Praying through Every Emotion: Experiencing God's Peace No Matter What

By Linda Evans Shepherd

Human beings are emotional creatures. We feel deeply, and at times our emotional responses to our situations may be overwhelming. Whether it's disappointment at an opportunity missed, grief when a loved one dies, anxiety when we go through a big life change (even a positive one!), or uncertainty when faced with a situation outside of our control, we can take those feelings to God--immediately--in prayer, and he will give us peace, comfort, and clarity.

Topically arranged so you can go directly to your particular need, Praying Through Every Emotion offers transforming Scripture and prayer to help you change your perspective, heal your emotional wounds, and find yourself unburdened from cares and concerns. The power-packed prayers cover nearly 70 different emotions, from feeling angry, broken, or exhausted to feeling confident, hopeful, and joyful--and everything in between. You'll even find prayers for the really hard things, such as when you feel depressed, shamed, or suicidal.

Your emotions are a gift from God, and he uses them to help you grow, both closer to him and more fully into the person he created you to be. Let Linda Evans Shepherd help you manage those emotions through prayer and see your attitude and mind-set transformed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Release date: Feb 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9781493428953

Linda Evans Shepherd

Linda Evans Shepherd is an award-winning author, a successful speaker, and a media personality. The president of Right to the Heart Ministries, she is the author of 37 books, including When You Don't Know What to Pray, Praying God's Promises, and Prayers for Every Need. She lives in Colorado. For more, visit www.sheppro.com.

Book preview

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 are 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