Witnesses of His Power:

Finding Emotional Health & Balance Through the Spirit

Read Acts 1:1-8 and meditate on verse 8 as you think about being a witness for His Power.

“ But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” KJV

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.  And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere…” NLT

Your Divine Purpose

To experience your true purpose and potential, you must tap into the strength that was divinely designed just for you. 

Your destiny isn’t about emotional reactivity.  Your life’s mission extends beyond emotional expression—you’re designed to bear fruit, create positive change, and embody strength in service of a higher calling.

That’s how we become witnesses for His power.

Two Powerful Promises

Did you notice the two phrases in Acts 1:8 that will strengthen your emotional journey?

First, “ You shall receive power”.  Think on this a moment.  You shall receive power!  That’s truly amazing!  We are not weak and helpless.  Our emotions and fears do NOT define us, nor do they have control over us any longer.  You SHALL receive POWER.

When does this happen? When you receive the Holy Ghost. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place… And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:1,4 KJV)

When do I receive the Holy Ghost?  When I repent, and trust Jesus for my salvation I receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  It seems so quietly simple doesn’t it?  Maybe you felt a great rush when you became a Christian.  But maybe you didn’t.  There isn’t always any obvious rush of mighty wind.  Sometimes God is working in quiet and still ways.

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38 KJV)

When Emotions Seem to Rule

Why don’t I feel that power now?  Why do my fears and anger and past trauma still rush in and control me?  Maybe I haven’t asked…  
“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13 KJV)

Or, maybe I have asked…
Maybe you have asked too — over and over again.  You and I have both pleaded for control over the emotions that too often bind us up, spill over into our relationships, and keep us from our goals.  Maybe your prayer of repentance includes pleadings to allow you to be a good witness to the power of the indwelling Spirit.  You meant those prayers.  They were heartfelt.  You got up from your time with the Lord determined to be steadfast and dependable, brave and graceful in every situation.  And then how long did it take to realize you were still weak in the flesh?

The Mirror of Self-Focus

Let me ask you, when your emotions take control, who is in your focus?  Is your face the only thing in the camera lens?  No, you say “My children are” or My ______ is the focus of my fear or anger”.   Stop a minute.  If that’s what you are thinking, take a look at the pronouns you are using.  Many times we tell ourselves we are only thinking of others when the truth is those others are an extension of ourselves.

Perfect Love and Power Combined

We need to pray for perfect love along with that Holy Ghost power to control our emotions. 
This perfect love comes from God Himself, who promises to be with us always: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV)

From Struggle to Strength

Remember, emotional strength doesn’t mean never feeling afraid or troubled. Even Jesus experienced deep emotions in the Garden of Gethsemane. The difference is in knowing we’re not alone in our struggles:
“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22 KJV)

Remember too, God’s timing not ours.  So when you and I fall and take our eyes off Christ, we will reach out and ask Him to save us from the stormy waves of our emotions once again.  Notice I didn’t say from the situation.  Save us from reacting rather than responding.  
Receive His mercy and His Power.  And wait remembering that Christ is our righteousness. Righteousness does not come from ourselves.

The Power of Your Testimony

Second, “And ye shall be witnesses unto me.” This isn’t just a command – it’s a promise! Through the power of the Holy Ghost, we become living testimonies of God’s transforming work. The world needs to see authentic Christians who can face life’s challenges with supernatural strength and grace.
“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he” (Isaiah 43:10 KJV)
The Bible tells us we often don’t have what we ask for because we are asking for our own glory (James 4:2).  
I need to face the fact that when I’m overwhelmed, or my emotions are surging, my prayers are too often self-focused.  They sound like “help me” instead of “Glorify your name in and through this situation.”

Shifting Our Focus: The Ten Looks

Did you know your emotions have been trained to act the way they do?

When the Bible uses the word “heart” it’s referring to our soul. This is the birthplace of our affections and our reactions. We can learn to say Christ-like things — until we are tested. Then our emotions are going to travel 80,000 times faster than our rational thoughts. That’s why we need to train up our emotions in the way they should go. We need to guard that heart that wants to run wildly down into the darkest ditch.

