13

  Addicted 16

  Angry 18

  Annoyed 20

  Anxious 22

  Betrayed 24

  Bitter 26

  Blessed 28

  Bold 30

  Broken 32

  Burdened 34

  Compassionate 36

  Confident 38

  Confused 40

  Content 42

  Cynical 44

  Depressed 46

  Devoted 48

  Disappointed 50

  Discouraged 52

  Disillusioned 54

  Distressed 56

  Doubtful 58

  Empty 60

  Exhausted 62

  Faith 64

  Fear 66

  Foolish 68

  Free 70

  Give Up 72

  God’s Presence 74

  Grace 76

  Grief 78

  Guilt 80

  Harassed 82

  Hate 84

  Hope 86

  Hurt 88

  Impatience 90

  Jealous 92

  Joy 94

  Lonely 96

  Loss 98

  Love 100

  Lust 102

  Offended 104

  Oppressed 106

  Overwhelmed 108

  Pain 110

  Peace 112

  Perplexed 114

  Powerless 116

  Prayerful 118

  Regret 120

  Remorse 122

  Sad 124

  Self-Conscious 126

  Selfish 128

  Shamed 130

  Shocked 132

  Stressed 134

  Strife 136

  Strong 138

  Suffering 140

  Suicidal 142

  Tempted 144

  Troubled 146

  Trusting 148

  Unworthy 150

  Victorious 152

  Wayward 154

  Weak 156

  Worried 158

  Worshipful 160

  Conclusion 163

  Acknowledgments 165

  About the Author 167

  Back Ads 169

  Back Cover 174

  Introduction

  The LORD is near to everyone who prays to him,

  to every faithful person who prays to him.

  He fills the needs of those who fear him.

  He hears their cries for help and saves them.

  The LORD protects everyone who loves him.

  Psalm 145:18–20 GW

  It had been a difficult day.

  Well, a difficult week.

  Let’s make that a hard month.

  To be truthful, it had been a crazy, unrelenting year—a year in which I had taken a ride on the roller coaster of angst and ridden a whirlwind of anxiety. I had experienced stress, disappointments, betrayals, worries, grief, isolation, and family trauma. It was a year that had left me sinking into the muck of this world.

  But this particular day had been extra difficult. It was as if I had experienced an emotional hurricane triggered by the swell of exciting news, followed by news that shocked and angered me, followed by news that left me stressed and bewildered.

  By the end of the day, I felt like a storm had raged through my heart, leaving behind a high-water mark of frustration. Where was my peace? Where was my joy? But beyond that, where was my quiet trust in God?

  Can you relate?

  If so, you’ve come to the right place, because I am about to share the prayer that brought me back to peace:

  Dear Lord,

  My emotions are twisted in so many knots that I can’t even process all that’s happened today. So even though this doesn’t seem to be a fair exchange, I’m asking You to trade my emotional turmoil for Your peace that passes understanding.

  Thank You!

  In the name of Jesus, amen.

  I took a deep breath and began to let go, giving it all to God. I felt the cares of the world drain off my mind and my soul. I knew God was with me, and His Spirit began to flow peace into my spirit. And I knew everything would be all right, maybe not according to my timeline but definitely according to His.

  I was back to peace.

  Finding peace is the aim when praying through emotions. It’s not about learning how to control your circumstances; it’s about learning how to release your circumstances to the One who loves you, the One you can trust.

  So join me in this prayer adventure as I share with you some of my favorite prayers for praying through emotions so that you can push into the peace that passes understanding.

  May His peace be with you.

  Love,

  Linda Evans Shepherd

  P.S. There are many ways you can use this book. You can read it straight through as a devotional, or you can consult the contents page to find prayers you need for your life right now.

  As you pray, you’ll discover that the prayers are a reflection or a paraphrase of the accompanying Scripture passages. This was by design, because God loves it when we pray His Word to Him. His Word is alive and filled with power; it strengthens our souls and brings peace to our emotions. Praying God’s Word also gives us the confidence that we are not only praying in His will but also agreeing with and activating His promises to us.

  Be sure to linger over the Scripture passages that go with each prayer, because God’s Word is the source of transforming power. When you find a Scripture passage that speaks to you, read it again. Then use that passage to craft a prayer of your own back to the Lord. This is a way not only to continue praying but also to experience and rest in God’s presence.

  When you find a prayer that has deep meaning to you, pray the prayer often. Consider meditating on and even memorizing the Scripture passages that accompany it so that you can recall them whenever you need them.

  And don’t be afraid to read prayers that concern emotions you don’t relate to right now, because the moment may come when you will need the peace those prayers will provide. Also, seek out and enjoy the inspirational prayers, like the prayers concerning victory, worship, and faith, for those prayers were created for you to grow in your fellowship with the God who loves you.

  Be sure to keep an extra copy of Praying through Every Emotion on hand so you always have one to give to a friend or loved one.

  God bless you, and let your prayer adventure begin.

  Addicted

  Dear Lord,

  You did not create me to be a slave to addiction. So when addiction’s tentacles pull me beneath the waves, give me Your name as a lifeline so I can break free from my tug-of-war with death.

  Even now, Your gaze is steady on my face as I focus on Y
ou. We walk arm in arm as You lead me from the lure of temptation and deliver me from evil.

  Others have escaped these same temptations because of Your faithfulness. You are also faithful to me! You show me how to endure when temptations call me to go under.

  I will no longer be drunk with wine, because You, O Lord, are filling my cup with Your very presence. I am no longer empty, craving what would destroy me, for I am now filled with Your power. Fill me even more with Your power and help me to be sober and on alert to the enemy’s attacks.

  Through Your power, I say no to the call of addiction and yes to You. Lord, Your grace calls me to experience Your glory in Christ. Yes, I have suffered, but You are continually restoring me to Yourself, and now I am strong, firm, and steadfast, all because of You. I turn to You as I step away from the things that formerly held me captive and declare my freedom through the power of the blood of Jesus.

  In the name of Jesus, amen.

  It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

  Galatians 5:1 NIV

  And lead us not into temptation,

  but deliver us from the evil one.

  Matthew 6:13 NIV

  God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

  1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT

  Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.

  Ephesians 5:18 NLT

  Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

  1 Peter 5:8–10 NIV

  Angry

  Dear Lord,

  I’m angry, outraged, and I want to use my words to punch someone hard.

  If I’m the one in the right and my opponent is in the wrong, how can I justify stupidity or unjust opposition?