Declarations aren’t denial: holding scripture and support in a tired mind

I used to think that if I just prayed harder, the heaviness would lift. Every morning I whispered Scriptures over my life, “Be anxious for nothing.” “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” I believed if I declared those verses loudly enough, they would drown out the ache in my mind. But some mornings joy still felt far away, and peace hid behind the fog. I began to wonder if something was wrong with my faith.

I told others to keep declaring, and I meant it because I had seen God’s Word work powerfully in my own life. Yet there were seasons when I pushed myself beyond rest, believing endurance was the same as obedience. When the exhaustion came, I didn’t stop believing God; I just didn’t always pause long enough to receive his comfort. Over time, I began to realise that rest, too, is a form of faith, that stepping back to breathe is sometimes how we hear God’s voice more clearly.

READ MORE: Lydia Dicas leads worship at church but has also suffered through years of debilitating chronic pain

I still remember the day it all came undone. A misunderstanding with my family erupted into sharp words. One sentence in Yoruba cut through me like glass: “You raised your hand to your sister, I didn’t give birth to a terrible child.” It wasn’t just anger; it was rejection from voices that had once felt safe. Their words wrapped around me like chains. By evening, I was walking across a bridge, tears blurring my sight, whispering, “Lord, where are You?”

By grace, I found my way to Dr Zion, a Christian counsellor at my church.

By grace, I found my way to Dr Zion, a Christian counsellor at my church. She didn’t hand me verses or quick prayers. She listened. She asked gentle questions that made space for honesty. Every session felt like a deep breath. Slowly I began to see that therapy wasn’t a failure of faith rather it was faith in action. God was caring for my mind through another person’s wisdom.

READ MORE: How can I control my thoughts? Let me count the ways…

Through every trial, Scripture was where I ran.

Through every trial, Scripture was where I ran. Whenever life broke me open, I found myself returning to the Word, reading, praying, declaring it aloud until peace found me again. The verses that once felt like battle cries, “Be strong.” “Be still.” “Be joyful.”  began to sound more like personal invitations from a loving Father: “Come to Me, all who are weary.” I discovered that biblical declarations aren’t demands to make things happen; they’re reminders that God is already present and working within us. They transform our minds, not by forcing results, but by awakening truth.

Philippians 4:6–8 became my steady companion, learning not to be anxious wasn’t about suppressing feelings but about presenting them to God with honesty and gratitude. And 2 Timothy 1:7 reminded me that a sound mind isn’t earned through perfection; it’s a gift already given.

READ MORE: Speaking God’s truth over our daughters

There were still days when my thoughts ran wild. On those days, I practised small things:

• Breathing slowly while whispering one verse of truth.

• Journalling what I felt, then writing what God says beside it.

• Texting a trusted friend to pray with me, not for me.

None of it looked spectacular, but it steadied me. It helped me see that Scripture and support are not rivals instead, they are companions. It was during one of those quiet mornings of journalling that the idea for Daily Bible Declarations was born. I sensed God whisper, “What healed you, share with others.” And so I began writing and sharing short declarations,  words that had rebuilt my own heart, hoping they might do the same for someone else.

Now when I speak Scripture, I’m not trying to escape reality; I’m inviting truth to sit with me in it. Declarations no longer silence the ache — they sanctify it. They remind me that God’s Word does not erase wounds; it tends them gently, layer by layer, until peace returns. So, if your mind feels tired, please know this: seeking help is not faithlessness. Counselling, rest, medication, community, these can all be holy ground. God works through both prayer and people, through His Word and through wise support.

Declarations aren’t denial. They are reminders, that even when the mind feels weary, God is near, still mending what was broken, still calling us by a better name.