Intrusive Thoughts, Panic Attacks & Guilt: WIN THE BATTLE | PD w/ Anna Johnson

Hey, guys, I want to add this note here in the beginning, because you need to understand the weight of this conversation. Just before we started, my light died in the studio. Then we had software glitches we'd never experienced before. And as we went live, it took another seven minutes for the broadcast to appear on the YouTube feed. In other words, YouTube didn't receive seven minutes of it. That's why we're re uploading this recording. Recording. And after that, at the latter end of the conversation, my earphones died. And throughout all of it, I honestly struggled to keep my thoughts together. This was truly a spiritual attack. And all of this to say, you should probably pay attention, because there was something in here that the enemy did not want to get out. He tried so hard to stop us and to have us give up. But let this be a testament that when you push through, good fruit will come from it. Without further ado, let's get into it. Have you ever found yourself thinking something and immediately it catches you so off guard because it's something that you would have never imagined that you could think. And it puts guilt, it puts shame on you. It makes you question your own heart, it causes confusion. And ultimately, you even may find yourself starting to believe these thoughts. Having these thoughts become what molds your identity. And soon you start living them out. You start having panic attacks in the middle of the night. You start living in shame or guilt or depression. You don't understand because it's like your life has fallen by the wayside. It seems you don't even know yourself anymore because of the things you found yourself thinking. But do our thoughts define us? And what do we do with them when they come across our path? What do we do with those thoughts that we may even consider intrusive? Anna, thank you so much for joining me here tonight.

Thank you. Thank you for the invitation. One of the things about intrusive thoughts is that we really do need to get to the root of where that thought comes from. It very well. It could be our own thought. It could be a thought connected to, like, trauma. It could be a thought that comes in and through our body. And so a lot of times, believers fail to recognize that we're trying beings. And so, meaning that we have a body, we have a soul, and we have we're spirit. And so a lot of times we have these thoughts, and we're all confused as to where they're coming from or how we're impacted by them. So a lot of times I tell people to if you're having a thought and you don't want it, then that's an indicator that it's probably not you, the true you, that has been redeemed.

It becomes a pattern. You know, people who've suffered a moment of rejection in their life, this is a good example of that. A great rejection from a parent, for example. Then suddenly they find themselves feeling rejected by all of these other people in their lives, and they misinterpret people's actions towards them as being rejection. And then they start having all these thoughts about what they think people think about them. Oh, this person thinks I'm, you know, I am. They don't really care about me because they didn't message me today or, you know, whatever it is. So, you know, I think for the viewer who's listening, perhaps the first thing we should do is stay back and take a zoom out, look at what's going on. When we feel the way we feel, when we're having thoughts, the way we're having, and ask ourselves, is what I'm thinking rational? Testing these thoughts? You know, I think the word talks about making sure that we. Yeshua says taste by the fruit. So we have to. You know, I imagine our minds as being like these. Like an antenna, right? And we're receiving all of these things, whether it's from God's kingdom, whether it's from the enemy's kingdom, whether it's just thoughts from ourselves. But we have to test everything with God's word to test what the fruit is of that. And, you know, I think to also then recognize that everyone gets thoughts that come from all kinds of places. Like I said, even Yeshua did in the garden, we know, in the wilderness. So when it's not, if it's when and when it comes our way, are we testing it? Are we seeing is this of God's kingdom? And the only way we can do that is by knowing God's word in order to test that fruit from ourselves. Any additional thoughts on that, Anna?

We definitely, you know, when we have an intrusive thought, the last thing we want to do is meditate on the intrusive thought. That's the last thing we want to do. I've actually seen people in a, like, in a clinical setting where they've meditated, they've chewed a lot on an intrusive thought, and it's created panic, it's created shame, it's created guilt, and so it grows. So what we focus on is what grows. Now we have to deal with the intrusive thought and the way that we deal with the intrusive thought is we renew our minds. We say, Father, you know, Father God, this thought is here. I don't want any part of it. And bring revelation. And honestly, we need the Holy Spirit to diagnose the root of our intrusive thoughts. Our intrusive thoughts. The enemy comes at us at every different direction. Then this world comes at us at every different direction. And so we really need the Holy Spirit to help us discern the root of the thought. But the last thing we do is identify with it. It's an intruder. It has to go. And the Holy Spirit, we lean into the Holy Spirit to reveal to us, where did that take root? So you talked about rejection. That may have taken root when someone went into agreement that they were rejected. And then when they go into agreement, that that spirit just seems to whisper around every relationship and every choice, same thing with shame and guilt. But we recognize that, wait a minute. This is an intrusive thought. I don't really want any part of it. Therefore, surely it's not my thought, because it's like being schizophrenic, you know? Like, if you have an intrusive thought, you're like, well, that's my thought. But then you have another thought. You've got multiple personalities going on right there, you know?

