Taking Action Against Depression

Scriptures: Job 33:4, Jeremiah 29:11, Jeremiah 1:5

Breathe in Life

During my darkest days of depression, all I wanted to do was stay in bed and sleep. I didn’t have an ounce of motivation to do anything. I felt like I didn’t have a reason to live, and I was constantly battling suicidal thoughts. By the grace of God, that’s no longer my story. I am now full of hope and purpose. 

Since you are reading this devotional, I want to encourage you that you will overcome depression and you will be full of hope and purpose with God’s power and your participation. The steps I took first required the desire to take action against depression, and you have already demonstrated that you want to take action by reading this devotional so congratulations! That is something to be proud of because you are making the decision that you don’t want to be stuck in depression but triumph over it. The remaining steps I took to overcome depression will be discussed over our next few days together. 

Today, I would like for you to be conscious of your breath. You do it automatically, but take a deep breath, hold for two seconds, and release. That’s God’s breath in you. Job 33:4 even says, “the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” As long as you are breathing, you still have life, and God is not done with you. He has a plan for your life to prosper you, not to harm you, but to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). 

Therefore, I want you to know that God has a purpose for your life despite the depression you’re currently facing. I know it’s hard to fathom right now, but God says in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…” God knows what you are going through in this moment and how you are feeling. He knew what you would face today, and He still has a precious plan for your life. So breathe in and out, knowing that the Almighty God’s breath is inside of you and will empower you to be victorious over depression. 

Prayer point: 

Heavenly Father, Almighty God, thank you for your breath inside of me. Thank you for giving me life. Lord, I pray that you empower me to be victorious over depression. I ask that you comfort me and strengthen my mind. I thank you for blessing me with the mindset to take action against depression. May you deliver me, in Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Scriptures: James 4:8, Psalms 29:11, John 16:33, Psalms 46:1, Philippians 4:6-7, Psalms 23:4, Psalms 145:18

Draw Near to God

When I was experiencing depression, I honestly didn’t want to talk to anyone. I wanted to stay to myself and sleep. Isolation seemed like a friend, but isolation was really my enemy. It wanted me to be alone and not realize that I wasn’t actually alone. God was always there. 

God is always with you even when you feel like you’re alone and that no one understands or can relate. God knows your pain, sees you, and wants to help you. Drawing near to God is how you can experience freedom from isolation and other symptoms of depression. When you draw near to God, He draws near to you and blesses you with wonderful benefits. He is a friend, a comforter, and a giver of peace and comfort. 

Therefore, I encourage you to draw near to God through playing worship music, praying, and reading comforting scriptures like: 

Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 

Psalms 23:4 “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” 

Psalms 145:18 “Remember that the Lord is near to all who call upon Him.” 

Know that God loves you and is always with you. You can talk to Him whenever about whatever that’s troubling you, and He will comfort you with peace. 

Prayer Point: 

Heavenly Father, Almighty God, thank you for never leaving me or forsaking me. I ask that I feel your presence always and that you fill me with your peace that surpasses all understanding. I pray that you draw me near to you and you draw near to me. Lord bless me to be free from isolation and other symptoms of depression I may be experiencing. Remind me of your everlasting love and faithfulness. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 10:5, Psalms 139:14, Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28, Philippians 4:8

Think Positively

Every day I have a battle between positive and negative thoughts. During my depression episodes, the negative thoughts would drastically outweigh the positive ones. It was hard to think that my life would get better and that my life even mattered. 

I want to take this time to remind you that your life matters! You are important and your life will get better! To see that as reality, you have to think positively by reminding yourself of God’s truth. 

1. You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14) 
2. God has great plans for you (Jeremiah 29:11) 
3. Everything will work out for your good (Romans 8:28) 

Also, apply Philippians 4:8 to your daily life: “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” 

Furthermore, reflect on what you’re grateful for. When you concentrate on the positive instead of the negative, your perspective can change and your faith can increase. 

Prayer point:

Heavenly Father, Almighty God, thank you for wonderfully creating me. Thank you for the great plans you have in store for my life, and I praise you for working everything out for my good because I love you. Help me think positively and bring any negative thoughts in obedience to your truth. I pray that my perspective changes for the better and that you increase my faith. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Scriptures: Proverbs 15:22, Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Therapy

Aside from breathing in life, drawing near to God, and thinking positively, I also talked to a therapist in order to fight against depression. Therapists are understanding and care about your well-being. They help you overcome problems while keeping your mental and emotional health in mind. My therapist helped me recognize triggers for depression and define coping skills to defeat depression. 