We need to become like Christ, not just act right. And to do that we need two things: the Word and prayer.

This is where I like to use the teaching of Robert Murray M’Cheyne, a pastor in Scotland in the first half of the nineteenth century.  M’Cheyne taught that for every look at ourself [and our distress] we should take ten looks at Christ.  

Having ten verses or praises for Christ close by can be helpful.  It’s even more helpful if you memorize them.  Search for verses, or even lines from prayers of steadfast Christians, that praise Christ for who He is.  Avoid the verses that list promises of prosperity.  Yes, they exist and are true and faithful, but we just want to praise God for who He is right now.  

Doing this will help get our eyes off of ourselves and will help cut back that power surge of unwanted emotion. 

Praising the Lord of heaven and earth in our time of emotional upheaval is in itself a witness to the power of the indwelling Holy Ghost.

Just as we need the power of the Holy Ghost to control our emotions, we need power in our prayer life. If you’re longing to deepen your prayer experience and find that consistent power we’ve discussed, I’ve created a guide called “6 Steps to Power Up Your Prayers.” This resource builds on what we’ve explored today about looking to Christ and moving beyond self-focused prayers. You’ll discover practical steps to transform your prayer life from reactive “help me” moments to powerful encounters that glorify God. Just as M’Cheyne taught us to take ten looks at Christ for every look at ourselves, these six steps will help you redirect your focus and tap into the power available through Spirit-led prayer. You can find this guide here.

Physical and Emotional Health in Our Witness

When facing health challenges, we need this same Holy Ghost power. The Apostle Paul understood this deeply when he wrote about his own physical affliction:
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV)

Walking Through Weakness

Please don’t get the idea that Paul was never afraid.  Look at Acts 18:9.  The Lord appears to Paul in a vision specifically to encourage him and tell him not to be afraid.  Paul suffered many beatings and probably lived with life long pain, and possibly even deformity or disability.   

Physical suffering, while never pleasant, can deepen our spiritual walk and strengthen our witness. Consider Job, who declared even in his affliction: “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10 KJV)

God Cares for Your Whole Being

Our mental and emotional well-being matter deeply to God. David, a man after God’s own heart, openly expressed his emotional struggles:

“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” (Psalm 42:11 KJV)

In times of physical or emotional distress, we must:

1. Ask the Holy Ghost for power to bear our afflictions with grace
2. Remember that our weakness showcases God’s strength
3. Trust that He cares about our whole being – body, mind, and spirit

“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” (3 John 1:2 KJV

Sometimes our greatest witness comes through how we handle our struggles. When others see us maintaining peace and joy despite physical challenges, exercising faith while managing chronic conditions, or staying emotionally stable through difficult times – all through the power of the Holy Ghost – it becomes a powerful testimony to God’s sustaining grace.

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7 KJV)

Having a good morning routine can be very helpful. Starting the day with Christ sets the tone. Check out this post.

A Holistic Approach to Emotional Wellness

I want to share one final insight about emotional well-being. While we rely on the Holy Ghost’s power, we should also be good stewards of the temple God has given us. Sometimes our emotional struggles may have physical roots – particularly in our gut, where God in His wisdom placed many of the microbes that help regulate our mood and well-being. Scripture reminds us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14), and modern science is just beginning to understand the intricate ways God designed our bodies to work together. Simple at-home observations can reveal whether these delicate systems need support. If you’d like to learn more about caring for your body as a temple of the Holy Ghost, particularly focusing on gut health from a Biblical perspective, I’ve prepared a resource called “The Guide to Self-Care for a Healthy Gut.” You can find it here.

Your journey of experiencing God’s power in your emotional life is unique and valuable. What verses help you keep your eyes on Christ when emotions threaten to overwhelm? Share your experience in the comments below – your testimony might be exactly what another reader needs to hear today.

Blessings.