One of our most popular blog pages is Scriptures Against Depression. Despair and heaviness is everywhere. Last year, there were over 33,000 suicides in the United States. This is tragic, especially since there is a known cure.
God is the answer to depression, not pills. Pharmaceuticals (e.g. Effexor, Prozac, Zoloft, Luvox, Paxil, Celexa, etc.) only mask the effects of depression; the issues remain. Read the following from Wikipedia about medication survey results:
In the published literature, anti-depressants had 94% success in treating depression. In the withheld literature, they had below 50% success. Combined, all studies showed 51% efficacy – only two points better than that of a placebo.
I am not recommending that you get off of your medication, and I am not against medical professionals. They are doing all they can. We are all in this fight together. What I am saying, is that earthly things can go only so deep. Most of our issues run much deeper. Pills only cover up the problem, but God’s involvement goes to the heart of the issue. Depression is the ‘feeling’ of hopelessness, and the simple cure for hopelessness is hope. God is the author and source of hope, so He is the one and only true antidepressant. His ways are the only true long-term cure.
The Bible shows us the mind and ways of God. God does not want you to just manage your depression, He wants you to be totally free from depression. Believing the Bible releases His presence and power. However, one must also act on the scriptures to see His hand move – to make depression leave for good. Knowing hope on a legal level is fine, but experiencing hope firsthand is quite another thing. Feeling His approval and the joy of giving will change you forever.
Helping and serving others will do the following for you:
- It will help you to get your attention off of your own problems. Sometimes we get in such a hole that we can’t see anything else, or find the way out. Helping others works to break this cycle, and opens our vision. It gives perspective, shows that your problems are not insurmountable.
- In helping to heal other’s wounds, yours will heal much quicker. The love and compassion you show to others in your time of pain will come back to you in healing and joy.
- Helping others will once again reveal your true self worth. It will show you that you do have value and that you can make a difference. We all seek this; it was planted in our hearts by God.
- The appreciation you will feel from those you help will bring joy and fulfillment to your heart. Our hearts long for fulfillment and only by serving can we best find it.
- You will find that you aren’t the only one with problems. We know this intellectually, but seeing it first hand is healing. Sometimes we feel like we have been singled out for pain. We are not that special. It comes to all. Receive healing as you work to heal others. Do something; get out.
Isaiah Chapter 58 provides information about how to get out of darkness and despair. The answer is simple – serve others less fortunate than you. If you do this you will find help. Let’s read:
Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? Isaiah 58:6
Repentance and even fasting is a first step in breaking destructive cycles. A humble heart of repentance brings God’s presence. Fasting weakens the desires and strongholds of one’s mind and flesh.
Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Isaiah 58:7
Helping the poor and helpless is your door to recovery. Find someone who cannot pay you back, and give them something that everyone can give – love and acceptance. And if you can afford more than that, give it. Give out of your need. God will bless it. This verse says that when you shelter and help another person, you are also sheltering and helping yourself.
Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Isaiah 58:8
As you help others, the light of God’s hope and a sense of His joy will flow into your life. Your recovery will come faster than you think. The original language that is translated ‘recovery’ in this verse speaks of the healing of one’s scars. The Bible is telling us that as we labor to heal others, our scars will heal. It is a promise from the God. Believe it.
Now go out. You will have to make yourself, but do it. Take a risk; love someone. God says He will protect you. Not everyone will accept your help, but He promises to guard your heart. Keep going and don’t stop loving them. Do exactly what you would want others to do for you. Do for them what you need, and in so doing you will help yourself.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, Isaiah 58:9
Stop blaming others. Unforgiveness will destroy you. It does no harm to the other person(s). Let go and start loving others, and watch God show up. He will come to you and say, ‘Here I am, what do you need?’ Imagine how that would change your life. Allow yourself to imagine it and then go out and do it.
And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday. Isaiah 58:10
Once you decide to satisfy others, God will satisfy you. Light will pour back into your life. Darkness will flee. Your depression will disappear as a shadow in the midday sun. It is possible, believe it and act on it.
And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:11
Keep it up, and He will walk with you and be your personal guide. He will satisfy your hearts desires. It does not matter what the conditions around you are like. He will strengthen you and water you. You will become a fountain for all those around you. The water you draw for them will nourish you.
A huge aspect of being hopeless is being purposeless. In the darkness of despair, one looses sight of one’s capabilities. Find your purpose in God and you’ll regain your hope. You were made to have value, and you release your value when you value others, and you value others by serving them. In helping others light comes. Your purpose is found in finding your appointed service in God. Through the act of giving to others, God will give to you. You’ll regain your value as a person. We were made to do this.
If you do for the least of these you do it unto ME.
Meditate on God’s word. Mutter it aloud day and night. Stay prayerful with thanksgiving and forgiveness.
God has a plan for you, He declared it. Jer. 29:11
Yoli, You can be totally free from depression, if you can get to the root of it. Depresssion can be caused by sorrow over anything especially, loss of a loved one. Is it the loss permanent(death) or temporary, (seperation)? Was the depression caused by anxiety? Get to know why your spirit is low and you are not happy.Get to know the root and deal with it from the root. I have seen some demonic depression where a lady was just weeping for no reason at all. Jesus is the answer to all types of oppresion, Matthew11:28-30, and Acts10:38. On the right hand side are several sites which you can visit and use, e.g. Scriptures against Hopelessness, Scriptures on Encouragement, On Peace, On God’s Love. There are many more. The word of God is medicine and there is no overdose of it. The more of it the better. When the word grows mightily, it will prevail over the situation. Proverbs12:25 gives a solution to depression, so get many words into your spirit and you will be healed. Read my comment on February26,2012, and be a doer. God will surely help you when you pray to Him. Jesus is Lord!