I know, I remember. I'll just tell you a little story here. This is. You might be like, Petey, where does this come from? But. But if you bear with me, you'll get what I'm getting at with it. You know, one night I was. This was Europe. It was really crazy. There was a man who comes up to me, and he throws a package at my feet, you know, and I notice he's running away from cops. And the moment I look at the package and the police are coming after him, and I'm like. And I'm thinking, like, whoa, what's going on here? You know? Like, my reaction immediately is what you should do, obviously. It's like, this is not mine. I'm just walking along, like, I don't know what's going around here. And what ended up happening is he was throwing drugs at my feet because he wanted to get rid of them. And, you know, I thought about that moment a lot. A lot. Because it's something that was. Was actually, I think, something that happens to all of us in a very spiritual way. And what I mean by that is our enemy. Like Satan. Like, he knows he's about to get locked up. Like, he's running from the cops, if you will. At this point. But he sees us, and then he throws something our way. He throws a substance that is, in effect, addictive our way. What do you mean by that? I think a lot of these thoughts and even the feelings that some of us dwell on, they become like an addiction to us. They become something that we start dwelling on. And we actually start, in some strange way, enjoying dwelling on it, because it gives us, maybe it makes you feel better. It makes you feel justified. Maybe you're angry at someone and you're like, you know, you just love dwelling on all of the feelings about it, but the reality is, just the moment that the enemy throws something away, it's like you just said, we have to say, no, that's not mine, and move along. Cause the moment that I identify with it, what happens? I become it. Like, eventually, at least, you know, it's something I start partaking in and it changes me. And. And that's what. That's what a drug addict is. It's someone who takes something and immediately they. We know that they get changed almost immediately, and suddenly there's this addiction. And. And so for people who are in that place, you know, they may say, Petey, I'm not addicted. I don't like these things, but yet why do we still dwell on them? You know, it's like, it's in some way also like the drug addict who says, I don't. I don't want to do these things, but I still find myself doing them. So for someone who is in a spiral as we speak right now, they are. They clicked on this video because they're like, Anna, I. I feel panicked. I feel my. Like my life is falling apart. I feel like I have all of these overwhelming thoughts, and I know they're not from God's kingdom, but I don't know what to do to them. What would you say to someone in that situation right now?

Well, the first step is to stop taking ownership for something that is not God given. You know? So, you know, that whole thing is, if enemy is throwing something at your feet or at your ears, usually you just decide that you're not going to take ownership for that, but you are going to take responsibility for your atmosphere. And so, meaning that when an intrusive thought comes at you, then you have to decide what you're going to do with that. Are you going to back away and point to the. To the package when the police are coming? Like, it's not mine. Here it is. There. There he goes. You know, like, pointing his direct, you know, or are you going to be like, this is mine. And what happens is we get entangled in all of that. We get entangled, you know, with trying to discover the reality of it is a lot of people are already. They're wounded. And so it's real easy when you're wounded to take a package that doesn't belong to you. And so first one is like, I'm not going to take ownership for this, because I know who God says I am. Who did he say I am? He says, I'm loved, I'm redeemed, I'm accepted. He says that his yoke and his burden is light. You know, he says all of those things. So if these things are coming at me, hmm, perhaps they're not from God. And if they're coming at me, perhaps God is actually calling me to healing. See, that's the other thing. If you've got intrusive thoughts and they're keeping you, like, we're all going to have intrusive thoughts. Undoubtedly. Undoubtedly, we're all going to have true intrusive thoughts, whether you're a believer or an unbeliever. But we as believers, want our doors to be shut and locked, our windows to be sealed firmly. And so what I mean by that is, like, our mind is our mind has to be. We need to be doing our diligence in our mind by one knowing who we are in him. We need to be renewing our mind every day, and we need to be casting down every thought. And if you're wounded, I went off a little bit, but when you're wounded, it's likened to a door that doesn't lock. It's likened to a broken window. And so the enemy finds ways to insert those thoughts and be. Can be very productive when you're wounded. And so we work hard at moving towards healing. And healing comes how father reveals that it will come, but it definitely comes through renewing our minds, and it definitely comes through. You know, we have to, you know, honestly, some of us just need to write more. Like, we need to write down what the intrusive thought is so that we can level the plane. When you try to do it all in your head, it's not a. It's not a fair fighting plane, because we're physical creatures as well. We have to bring things in a way that we can see them, and we can actually rewire our minds, because trauma, that's good. The enemy works. He really works really hard to take up territory up here. He works really hard. And so we have to be really disciplined at swinging our bat, meaning not allowing those truce, intrusive thoughts to come through.

