HALT

HALT

Have you ever been in a place where you felt hungry, angry, lonely, and tired? HALT. If you’re not familiar with this term, the acronym stands for the following:

H – Hungry

A – Angry

L – Lonely

T – Tired.

If I may be honest, I was feeling this way this week, i.e., angry and tired. I didn’t even recognize that I needed to HALT, Be Still, until I prayed to God about my feelings. The word HALT came to me as clear as day while I was praying. This is when I praised God for immediately answering me. I recognized that I needed to Be Still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10).

We have to be careful when we are in this place. The enemy will try to come in at that moment and sway you by your emotions, which can cloud your judgement and possibly cause you to do things out of your character. One example would be to lean on other people’s opinions of what you should do in your circumstance rather than talk to God. Sounds familiar? I know you may think it is comforting at that moment to receive instant feedback from someone, but this could bring about unfavorable results if you receive the wrong guidance. God is the Creator of heaven, earth, and sea, and all that is in them (Psalm 146:6). He knows when to move and has it already figured out before we even come to Him. In the beginning of this blog, I told you I went to God in prayer and immediately received my answer of what to do at that very moment. God knows when to speak.

When there are too many voices in our heads, i.e., opinions from our friends, church members, and even strangers, it can make it hard to hear when God is speaking. These individuals may mean well, but ultimately we should seek God for wisdom and be led by His Holy Spirit. The Bible says in James 1:5, If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. The last thing we should ever do is leave God out of a problem. He is our true source of wisdom. Notice the verse said gives to all? This includes you.

When you’re in a place of HALT, it’s best NOT to move until you hear from God. This is when it’s time to pray and be still. There is power in praying. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (James 5:16). And please do not believe the lies of the enemy. This verse is talking about you too as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. He is the one who makes us righteous. It’s not by our works but what He did for us at the cross. He has set us free from past, present, and future sins. Thank you Jesus!

You may not have a clue of what to do now or how to get out of your current circumstance, but God always has a plan. We just have to seek Him. My previous blog Worrying about tomorrow talks about getting off the worry train. This is the cycle the enemy will try to take you on when you fall into the HALT category. Don’t fall for it.

For a split moment I gave in this week, but through prayer and hearing God speak to me, I recognized what I needed to do. HALT. Once I heard a word from God, I felt relief. My situation may still be under God’s construction (what better place to be – Amen!), but I am at peace. Peace that no man can give and I refuse to give it away.

If you’re in this place today, I encourage you to cry out to God. He is waiting to hear from you. He will not ignore your call nor send you to Voicemail. He is the one you need. Trust Him and Him alone.

If you have not accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, please read my Salvation Prayer  page and reach out to me if you have any questions. God loves you more than you can ever imagine. Accept the greatest gift you will receive from Him today. It is free and comes with so many blessings. I am a witness to this truth.

Love you all in Christ,

Ayesha L. Shoulders