Several years ago, I found myself in a deep valley. In the darkest midnight of that season, while my family slept, I was wrestling with an unexpected thought: Maybe your family would be better off without this grief.

The whisper of the enemy was close, telling me, “You’ll never make it. It will never get better. Just end it.”

By all external metrics, I had everything going for me. I was married to the love of my life, with two wonderful kids, a nice home, and a successful career. But internally, I was struggling.

By day, I gave hope to others as a counselor. Yet at night, hope diminished. A colleague connected to the counseling, consulting, and supervision practice I owned made a mistake at another company that directly impacted my company and me. The situation created immense anxiety, stress and pressure.

I survived the dark night unharmed by realizing the suicidal thoughts were lies of the enemy; but the battle wasn’t over. More sleepless nights followed. On another night, I prayed, “God, I did everything right. Fix this situation and help me trust You.”

In that moment, I sensed God saying, “I know you did everything right. So did Joseph in Egypt. He didn’t stay in the pit forever, and neither will you. You are going to make it. Just trust Me, and I will lead you through it.”

After several months, the situation was fully resolved. God answered my prayer, kept His promise, and walked me through the valley. Looking back, I realize He was speaking truth and life over me the whole time. God told me through His Word that I still had a hope and a future and that He would never leave me nor forsake me.

In that season, John 1:4–5 became real to me: “In [Jesus] was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

When I was in the dark, Jesus became my light. Jesus showed me the darkness could not overcome Him, that I could trust Him, and that He could do the impossible. If Jesus did it for me, He will do it for you.

So, if you’re in a dark valley today, there’s hope. Don’t believe the lie of the enemy. Don’t give in to emotions or succumb to the difficulties you face. Believe the voice of Jesus, and turn to Him.

God responds to desperate cries for help. He is close to the brokenhearted and those who are crushed in spirit. Ask God to shine light and hope into your darkness. Pray Psalm 118:17 over your life: “I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.”

If you’re struggling today, here are six ways to thrive in the valley — and make it out on the other side:

1. Keep Moving

In moments of extreme stress, our instinctive human response is fight, flight or freeze. Fear and pain can paralyze us. However, the valley should be a temporary destination, not a permanent residence.

As a shepherd, David understood that sheep and shepherds were vulnerable in valleys, where flash floods swept through narrow passes, and predators and bandits sometimes hid in the shadows. The traveler in the parable of the Good Samaritan was robbed, beaten and left for dead as he descended into a valley.

If you’re in the “valley of the shadow of death” right now, keep walking until you get through it (Psalm 23:4, ESV). Valleys become graves when you get stuck.

2. Reconnect With God

If you are overworked, reconnect with God. After the Mount Carmel miracle, Elijah was depleted. But instead of reconnecting with God, he became distracted. In a vulnerable moment, Elijah listened to the curses of Jezebel instead of the promises of God.

Elijah let fear rattle his faith. At his lowest point, this great man of faith said, “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors” (1 Kings 19:4).

If voices of fear, death and despair are yelling at you, tell them to be silent in Jesus’ name. In Matthew 10:1, Jesus gave His disciples power over sickness and demonic power.

Don’t neglect your devotional life. Put away the digital distractions, and make time for what’s most important. Likes, follows, and comments on social media are cotton candy for the soul. They taste good but leave you empty. Reengage your spiritual disciplines. Meditate on God’s Word, listen to worship music, pray, and ask God to refill your empty soul.

Go back to your “first” moments with Jesus. Pursue His transforming power like you did when you first met Jesus, said “yes” to His saving grace, and invited Him to lead your life. Go back to when the Holy Spirit first filled you to overflowing — when He spoke dreams, meaning, and purpose to you, and when He called you into ministry.

Pray these prayers: “Jesus, help me,” “Jesus, save me,” and “Jesus, be with me.” Reconnecting with Jesus will help you move forward.

3. Sleep

Sleep is vital. Elijah’s life was unbalanced because he wasn’t resting. In 1 Kings 19:5, he finally broke down and fell asleep.

Many of us can relate. Pastor Mark Batterson describes sleep as a “stewardship issue.” When we don’t sleep enough, we are not taking care of the temple of the Holy Spirit.

The body and mind need sleep to rest, regenerate and heal. Sleep deprivation increases anxiety and depression because the body never fully resets.

Some researchers even suggest a lack of sleep lowers cognitive function in the same way as drinking alcohol. In other words, living in a sleep-deprived state is similar to being intoxicated. Without enough sleep, the mind gets foggy, the heart and soul become discouraged, and the body slowly degenerates.

God is close to the brokenhearted and those who are crushed in spirit.

Don’t let Satan steal your sleep. He wants you to toil from sunup to sunset. Satan will capitalize on any vulnerability — pride, ambition, selfishness, or insecurity — to take you out. He will suggest you haven’t done enough and tell you to stay up longer and later.

