6 Keys You Need To Know For Surviving Your Wilderness

“If you’re going through hell, keep going!” said Winston Churchill during one of the worst crises in world history.

This is a powerful statement for anyone going through a hard place. Right now, you may be going through a very rough season in your life. Nothing looks like it is working. You may be experiencing trouble on every side. Fear is mounting in your heart. You can’t seem to get over a sickness. A child seems to not want to act right and make right decisions.  Maybe you are in a horrible marriage and feel terribly lonely. Maybe you are just tired of being tired and are feeling spiritually dry, burnt out and not growing in your faith. Whatever your wilderness, there is hope. There is also a reason for this wilderness.

Whatever wilderness you are walking through, know that there is hope… Click To Tweet

The Wilderness of Life

The wilderness place you may be experiencing is truly a hard place and rightly so. Many call it the “dark night of the soul” But, it is also a great place of learning and blessing if you learn the lessons you are to learn there and how to survive.

The wilderness is not without its challenges, but it is also not without its lessons. One key thing to understand about the wilderness is that everyone will go through at least one.

But, surviving the wilderness is key and with our Father God you can. I have had more than one wilderness and survived. So, what do you need to know to survive or get through you “dark season of night?”

I remember a particular wilderness for me was the lack of a good car as my old van was needing repair. That may not seem like anything to anyone else but to me it was huge. Being a single mom that was my only transportation. I didn’t have money for auto repairs let alone a new car, which I needed. I was in the depths of divorce, rejection and depression I could hardly breathe some days. But life still happened around me. I remember feeling God was nowhere to be found. He was there but I was too deep in pain to see it. As I drove my van one day, the entire dash-board lit up like a Christmas tree blinking and the van shut off at 50 mph. I was scared to say the least. My wilderness felt great all around me. Yet, I had to survive. Let me share with you six ways to survive a wilderness as I did.

6 Keys to Surviving in a Wilderness

1.) Do Not Panic

Don’t let your imagination run wild. Don’t ask a lot of questions like why is this happening? Doesn’t God see me? Is God angry with me? No. Remind yourself that you belong to God and you are His. Do not fear. Do not listen to the enemy in your panic. Breathe and trust God. God is with you and watching everything that is going on.

2.) Assess Your Situation

What is surrounding you? Just like a real wilderness, the person must assess their surroundings and look at their resources to see how best to survive. What resources do you have that you can use for survival? Prayer, the Word of God, and fellowship with other believers and the Holy Spirit. These are your resources.

The power of God’s Word is effective in any situation. The presence of the Holy Spirit is a great comfort to you just as He was to Jesus when He was in the wilderness. Stay in prayer and stay in fellowship with other believers. This is where you will gain strength.

3.) Find Shelter

Well how do I find shelter in my personal situations when I am literally not out in a wilderness? You find shelter in God.

When a person gets stranded the first thing they do is find shelter from the elements of heat or cold. A good shelter will help save their life. Same in a spiritual wilderness.

The word of God says.. “Over everything the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain” (Is 4:5-6). As you are in your wilderness, the more diligently you seek the glory of God and His presence the more shelter you will be under and protected. Establish a habit of running to Him and remaining in Him.

4.) Build a Fire

What kind of fire does one build in a spiritual wilderness time? That fire is passion. Passionate worship, passion for the things of God and His Word and His plan. This fire consists of giving your whole heart to God and fixing your gaze on only Him. Fall passionately in love with Him.

5.) Drink Water

In the natural wilderness you must stay hydrated to live. Without water you will die. The same is for the spirit. Without the Spirit of God, His Holy Spirit you will die spiritually. We have to drink of the Holy Spirit. To have regular fellowship with Him and be in His presence. You must develop and intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit.

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you. I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched  land where there is no water.

Psalm 63:1

You must seek Him with all of your life. Drink of His goodness. You do this by praying in the spirit daily. You pray in the Spirit when you connect with His presence, partner with His leading, and permit Him to empower your prayers.

6.) Find Nourishment

You must find something that nourishes your body, mind and spirit when you are in a wilderness season. Add things to your life that give your life energy and focus. Things that help you to be a better person will help you greatly. Maybe you need to start a hobby, help others, give out of your need, pray with others, journal, read the word of God more by starting a Bible reading plan. You will get nourished from the healthy things you input into your life.

6 Faith-Filled Survival Skills For When You Find Yourself In The Wilderness of Life Click To Tweet

Survivor Stories

I pray these tips help you in your next wilderness experience as they did me. My van did get fixed as I got a new used car as a gift. God is truly faithful.

We would love to hear from you in the comments below. Have you lived through a wilderness, or are you going through one now? Share your story.