That's great. And I love that. As we move on to this, the renewing of the mind that you just mentioned here, I want to just read. Yeah, here. One corinthians 216. For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. Now, you know, when I read this, you know, it's kind of interesting because he says, first off, who has understood the mind of the Lord, right? No one. None of us know his thoughts in a way in a capacity whereby we can instruct him. Right? That's what he's trying to say. But then he says at the same time, but we have the mind of Christ. It's like, so I have something in my possession that I don't fully understand myself. That's really what he's saying. And then when you go into verse eleven, just a few verses earlier, we see what he means. Because he says, for who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person which is in him? I know my thoughts and you know your thoughts, right? Because of the spirit that is in you. But so also no one comprehends the thoughts of goddess except the spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given to us by God. So he's saying, because of this gift of the Holy Spirit that I am giving to you, this is part of why Yeshua died. To give you the Holy Spirit. And with him comes the mind of Christ. You can start walking like Christ and thinking like Christ even without in your flesh, having full understanding of all of the thoughts of God, he puts his spirit inside of you. And so with the Holy Spirit, you discern the thoughts of God. So when all these other things come your way, you're like, oh, that's not the thoughts of God. We've talked about testing it by the fruit with the word. And now we're moving on to how Paul talks about testing it by the Holy Spirit that is within you, following the conviction of God. But that means we need to pause. We need to ask, say God. And that's what you just said, ana. You know, people aren't writing down their thoughts. What you just. What you mean by that, of course, is stopping writing it down, thinking about it. And that's an ordered process. Is this of me? What does this actually mean? What does God's word actually say? What's the truth? And the truth is, is what you mentioned earlier. My reference to is our identity is established by the cross, by what Jesus did, by Yeshua's death. Who says you are accepted? No one can reject you. You're accepted. You are valuable. No one can say you're not. You are precious in his sight. So what does it matter what, what men think ultimately? So, yeah. Anna, I know you wanted to add something.

Yeah. Well, one of the things with the writing it down is, is that we have to become more disciplined. And what I mean, we're to add to our faith. You know, all of these different things, we are to add to our faith, meaning these are, we have faith, and because we have faith, we do these things. And so we cannot have a passive approach to this life. We have a real war. And so we discipline. We actually train. We train art, we train our bodies and our minds to yield to the greatest capacity that we're able to if the Holy Spirit does it ultimately. But we are not passive. We're actively engaged in relationship with God. And so that discipline is like, we all need to go through a sanctification process, maybe even continually. Like, you know, there are things that are still, like, deep in our subconscious, deep in our. Deep in our soul that. That will surface, and it's a cleansing process. So that's why reflection is important to reflect on. You know, I try to reflect that night before I go to bed or in the morning about what was my attitude like? What was my thoughts for that day? And what happens is the enemy starts out really, like, really apparently talking to people on their spiritual journey. Then people start out real apparent. But then he, as you mature, he gets a little more crafty, and so he becomes more subtle than here. He's already subtle, but you know what I'm saying? So we have to really be disciplined in reflecting. Reflecting. Has my attitude aligned with the word of God today? How has my heart been towards others? How's my heart been towards myself? Have I been kind towards myself? And have I allowed just any thought to just run wild in my mind?

That's great. I love that.

Yeah.

I love it. And I thank you.

Yeah. So, so if you're really, if you're feeling overloaded with a lot of intrusive thoughts, dump the thoughts on paper so that you can see them. You need to see them. And then you see they look at those thoughts and you say, father, these thoughts and these thoughts. I don't want any part of them. Father, help me to see. Help. Help to reveal. But a lot of people, they forget that we're victors in Christ. And so they feel like victims. The enemy really wants us to take a victim stance instead of like, wait a minute, I am again, I'm a victim. I'm a victor, right? And take a look at it from that perspective, like, doing the work.