As a counselor, I’ve worked with many people who had secret struggles. The pattern is predictable. Satan tempts overwhelmed and depleted individuals to find comfort and relief in unhealthy substances, other people, or behaviors. Any solution outside of God leads to guilt and shame.

The enemy seeks to deaden the conscience, dilute the anointing, destroy life-giving relationships, and ultimately wreck the body, mind, and soul of the believer. Midnight indulgences never fill an empty heart.

Instead, seek God. Let Him reassure you, and then go to sleep. If you can’t sleep because of a burden on your heart, get up and pray. Allow the Holy Spirit to intercede for you through “wordless groans” (Romans 8:26). Once the burden breaks, go back to bed.

4. Lean on Others

In Elijah’s despondent moment, God reminded him he was not alone (1 Kings 19:18). That is important to know, especially when we’re walking through a dark valley.

For many of us, ministry is lonely, even though we are surrounded by staff, volunteer leaders, and congregants. In Genesis 2:18, God declares Adam’s solitude “not good.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 says, “Two are better than one ... . If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” If you’re married, invite your spouse into your struggle. Your spouse may not be able to fix what you’re dealing with, but as your God-given helper and covenant partner, he or she can help you carry your burdens to God (Galatians 6:2).

As the old maxim says, a trouble shared is a trouble halved. So, if you’re alone in the valley, run toward your spouse, not away from your marriage.

In addition, forge same-gender friendships. Find someone who will answer your call or text any time of the day or night. In the Garden of Gethsemane, as Jesus agonized over the difficult journey ahead, He didn’t disconnect. Jesus pulled people closer. He told the 11 disciples who remained, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me” (Matthew 26:38).

If you are walking through a dark valley, follow Jesus’ example. Ask friends, pastors, and ministry leaders you know and trust to come closer — to watch and pray with you. They understand the challenges and pressures you face, and they will encourage you. If you don’t yet have a close friend and prayer partner, ask God to lead you to that person, and trust Him to do it.

Finally, if you’re really struggling, find a counselor. This isn’t a professional recommendation but a personal appeal. I went to a counselor in my dark season to get perspective and support. I needed to be the best husband, father, and man of God I could be.

Healthy people produce healthy ministry. One goal of the Assemblies of God is “a healthy church in every community.” However, I believe we also need to cultivate a healthy leader in every church and ministry family. Invest in your health. You, your family, and your ministry deserve it.

5. Consider Medication

If you are anxious or depressed, consider starting medication under the guidance of a physician. Daniel Amen — a leading Christian psychiatrist, New York Times best-selling author, and graduate of Vanguard University — discovered through 150,000 scans that brains with anxiety and depression are overactive in certain areas and underactive in others. Medication balances the brain by essentially turning down overactive areas and turning up underactive areas.

Medication has been profoundly helpful for many people I know. And I have personally taken medication at different points in my life to assist with a disorder I’ve had since childhood.

Needing medication does not mean you lack faith; it just means you are committed to adjusting an imbalance in your brain. If you have symptoms of anxiety or depression, talk with your doctor and ask whether medication would be appropriate for you.

6. Pursue the Anointing

In difficult seasons, pursue the anointing — that is, a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit — because it protects the mind and provides healing.

During biblical times (and even today), sheep were vulnerable to nose bot flies. The fly larvae burrow into the noses of sheep, causing extreme discomfort. In their agitation, infested sheep may seek relief by hitting their faces on trees, rocks or the ground, causing injury and even death.

In A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Phillip Keller suggests a shepherd would anoint the head of an injured sheep with olive oil to wash away the flies and heal wounds. If so, Psalm 23:5 offers a wonderful metaphor of the spiritual power of anointing.

If you’re under spiritual attack in your mind and heart, welcome the Holy Spirit into your struggle. God’s Spirit “does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). Ask the Spirit to fill you with joy (Luke 10:21; Acts 13:52; 1 Thessalonians 1:6) and set you free from anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.

Make Paul’s prayer in Romans 15:13 your own: “May the God of hope fill [me] with all joy and peace as [I] trust in him, so that [I] may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

If God has called you, He has anointed you. Samuel anointed David king over Israel, and “from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David” (1 Samuel 16:13). David still faced great difficulties, made mistakes, and even experienced times of depression. Yet he continually looked to God as the Source of his strength. Therefore David was able to say, “the Lord turns my darkness into light. ... He shields all who take refuge in him” (2 Samuel 22:29,31).

May God reanoint you in this season and empower you through His Holy Spirit. If you’re in a dark valley today, I pray God will save and sustain you to “live ... and proclaim what the Lord has done” (Psalm 118:17).

This article appears in the January–March 2021 edition of Influence magazine.