Overcoming Depression

Do you struggle with depression? I did from the time I was a teenager until just a few years ago. Depression can be completely crippling! It ranges from mild self-pity to complete darkness and despair. Depression interferes with your life and can keep you from functioning normally. It not only hurts you but your loved ones are affected as well.

Here are some things that God has taught me about overcoming depression:

1. The first thing is to realize that depression is a spiritual problem. It causes physical problems but the root cause is spiritual. Depression is a demonic spirit! Ephesians 6:12 says that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Satan will try to bring us down in any way he possibly can! One of his most effective tools is depression.
The Bible says that in the name of Jesus we have authority over satan! So after recognizing what depression is we are now able to fight it!
We have to learn to recognize when we are being attacked by depression. Satan will use any opportunity that he can. What are your triggers? For me, it was any little disappointment or problem or when I started to feel bad physically. Then you will notice some thought patterns that repeat themselves, such as, "nothing will ever get better, poor me, I am so depressed". This is satan whispering these things in your ear. Then you take the thought for yourself by thinking, "ya, I am so depressed..." then more and more depressing thoughts start coming and before you know it you are having a full blown pity party!
The very first thing to do is recognize these triggers and then immediately pray. I pray like this, "Satan, you are a liar, Depression, I bind you in the name of Jesus and I command you to flee from me. God I thank you that I am free from depression and that the joy of the Lord is my strength!" I start to speak scripture over myself. I put on praise music and worship. I think of things that I am thankful for and start thanking God. Worshiping God and being thankful are some of the fastest ways of getting rid of depression!
Now, you are not going to feel like doing these things. You are going to feel like having a pity party and calling all your friends and inviting them. But this will just make things worse and it will be harder to get out of the depressive state. You have to force yourself to do what you know you need to do!

2. Get your mind off of yourself. Start praying for others. Start thinking of ways you can bless others! Love is a mighty weapon and satan cannot stand against it! He will not know what to do when you start actively loving others when you are (in his eyes) supposed to be depressed! This will throw him into confusion! Don't you love it?

3. Read, memorize, and meditate a scripture! Read about the armor of God in Ephesians chapter 6! Put that armor on! When you speak the scripture out loud you are using the sword of the spirit and robbing satan of his power to harm you! So speak that word, out loud!!!!

4. If you have been stuck in the house, get out for awhile. Walk around in the sunshine. Go visit someone who is lonely.

5. Go to church whenever possible. Again, you will not feel like it! But you will be so glad once you get there! Just get up and force yourself to go!

6. Sometimes, the feeling of depression is so overwhelming that you just need someone to stand with you in prayer. Find that person who you know will pray in faith believing and who really understands depression and ask them to pray for you. You can ask me anytime!

7. Listen to some preaching tapes. Read some really good Christian help books. Joyce Meyer has some amazing ones. My two all time favorites by Joyce are "Battlefield of the Mind" and "Reduce me to Love". These books will change your life, read them! I still read them again and again!

Do what you have to do to fight depression. Whatever you do, don't decide to let yourself have a little pity party before you start fighting. Big mistake!

The Bible says we are to be transformed by the continual renewing of our minds! This means we must be renewing our minds constantly, not just once or twice a week at church! We have to always be in the Word!
I'm praying for you!

Forgiveness is a choice

The Father was talking to me about forgiveness this morning. He said, "Forgiveness isn't a feeling, it's a choice." You see we have to choose to forgive and then the feeling will follow. Sometimes, the feelings of forgiveness take a while to come.

Do we have to forgive? As Christians (i.e. followers of Christ) we are required to forgive. We must make the choice to forgive quickly before the root of bitterness springs up! Mark 11:25,26 says that if we don't forgive others their trespasses then our Father in heaven will not forgive our trespasses. This is serious business! Unforgiveness can keep you out of heaven!
Matthew 18:21,22 says that we must forgive our brother up to 77 times in one day alone!

One aspect of forgiveness that we often overlook is praying for and blessing the person we are forgiving. Matthew 5:44 says to love our enemies, to bless our enemies, to do good to our enemies, and to pray for our enemies! Wow! How many of us would like to tear that page out of the Bible? Ha ha! But when God tells us to do something it is always for our own good! I've had the opportunity to practice this scripture many times! And surprisingly, when I pray for and bless someone who I am in the process of forgiving, the feelings come much easier!

So here's the forgiving process: Choose to forgive, give all your hurt feelings to God, ask Him to take them and replace them with love and compassion. Next, pray for the person. Then, when possible, do something good for that person such as an act of kindness, a kind and sincere word, and say a prayer for them. When bad feelings for this person come back (and they probably will at first) remind yourself that you have forgiven them and go on!
Enjoy your freedom from the heavy burden of holding a grudge!