Yeah, right. And that's great. And I think we should also take a step back and be. And, you know, I think something my wife has told me before is how important gratitude is. You know, when. When we're in the midst of everything that feels wrong, it's really important to remember what's right and what is good and what is a blessing. And, you know, it starts with the fact that I know, goddess, that he knows me, that he loves me. And then we can from there, go and look at what he has blessed me with. The simple things, the fact that I'm alive. He's put breath in me, the fact that I have whatever, a family, that I have a place to lay my head, all of the simple things, because the enemy just wants you spiraling into everything that's wrong, everything that's missing, everything that should be better, everything that could have been or should have been, or all of the regrets of whatever nature. And we miss the goodness of God that is right in front of us right now. So I think gratitude is so important also if you're in the middle right now of something that's. That's really taking your joy from you. Paul talks a lot about how he himself went through troubles. He knows what it's like to lack. He knows what it's like to prosper. But in all times, in all places, he says he's learned to be content in the Lord with what the Lord has for him this day. Because ultimately, God is good. He's always good. And even if I have a trial right now, he's still good. In fact, the Bible talks about rejoicing in trial, that those things are things that mold us, that grow us, that draws us near to him, and that creates a character in us of endurance, and that is more fine than, more precious than gold itself. So amen. Ana, thank you for sharing that. If someone experiences a panic attack, what can you tell us about that?

Well, really what panic is, is that anxiety has been building. It's been building in the background, and you didn't even know it. So what seems like came on sudden. It was actually building steam the whole time. That's why it's really important that when we're feeling anxious or we have a thought running in the back. That's an intrusive thought or a worry of any sort that we practice awareness and that we. We deal with that before it builds. So a lot of times, anxiety, people think, oh, I just had a panic attack. No, you were building up to that moment and you just didn't know it. You just didn't know it. The other thing about panic, and this is where it's really important that we have to. We're always going to need the Holy Spirit to diagnose a problem. I mean, we have the word of God and we need the word of God, but without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us see those things that that's unique to us, that's specific to us and specific to our journey and our life lesson. And so some people have panic attacks because there literally is just something off in their body. So how do you know when you have a panic attack, whether it's anxiety that's been building or whether it's like, wait a minute, there's physically something going on with me.

When you say something physically, do you meet. What do you mean? There is a. Let's just say something like, I have a disease.

Hormone menopause. Hormonal. Yeah, hormonal. It could be hormone, sure. And so really leaning in and saying, looking, you know, taking that problem before the father and in facing, you know, father, what is going on? What is going on with the situation? And so a lot of times we just run out. We're looking for that fast fix. And father, it's like a journey and a dance and interaction and a lesson. It's not like a quick quiz. Now, sometimes we get those quick answers, but there's something to learn in our struggles, and we're all going to have struggles. And father utilizes those to teach us things about ourself, about others, and to equip us, you know, there's multiple things. So if you're actually having panic attacks, it. It's. I'm going to say for the most part, there's always demonic activity involved, because wherever there's human suffering, the enemy sniffs it out and he wants to hang out. That's. He loves that spot. But sometimes it might just be that you're having a human experience in a fallen world and in a broken body. And so that's what I'm saying, is that we really need the Holy Spirit to discern things. We really do, because, you know, it might be for one person. Well, you've not been addressing these things in the background that have been really building up, you know, or it could be multiple. It could be multifaceted. It could be you're not taking care of yourself. You got things usually, I guess. Yeah.

There's always more than one thing going on.

Exactly. So it gets compounded, you know?

Yeah. And that's perhaps a. I think that's what I, you know, at least I think what I've seen mostly is that it's a compounding of multiple things over days, months, years. And, you know, then it gets to a point where the body just has been. Deal has been having this burden on it too long, and then you, you have this experience of freaking out and you don't. And it's confusing sometimes because it seems to happen out of nowhere. It seems to happen without a direct cause sometimes, at least. But it's just, you've just now come and something has just tipped what has been building there for a long time already.

Yeah. That's why I kind of. Go ahead.

Yeah. People should remember, I guess, that it's subconscious building of things sometimes it's not always on the forefront of your mind. The reason that a lot of these things tip is because we've ignored them in the first place. They haven't been as conscious as they should have been.

Yeah. And that's why reflection is important. We're reflecting upon, like, how did we feel? Not that our feelings become an idol, but being very aware of our systems. How was I, how did I feel today? You know, did my feelings glorify God? Like, I tried? Did I try to align them and know, even knowing what that means? And then, you know, what was my attitude? You know, what was good, you know, what were my thoughts? But, you know, it's kind of like when you were saying that, you know, it's usually like it's been building, but the snake was there the entire time. Like, the snake just waits for the opportunity. We get hit by, you know, and then, you know, think, oh, my goodness, this just came out of nowhere. But the snake was there the entire time, just waiting for an opportune time to make the strike. Right.

