🧵heavy? here’s some rest: 3 cures to heaviness

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 61:3 (KJV)

Start Here: Your Inner Climate:

“… the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; ….” (Isaiah 61:3).

In Hebrew, the word “spirit” means “Ruach.” It is essentially the "atmosphere" of your internal world—the inner climate of a person—and Kehah is heaviness, coming from a root meaning dim, dull, or fainting. It’s the same word used to describe a lamp wick that is smoldering and about to go out, or eyes that are growing dim with age or grief. Heaviness does exactly that.

1/ Walk out of the pit, into the light.

An effect of heaviness is that you begin to see things differently—dimly, not seeing sharply or clearly. If you’re in a pit, all it takes is one match to cast light around you. What is light? The Word of God. As you enter the Word, the Bible says it gives light and understanding to the simple.

Come to the understanding that you’re not under attack; it’s that you are under ignorance! There are tools that God lays out for His people, one being the word of TRUTH. Heaviness often builds up a world around you that seems unconquerable. As it builds, the light gets darker and you find yourself in a pit cloaked in heaviness. But there is an answer: His Word.

“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” (Psalm 119:130)

Get out of your thoughts and start speaking with your mouth!

2/ Reverse weighted thinking with thankful speaking.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving... (Psalm 100:4).

Flip it. Begin to think about everything you could be thankful for: life, salvation, and abilities. A thankful person will not have a heavy spirit. Focus your affection and thanksgiving on the Lord. Heaviness comes when you think too much in one area—usually about yourself, worry, or situations. The devil will lure you down a road that seems innocent at first, but there’s a pit waiting for you.

Flip it. Reverse weighted thinking with thankful thinking!

"Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad." (Proverbs 12:25)

"Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved." (Psalm 55:22)

3/ Pick up your garment of Praise

...and into his courts with praise. (Psalm 100:4).

”You cannot pray away what you are supposed to praise away!”

For those who desire to be free from heaviness, it requires you to throw off your cares and take up something in its place. Praise is not just a moment of a service or a feeling; it’s an action that delivers incredible results. One of the greatest acts of faith is to praise God; you’re showing Him you believe what He said to be true. He gives a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness, but it requires effort. Any breakthrough has a direct tie to a moment of praise.