Michael needs healing from depression.
God has lead me. 20/20 Brain Power by Josh Reynolds. This is where I began and one month later it has changed my life. I am waiting for Dr. Amen’s program to arrive. Life does not have to be a struggle. And Dr. Daniel Amen. Both men are in the brain health field. Our brain needs nutrition, supplements and speed exercise to heal. God provides. Praise Him.
I agree with the writer, but I want to add some other cures to depression. Read Isaiah61:3. Depression is the spirit of heaviness referred to in this verse. When you put on garments of praise and praise God,the Maker and Owner of the universe,depression will flee back to its source, the pit of hell, Acts 10:38. Depression is definitely an oppression of the devil, but Jesus can set you free. You can also read your Bible aloud when you sense heaviness around you. The Word is spirit and life, more powerful than the spirit of heaviness The medical doctors are doing great works, but they acknowledge that they only care, it’s God who heals. So in any sickness, dont watch it, war it with healing scriptures, you will get healed. God has healed me on several occasions using healing scriptures. Jesus is still healing today as he did in His ministry when He was on earth. Glory to God. Jesus is Lord!
Hello Bothers and Sisters in the LORD – First I want to pray for ALL who suffer Depression – I myself am currently suffering depression so badly – I have tried Hospitalization and just about every med there is and still suffer – The Depression and Anxiety keeps me bound with Fear and these insane thoughts of giving up… I am a Born Again Christian man who has served in Sunday School and AWANA – Why would GOD let me suffer this horrible dark black depression – I cannot serve HIM nor my Family like this…. I am trying withdraw off all the Anxiety and depression med with the help of a Doctor as they are not working – one of them I am addicted to know and suffer horrible withdrawals – Valium – Please lift me up in prayer that I can be free from addiction and depression….. My wife and daughter do not understand – I try to worship and sing and read my bible and morning devotions – it does help temporarily but then it comes back… I wonder if i am being oppressed and afflicted by the enemy… I need your encouragement and prayers…. Blessings in Christ
I have PTSD and over the years it seems to have gotten worse. 2011 I lost my job after I was in a car accident and I hurt all the time. I always cry to God to hear me and to help me… It seems to me as if I have the worse Luck ever… So, many things have happened to me and I look up and ask why me? I love to help others and I would do more if I could or just had the means.I love God no matter what I have been through, but it just seems as if I am the target for target practice… or maybe it’s just I am in the wrong place at the wrong time. I know God loves me and I have faith still that he will place me in a job where I will prosper, its just that it’s been a year and I so desperately need a job now. I got even more depressed because it seem as if no one will hire me. I just need to get out of this depression and gain the strength of the Lord. If you will, please life me up in prayer. I need it.
Preface: I take major exception to this article if the author intends it to be a discussion on actual depression in a MEDICAL sense. If the article means depression to be just transient mopey feelings, you can disregard (most) of the below.
This article is totally insensitive and inappropriately dogmatic. First of all, getting your statistics from Wikipedia is laughable. My biggest issue is that this article guilts the struggling believer that they must not be a good enough Christian if they are battling depression. This further damages their already suffering feelings of self-worth. Heck, pain and fever are symptoms too. Are we going to condemn using Advil and Motrin? God’s the healer, right? Depression IS a medical issue. How about you look at differences in calculable serotonin and dopamine titers between patients with and without depression instead of Joel Osteening some feel-good Bible verses together that superficially fit the topic? Antidepressants, while I agree are sometimes quick to be over-prescribed, do not just mask symptoms. Through various mechanisms depending on which drug you’re talking about, they boost/restore normal ranges of mood-impacting neurotransmitters. Exercise, stress-relief, fasting, helping the poor, loving someone, etc. etc. etc. are fantastic ways to help lift the weary spirit – to HELP, not always to CURE. Thousands of people who know Christ as their Lord still deal with depression. And that’s not because they aren’t trying hard enough, have lingering issues of unforgiveness, or are ‘blaming others.’ What a tremendously inappropriate accusation!
Sorry, helping the poor is not curative of true medical depression. It’s wonderful to do – don’t get me wrong. And as Christ compels us to such acts, the benefits we receive from extending his love do impact and bless us. But there’s a difference between getting warm fuzzies when you do something nice and solving the complexities of actual depression.
And since I’ve opposed your article, let me disarm the fallout by saying – yes I’m in medicine. And yes I know Christ in an intimate way.
as someone who suffered from depression for years and was prescribed many different tablets i felt so low that the only way i could look was up my prayers were answered when i asked The Lord to come into my life I have not taken an antidepressant for over two yrs I found the greatest physician for me…My Heavenly Father Thank You Jesus
there is plenty of other ways to heal yourself from depression note the vulnerable should be opened minded. And as for the Christians who claim we cant have god, what about those who were risen from catholic backgrounds anybody can know god.