And what happens when he does? What do we do?

We stand our ground. That's what we do. We stand our ground. And, you know, I've been doing some work at a hospital, and so it's really the hospital that can be a very toxic place. I'm in a cramped office with a lot of other people, and there's just a lot of a place that's supposed to be healing. It's a lot of, like, there's a lot of toxicity there, right? And. And so I'm getting a lot of intrusive thoughts. I'm surrounded in an atmosphere. Like, I'm getting a lot of intrusive thoughts, and I'm getting a lot of resistance. It's like a war between light and darkness, right? You can feel the resistance when you walk in certain spaces. And. And one day, I was just like, you know, this is. These intrusive thoughts are just trying to get me. Catch me with my. With my guard down, and I'm like. I finally just. I heard an intrusive thought, and I said, I'm standing my ground, and I'm not backing down. Like, we have to get to this point. Like, wait a minute. I know who I am, and you can keep knocking on my door, but I'm not. I'm standing my ground. I'm not gonna agree. I'm not.

And I'll be honest. And, I mean, me being here on this broadcast with you right now, I'm sure those who've been listening, they may have been like, Petey, what's wrong? You haven't been. You haven't been on it tonight as much, you know? Like, that's how I felt, because my. My mind has just been, like. Like, this is. This is really abnormal for me. Like, how much?

Yeah.

Like, I've just been. I can't even say this is exactly what's going on. Like, bombarded with. With all of these things, and I'm just trying to keep my mind straight and things, you know, and I just. Before we went live, you know, I told you, just, like, this has gone wrong. This has gone wrong. Like. Like, things technically have just been falling apart, and I'm just thanking the Lord that we can even be heard right now live. But that's my point, is we're pressing on right now. Like, even though what is the objective of the enemy, it's to get us to give up is to have us be like, all this has gone wrong. This day has been terrible, or whatever. I'm just. Maybe let's just, you know, let's just leave it and on it. So, on a personal level, it's the same game. It's. He's going to like you at the hospital, he's going to bombard you, and ultimately, to get you to just throw in the towel, to get you to not come to work today. And that would have been the day that you should have gone to work. That's the day that there was the person who walked in the door that really needed you most, and that's what the enemy was trying to prevent.

Yeah. And, you know, the thing is, is that, you know, sometimes you can, you know, when people are carrying spiritual baggage, you will walk in a room with people that are feeling rejected, that have the spirit of rejection active in their life, and you will feel rejected. You hang, you sit next to somebody with anxiety, and if you're comfortable, you will start to be anxious. This, I mean, that's what we have to always be like. We have to discern. We have to be standing our ground, being fully aware, because the enemy, if he's whispering, he's in the atmosphere, and we actually have ears to hear. So we hear the voice of God, but we are able to discern light from darkness, and so we have to, you know, and the enemy is really in my circle, and what I've been going through, the enemy's been revving up. I mean, I'm not giving him any glory, but I'm actually encouraging believers that he's revving up, that the darkness is revving up, and we need to rev up even more. So if you understand, I'm saying, like, become more disciplined. More disciplined. We run the drills. We pray, we fast, we read the word. We discern, we write it down. We get in circles like this. We talk about these things, and we find ourselves overcoming.

And, you know, this is a taboo subject. I don't know why.

Yeah, let's look at it.

