Vision is the key to overcoming adversity and that is where prophecy has helped fuel my hope. Over the last five years I have experienced pain and hopelessness in the area of health. I was in a surfing accident where I hit my head on the sea floor and since that day have struggled with seizures, pain, and all sorts of nervous system issues.

In all of this, the Holy Spirit has taught me that circumstances and emotions cannot be the dictator of how I am doing. I have learned staying hopeful and in a place of joy and peace is a choice.

This is where prophecy has been a key in the process. Jesus was the healer of all who came to Him and what He did on the cross was payment for all our afflictions. Reading this and having people speak these promises over my health have given me strength to keep moving towards Him. And God is one who does not break His promises.

But even in all of this truth, I still found myself struggling. When I have been in pain, I have found that I have three responses to it: ignore it, pretend it doesn’t existence, or face it. Facing it has been the only one that has made a difference in bringing life, joy, and peace into the pain.

Facing it for me looks like bringing it to the Lord. Most of the time I will write and be very honest with how I feel, holding nothing back. I will let Him see me completely in the pain. There are other times where I go on a walk and have a conversation, turn on music and dance, yell out to Him, or even just sit and cry. I engage what is happening and I invite the Lord to speak to me in it. I know He is there with me and I speak to Him because I know He is always listening. He is a good, good Father who is forever present. He always answers me when I cry out to Him. It just isn’t always in the way I think it should be, but it is always just what I need.

But with all of this truth, there are always the days that are harder than others. My tendency is to want to sit with a “poor me” attitude and be the victim. It is easy to sit in my circumstances and feelings and get angry, but every time I do that I just get more miserable. What took me some time to realize is that God just wanted me to take where I was at and bring it to Him.

There is always going to be some sort of adversity coming against us. But our Father equips and empowers us to overcome by Christ’s victory through the cross and resurrection. Give Him what He paid for. It isn’t ours to bear and it isn’t ours to carry. Jesus is the hope and the vision to overcoming our adversity, so look to Him.

By Michael Ferreira