WINNING WITH THE WORD

“Winning with the Word” is a weekly blog that will help you to be a winner in life by applying God’s principles for living the abundant life as found in the Bible, God’s manual for life.

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Hello and Happy Day!  This is Dr. MaryAnn Diorio, your Virtual Life Coach, welcoming you to another episode of Winning with the Word. Today is December 23, 2019, and our topic is how to destroy depression once and for all.

Yes, I said destroy—as in get rid of forever!  If you’re depressed, that sounds like beautiful music to your ears.

And it is!

Did you know that the number of depressed people today is greater than the number of people suffering from heart disease and cancer combined? This is a staggering number.

But it does not have to be so.

You see, most advice on destroying depression focuses on the physical and the psychological. Very little advice focuses on the spiritual, which, in truth, is the real root cause of depression.

While the physical and psychological remedies prescribed offer some semblance of relief, the depression rarely is entirely cured. It is merely managed.

But wouldn’t you prefer not just to manage your depression but to get rid of it once and for all?

Well, you can! And today we’re going to talk about how to do that.

First, let’s look at some of the symptoms of depression, While experiencing these symptoms once in a while doesn’t necessarily mean that you are depressed, experiencing them frequently may mean that you are.  Let’s take a look at some of the most common symptoms of depression:

__Feeling hopeless about the future.
__Crying a lot, especially at the drop of a hat.
__Wanting to isolate yourself from people.
__Losing interest in activities you once enjoyed.
__Feeling tired all the time.
__Having trouble focusing or concentrating.
__Thinking of harming yourself or even killing yourself.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, what can you do?

Isaiah 61: 3 gives us the answer: “Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”

“What?!?” I can hear you screaming now. “Dr. MaryAnn, are you saying that I’m supposed to praise God when I feel depressed?  You’ve got to be kidding! How can I praise God when all I want to do is die?”

Friend, I am not saying it. God Himself is saying it.  God tells us that the antidote to depression is praising Him!

But how can that be?

Well, it’s like this. Praising God is an act of trust in His love for us. When we trust God, we are expressing faith in Him to deliver us from whatever is coming against us. Praise will drive out depression EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Why? Because depression is an evil spirit that wants to rob you of your joy, your power, and your destiny. And evil spirits get terrified and flee when they hear us praising God. 

Yes, contrary to what medicine and psychology may say, depression is an evil sprit. And yes, an evil spirit can cause physical and mental problems, like a chemical imbalance and suicidal tendencies.  Medicine and psychology may be able to tame those symptoms temporarily, but unless the evil spirit is dealt with, those symptoms will recur.

How is the evil spirit dealt with? Through praising God.

Praising God does not depend on our feelings. It depends on our will.  We can choose to praise God even when we don’t feel like it. In fact, God commands us to praise Him even when we don’t feel like it. Why? Because God knows that praising Him will lift us out of depression and drive it away. 

Philippians 4: 4 commands us to rejoice always. Praising God is a form of rejoicing, and, according to Nehemiah 8: 10, the joy that comes from rejoicing and praising God gives us strength. 

The Bible further tells us in 1 John 3: 8 that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Depression is a work of the devil. In Joel 2: 32 we learn that “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be delivered.” When we praise God, we are calling on His Name and He will deliver us from depression and every evil thing.  

In Psalm 22: 3 we read that God inhabits the praises of His people. This means that when we praise God, He comes on the scene.  Because evil spirits cannot tolerate being in the presence of God, they must leave when we praise Him. 

So, the next time you feel depressed, stop what you’re doing, lift up your hands toward Heaven, and start praising the LORD with all of your heart, soul, strength, and mind. Do it despite how you feel. You will be amazed at how depression will flee and you will be filled with the joy of the LORD!

If you have trouble praising God because you do not know Him as your Savior and Lord, I invite you to get to know Him now. Pray this simple prayer with me:

Lord Jesus, I come to You just as I am. I look to You to deliver me from depression and from every other evil thing. I receive You now as my Savior and Lord. Make of me what You created me to be. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, please write to me at drmaryann@maryanndiorio.com. I would like to send you a little booklet to help get you started in your relationship with Jesus. Also, I invite you to visit my website at maryanndiorio.com. There you will find lots of resources to help you grow in the abundant life that Jesus died to give you.

Thank you for listening. Remember that Jesus Christ loves you just AS you are and just WHERE you are, and He will help you to keep on WINNING WITH THE WORD!

NOTE: I wish to thank blog follower Scott Dauman for recommending this interesting topic. Thank you, Scott, for your valuable input. 

Listen to the podcast here:

Now, it’s YOUR turn:  Have you struggled with depression? If so, what have you done to overcome it? Please leave your response in the Comment Box below. Thank you!

TWEETABLE: “How to Destroy Depression” by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio

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