But I just mean, even what we're talking about now, the fact that. That people have thoughts and they're like, I don't, because they feel ashamed about the fact I'm not supposed to think this. You know, that's. But then they don't realize it's from outside, and then they don't open up. They're not transparent. They don't share this in their. In their smaller groups. And that's exactly what the enemy wants as well, because that's how he gets us alone with just us and these thoughts, instead of us submitting these things to other people. And it's like, hey, brother, hey, sister. That's. That's not of. Of God. You know that, right? And. And, you know, when we can submit these things to people who love us, we can get feedback. And feedback, I think, is so important. So important. And I want to, you know, I want to just bring up a. Just some things we've seen on social media just recently with children. I've just been seeing a ton of people who've posted about their kids having intrusive thoughts. And so this part. Guys, if you're, if you're young watching this right now, this, this part is parental advisory. We're gonna, I just want to read a few comments here, but they are going to be a bit more, you know, they're not gonna be. As for those who are young, they're not for young years. My now seven year old told me last year when we were laying in bed at night, no lights were on in the bedroom. And he keeps staring into the corner saying, mommy, you're gonna die. I okay. Things like that. And now I have, and there was a lady who replied to this, a parent who said what she does with her children. I go around my house screaming, mommy, zombie. And I tell them what parts of their body I'm eating. Okay? So, you know, there's, there's things like this that parents in this world are busy. If I'm gonna pull up one more here. I woke up early one morning with my two and a half year old. The sun was coming up. Our apartment was peaceful. We're having a nice moment lying on the couch, facing each other and cuddling. Then he whispered, I want daddy to cut your eyes. Okay? So, you know, I pondered even, like, even, should I bring this up? You know, this is really heavy. But I thought, you know, I think it's important because the fact of the reality, the matter is, is this is what children, right now, children are saying, what they are thinking, what's, what's entering their minds. And I think when you look at the responses of the parents, some of these and these comment sections, they were laughing, they're making fun of it, they're joking. Haha. And it's kind of, and they equate it to the horror movies they've been watching. And so I think we should also not be ignorant to not realize how, what we consume, what we bring into our house, what we allow our kids to be exposed to, is going to influence their thought life into adulthood and identity. Exactly. It's what they're going to end up becoming, because these are the thought patterns that they are taught. If we have children and we know what, you know, children are children. So children will think and say things that are what children do sometimes crazy things. But that's the responsibility of the parent to come and say, hey, that's not okay. That thought. We should be training our children from a young age to be like, this thought is not of God. This thought is something that is not okay to have, and it's not of you, it's not yours. So like, you've been. Everything you've been saying, Anna, so far has been so good. I think we think of it as adults, but we should think of this with our children, because then when they grow up, they're not going to struggle like we've been struggling.

No. And so, you know, the thing is, as young minds, the thing is, the enemy is he's. There's warfare going on every. Every which direction. It's in our food, it's in our culture, and it's in the television and on social media and everywhere else. And we expose these young minds and bodies that are at a high level of absorption that then, so they start to take on all of that. And so as parents, we have to stand our ground and we have to, you know, matter of fact, I'm. Right now, I'm working on developing a. I'm doing a challenge. It's called victorious mamas. And I'm. It's a Victoria's momma challenge, and I'm going to actually do it for five days with mothers to teach them how to lead their children out of anxiety and depression, which I know you probably didn't even know that PD. Yeah. And so father, he sees this problem, and he is writing the solution right now as we speak. Like parents have to, you know, parents are come to, will come to even me and say, can you fix my child? They've got anxiety or depression. Well, unless the parent leads them, yeah, it's good. How will they? They're gonna need that foundation. And so we have to start learning as parents that make sure that we're keeping our door shut and our mind clear, and then training, equipping our children to do the same. But if we don't know how to do it, we can't teach our children. And so, you know, so the challenge is set up to actually lead moms on how to get to the root of anxiety and I and their anxiety and depression and how to equip their children and how to move forward, how to lead their children out of it, because once they're in, especially a teenager, once a teenager is in that spot, you ain't gonna be able to pick them up and walk them out. Yeah, you're gonna have to coach them and inspire them to come out of that journey, because they've already. They started absorb that identity. And that's actually pretty. That that is actually in right now. It's in to be depressed. It's in to be. To self harm. It's. It's very, um, in.

In our culture right now, isn't it crazy how the. That's what I said earlier, way earlier. You know, I talked about how this has become addictive to us. It's kind of. It's so strange. How can we joke about, like, the things we just read? How can we think it's cool to be depressed? You know, I guess there has been times before, you know, I know there was the emo stage. It was really cool to be emo, you know, when I was younger. But yes, now it's not just cool, it's idolized. It's something that becomes a reality for so many young people right now. If there is a young person listening to this who's struggling with that on and off or who has a friend, is there just one, one big tip that you can give them as they start their journey to address that?

