Preach to Yourself

This morning, I woke up with Psalm 42 pressing on my heart:

“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.” (Psalm 42:1)

It hit me—Because lately, I’ve been waking up thirsty—but not for God. I’ve been waking up rushed, head spinning with business things and a never-ending to-do list.

But Psalm 42 got me-

What if I started my mornings like this deer—panting for the presence of God before I panted toward productivity?

Later in the same psalm, the writer gets brutally honest:

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” (Psalm 42:5)

This isn’t just poetic words. It’s a strategy. It’s a war cry for weary people. He’s not listening to his feelings—he’s talking back to them.

And that’s when I remembered something John Piper shared in a short video. He quoted one of my favorite lines from Martyn Lloyd-Jones:

“Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?” – Martyn Lloyd-Jones

How often do we wake up already believing the voice of stress, fear, doubt, or shame—before we’ve even said a word?

This is what it means to preach to yourself:

• You open your Bible before you open your phone.

• You remind your soul who God is—even if you don’t feel it.

Watch Piper’s short video if you need to hear this today like I did:

Preach the Gospel to Yourself - https://youtu.be/Px0S4JlVaSM

This is my prayer in this season:

That I wouldn’t just run to my work—I’d run to the Well.

That my soul would thirst for the Lord, not just a sense of achievement.

That I would speak truth over my emotions, and let the Word reframe my mornings.

Because when I stop listening to myself and start preaching to myself, everything changes.