All Scripture is God-breathed!

2 Timothy 3:16 says, All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. I also like how the NIV puts it, All scripture is God-breathed!

The Word of God is infallible! We can trust that even though God used regular people to write the Bible, He is the inspiration behind each verse!
It is not worth reading the Bible and picking and choosing what to believe! Either all of it is good, true, and trustworthy, or we can't believe that any of it is good, true, and trustworthy.
Jesus was either God or He was not. He can't possibly "just" be a good man! Because He says He is God, He says He is the only way to God and if that's a lie then Jesus is a liar and not a good man at all!

God is not a man that He should lie; neither the Son of Man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good? Numbers 23:19

Settle this in your heart today! God does not lie! The Word of God is true and trustworthy! Jesus is who He said He is, The one and only true God! Amen!

Healing and Miracles? Yes!

God showed me something this morning.
It is easier for people in other countries, who have never heard the gospel, to hear the gospel, receive salvation, and immediately start believing and walking in all that the Bible teaches. They read the Bible and just believe what is says, so they start walking in healing, and miracles. They fast and pray like the Word says to. They receive baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking with other tongues easily because this is what the Bible teaches. Therefore, they experience the manifestations of God! There is so much documentation of these wonderful things happening around the world.
What is the difference between the people in other countries and Americans? Well, Americans have a certain "religious mindset". We have been taught certain things since our youth and it is very difficult to see out of this box. For example, we have been taught that certain things in the Bible have passed away or that these things were just for the time Jesus walked the earth. We have been taught that yelling and shouting for a football team is OK but we must worship God quietly, reverently. That's not how the people of the Bible did it! They shouted, they sang, they danced, raised their hands, played their instruments, and even fell on the ground at times!! God is an awesome and mighty and exciting God! He is full of life, and miracles and adventures! He is anything but boring!
Oh, if our country could just get a hold of this! We would experience revival! We would have a return of honesty, integrity, righteousness, Holiness, healing, and miracles! We would have prosperity and peace in our country instead of recession and fear!
It all comes back to reading the Bible and believing it for what it says! We don't study the Bible by reading a verse here and a verse there. There is not a lot of revelation in that. We sit down and ask God to reveal the truth to us and we read and we read and we read and then read some more! That's where the revelation is! We just take God at His word! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever! Amen!

Too Many Voices

God gave me another exciting word for us today! Here is what He said:

There are too many voices! You want to hear my voice and I want to speak to you! But there are too many voices in your life. Learn to sit quietly, learn to be still. You don't always have to be "doing" something! Turn off the television, step away from the computer, let your mind be quiet. Come away with me for I have things to tell you! Be still and know that I am God! You will not find my voice in the busy moments, but in the quiet ones. Today I give you permission to be still and sit quietly. You will not be wasting time but investing it in eternity! Don't let you mind go blank but let it be full of thoughts toward Me. Let your mind be full of praise toward me, thankfulness toward me, and love toward me! For I love you, and I will never, NO NEVER, leave you nor forsake you!
Learn my Word. Meditate on my Word, for in it you will find life. Go treasure hunting in my Word and you will not be disappointed. I have so much to show you, wonderful things! I'm calling you, child, Come!

Step Out of the Way!

This is what God said to me this morning. He told me to share it!

I Am the way maker! I Am the way, the truth, and the life. I Am Jehovah! I make the way, you step out of the way. I open doors that no man can open. I shut doors that no man can shut. I Am in control. Step back and let me do my work. Do you know how much your trust means to me? When you are able to have peace, to laugh and enjoy your life, that means you are trusting me. That trust (your faith) allows my power to change the situation. Your only job is to pray and obey, one instruction at a time. Your trust gives my heart joy!

I want to give God joy today! I am going to step out of the way and let Him work!

Choose the better part today!

There are many things that we spend our time doing each day. Many of them are good things, but that doesn't mean they are always the "best" things.
In Luke 10, is the story of Mary and Martha. Jesus came to visit their house. Martha was worried and troubled trying to make preparations for her visitors. Mary just wanted to sit at the feet of Jesus. Martha complained about this to Jesus and Jesus said to her, "Martha, Martha you are careful and troubled about many things, but Mary has chosen the better part and it shall not be taken away from her!"
This is an awesome story! Now there is certainly a time for attending to our responsibilities but many times we can just be "busy" and the better thing would be to sit at the feet of Jesus. Or maybe the better thing would be to drop everything and play a game with your child, or call a friend. I'm just saying, let's don't be busy, let's be fruitful, let's be sensitive to the voice of God for what He is saying to do each moment. Many times a day, I hear God saying, "Be still, and know that I am God. Just be still. It's OK to be still!"
Let's choose the better part today!