Well, the first thing that I would encourage them to know is that they have. There's hope and that there's hope. And if they have hope, they can. If they just have hope, they will overcome moving forward. I've seen lots of teenagers, I counseled several teenagers with panic issues, anxiety, and even adults. And when you identify the language, you will start finding yourself overcoming. So you have to identify what is being. What am I hearing? What are these thoughts? You identify them, and when they come, you say, that's not me. That's anxiety. It's so simple. It's not always easy, but it is very simple. It's a very simple approach. But I would encourage them to have hope and not give up because I have seen so many people and even generations transformed. And I would even say that to parents, like, if you are wrestling with anxiety and depression, you have an obligation to overcome for the future generation. We have to overcome so that we can instruct. And one of the things as parents that we really need to be focusing on is instead of telling our children, you know, what to think or how to think about something, teach them how to discern what is good for them and what is bad for them and teach them how to think a thing out instead of telling them. This is just the way, you know, kids need to. They need to be taught on how to. How to discern.

Right. So it's not just what mom says, but I start myself seeing it myself and recognizing it myself. Yeah, they have to teach them how to progress.

Yeah. How to approach it. So, for example, if you just come at them and say the word of God, says, da da da da da da, they're going to be like, well, that's. They're not. They don't have, or maybe they don't have a relationship with the Lord that doesn't mean anything to them. But if you say knowing the word of God, and you say to them, listen, you know, you doing that, like, have you thought about how that's going to impact your future? You know, I want you to write this out and see, like, how that's really going to impact you.

Right.

You know, instead of just, we have to meet people where they're at, we have to meet our children where they are. Yeah. And teach them, teach them, teach them, teach them. And if you don't know how to do it, find somebody that is an expert that can teach you how to do it. You know, a lot of, a lot of parents are going to providers, especially if you have a teenager. If you take your teenager to a therapist, you actually may even be, like, excluded from the therapy. Some therapists don't want. Yeah. And so you don't even know what's going on with your child's mental health care.

All right?

You may literally be sitting outside. So we actually need to start being healed as parents, and we need to teach healing, because healing is a continual process.

Right.

It's a continual process.

You're gonna be pursuing that for the rest of your life. Right? Oh, yeah.

Ultimate. Mm hmm. That ultimate prayer. They were in the fullness, the fullness of his glory. My goodness. I can only imagine.

But it does for anyone listening, that. That doesn't mean it doesn't get better. It does get better. If you're right now in the middle of all that, it's just, you know, we're. Yeah. We're talking about how, you know, there's going to be new areas of refinement and restoration and healing because there's always the next thing you know, it's funny because you, you think in your relationship with the father, okay, there's this big thing, maybe that, you know, everyone has something that they've had, and I, they had to overcome this thing, and then they think, okay, I just, you know, you just gone on top of the hill. It's like, I just overcame this, and then you kind of look and it's like, oh, there's another thing suddenly you've never seen before. It's brand new. Where did this all come from? Actually, it's always been there, but the father's just had you focus on this other thing for now. And so. And each time you're taking a step more into the image, like you just.

Said, of his glory, and it's like, when we see that, like, we're up on the top of that hill and then we're like, oh, my goodness. Like, it seems like a valley, but when we come up out of that valley, there's a higher mountain. You know, we go to. We go higher. We go higher. And it's good. It is a journey. It is a journey. But I am telling you, it is so simple to deal with intrusive thoughts if you know somebody that knows how to walk you through it. It's so simple because the enemy, the enemy has language. And when you can identify his language, then you know who's in the room, you know who's speaking, you know, you know. And a lot of times anxiety sounds like wisdom. It may say something like, yeah, have you thought about. You should be concerned about. You need to think about this, you know? And, and the other thing I would really encourage people is what you focus on is what grows. And. Yeah, and we really, just, before you.

Go there, just before you go there, I just want to remind everyone that, you know, what Satan said is, did God really say. Right? So that sound, that can sound from, from a certain perspective, like wisdom. Oh, we're just trying to really get to the bottom of that. We're just really trying to figure out, you know, what did God really mean by that? And that's. I just want to add that because that. To just illustrate your point there.

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And so every day we really do that reflection. And that's why I write things down, too, because the enemy comes with those subtle questions. He comes with those subtle questions. And. But once you, like, the thing is, is when I was doing, when I was doing private practice, I learned about anxiety through the Holy Spirit would reveal things to me, and I could specifically identify exactly what was going on in that person's head. And it wasn't because I can read minds. It's because I knew who their enemy was. And so I would say, oh, you've had this thought, and you've had that thought, and you've had this thought, and they're like, how did you know? I said, because you're not alone. There are, like, a lot of other people that have identical thoughts. So it tells me there's a person involved.

Amen. All right, Anna, maybe we can, I want to conclude, I guess, for my part, just saying, you know, for anyone listening, also remember that this is a spiritual war. Remember that, you know, we've already made reference to how the enemy is involved in this. This is not just all psychological, even though, you know, there's. There's all kinds of things involved. We have our physical mind. There's a lot of spiritual things involved. But also remember how the scriptures tell us to resist the devil and he will flee from you. So when you are feeling attacked, resist the devil. When you see a thought is not of God, if there is a thought that is, did God really say of some sort? If it is questioning your identity in Christ, if it is putting rejection and guilt and shame, you know, like, shame and guilt, what are we ashamed of? What are we feeling guilty about? How can I have unforgiveness towards myself? Christ forgave me. That means I must forgive myself in light of his grace and mercy, because I need to imitate him. That means I can be free from me and the things I've done, and I can live for him. And so when you're living from that identity in him, recognizing that he accepts he loves you not because of what you've done, but because of what he's done and how he's seen you, and because he's your child and that you are his creation, because of those things, now you can realize, well, his forgiveness is for me, it's real, it's true. Let me offer for everyone, including myself. And so shame now is no longer mine, because God hasn't put that on me. He's only declared, made a way for me to be forgiven through the cross. So, Anna, do you have any concluding thoughts that you would like to give anyone listening to this? Well, back to Shah, it's fine.

No, I was going to say back to that. Shame and guilt. Shame often needs to be exposed. So if you are feeling shame, have that conversation with someone that's safe and let them know what your shame is. Because sometimes, once you actually share that, and if you're a kid watching, do not share it with another kid, because that's not safe. Okay. But find a safe way to actually talk about what you feel guilty about and what you. What their shame about. Because what happens is when you bring it to the surface and you put it out there, then shame often will. It'll dissipate a little bit. It gets bigger when you, when you hide it. It gets bigger when you hide it. The other thing is, is that go before the father and let him know these are the things that you're experiencing. And as PD said, resist, resist, resist. And don't spend a lot of time, you know, don't get tied up in, like, making it your identity to figure out what your problem is. Okay. Resist any thought and it may even be your thought that if you have a thought that's contrary to the word of God or just resist it. And what that really looks like is it is to kill self. There's a, you know, it's to, it's to cut away that which doesn't identify with God's word. So stand your ground. You know, just because you're having an experience doesn't mean that you're making it happen. Like, you could just be having an experience. You could be just experiencing anxiety. You may not even be. You're not necessarily creating it. It's not, maybe not yours. So, yeah, stand your ground and don't back down. That's. That is what. Because the anxiety will come at you. It's real subtle, but when you start, keep pressing forward. Sometimes revs up. Sometimes revs up. And you. And say it out loud. Put it out. Say I'm, you know, say for me, it's like, no, I'm standing my ground and I won't back down. I said that out loud. But it may be different words for you. Say it out loud. Declare and decree what you are going to do, because you are a spiritual being and God is giving you power and authority, and you're going to. And it's our responsibility to stand our ground. And we go in the strength that we have. And he meets us. And I know it sounds. It's real simple, not always easy. Okay. So get with somebody that you can borrow some of their faith and some of their strength. They'll help you, help you through it, for sure.

I mean, Anna, thank you for that. Can you share with us how people can find you, maybe even about what you've been up to lately in terms of any connection with people who want more help?

Yeah, for sure. So you can sign up for my newsletter on overcomingdaily.com. you can find me on Facebook overcomer coach Anna Johnson. You can also find me on YouTube at overcoming daily with Anna Johnson. Right now, the focus is that I'm really focusing on mamas and equipping mamas on how to lead and equip their children out of anxiety and depression or just leading their children practically and spiritually. Because a lot of these people, we, we have the under, we understand the spiritual aspect, but we don't really know how to do that practically. And so that is what my focal point is right now, is that I want, father really wants the future generation to be blessed. And we, as mothers or as parents, we get to impart that prompt the promises. We get to lead our children into the promises and to impart freedom and you know we all need to know how to lead anxiety and depression it's amping up. It's a spirit that's in the world right now and so we really need to study to show ourselves approved. We need to know the word of God but we also need to know how to execute it practically. So yeah that's, that's it for me right now.

PB alright Anna, thank you so much. Guys go check her out. I'm going to put links to her resources in the description of this video. Anna thank you so much. I know that this means a lot to many people. If this has blessed you I would love to bless Anna for all of her time and energy that she's given to us here tonight. So if you would like to sow into her ministry you can go to riseandfar.com. we'd love to bless her. Many, many blessings to you and shalom.