I encourage you to attend therapy sessions in-person or virtually. Also, you shouldn’t feel ashamed to have a therapist. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 15:22 that without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers, they succeed. In light of mental health, therapists can help us succeed mentally and emotionally by guiding us to establish healthy plans for dealing with the troubles of life. 

Remember reaching out to a therapist shows your awareness of needing help and bravery to get the help you need. As it is said in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up…” 

Therapists are there to help you up when you fall down mentally and/or emotionally. Having their guidance can give you good results for the work you put in daily to fight against depression. 

Prayer point (for those who don’t have a therapist):

Heavenly Father, Almighty God, thank you for the people you put in my life to help me get better mentally and emotionally. Lord, I pray you give me the wisdom and courage to reach out to a therapist and lead me to the best one suited for my needs. I ask that you bless our conversations to be fruitful and that my mental health improves. It’s in Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Prayer point (for those who do have a therapist):

Heavenly Father, Almighty God, thank you for the people you put in my life to help me get better mentally and emotionally. I thank you for my therapist. Bless them to be led by your Holy Spirit for the most positive impact on my mental health. Lord, I pray you guide us in our sessions and that I leave each one feeling better than I was before. I thank you for working through my therapist and me. It’s in Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Scriptures: Philippians 4:6, Romans 8:38-39, Philippians 4:19, Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalms 100:4-5

Coping Skills

To combat depression or any other mental and emotional stress, I have to use healthy and positive coping skills. These coping skills are activities that give us breaks from the stressors. While I battled depression, my therapist introduced a list of 99 coping skills to me. I will share a few of my favorites here that relate to scripture: 

1. Pray – The Lord tells us in Philippians 4:6 to not worry but pray about everything. Praying to God is a great way to express your thoughts and emotions. He hears you and the peace that comes with talking to God is soothing. 
2. Read the Bible – God’s Word is a source of comfort. In it are His promises to you such as love (Romans 8:38-39), provision (Philippians 4:19), and guidance (Proverbs 3:5-6) 
3. Make a list of blessings in your life – God is still good even when we are experiencing negative circumstances. Reflecting on the good things in our life and giving praises to God are helpful tools in boosting our mood. Psalms 100:4-5 encourages us to give praises to God. 

Additional coping skills that I personally found helpful were exercising, spending time with friends and family, singing, taking a hot shower/bath, journaling, crying, and cleaning. Feel free to participate in other healthy and positive coping skills that interest you. 

Prayer point:

Heavenly Father, Almighty God, thank you for the many healthy and positive coping skills that are available to help me overcome the depression I am experiencing. Lord, I pray you direct me to the coping skills that will be most beneficial for me. I ask that you remind me of these coping skills when I am feeling stressed mentally and/or emotionally. I also pray that you help me be patient and relaxed while I participate in these coping skills to experience their full effects. I thank you for improving my mental health. It’s in Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Scriptures: Matthew 19:26, Mark 5:25-34, John 9:1-7

Medication

If I’m honest, I didn’t want to take any medicine to stabilize my mental health. However, I realized that God can use medicine to heal as well as His Word. For me, the two healed my mind and soul. I must admit. I had to have faith in God’s power to heal me. In Matthew 19:26, the Word says that with God all things are possible. When I apply it to fighting against depression, I understand that it is possible for God to heal with medicine too. 

There are two stories in the Bible that come to mind as examples of faith being used to heal as well as God using other means to heal a person. 

The first story is in Mark chapter five about a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. When she saw Jesus, she touched the hem of his garment and was instantly healed! At once he felt power leave him and turned around to see who touched him. The woman confessed she did it, and can you imagine what Jesus said to her? He said, “Daughter, your faith has healed you (verse 34).” This story demonstrates how by having faith and acting on it, you can be healed. 

The second story is in John chapter nine about a man who was blind since birth. When Jesus saw him, he spat on the ground and made mud. Then, he applied the mud to the man’s eyes and told the man to go wash in the Pool of Siloam. Once the man who was blind finished washing, he could see! Jesus used mud to heal a blind man which is seemingly impossible to believe, but remember with God all things are possible. This story further displays how God can use whatever method He wants to heal you. 

Prayer point:

Heavenly Father, Almighty God, thank you for your Word. Thank you for the many examples in the Bible of how you have healed people. I pray that you heal me from depression in the way you see fit. Strengthen my faith and help my unbelief. I thank you for blessing me to overcome. It’s in Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Scriptures: Deuteronomy 31:8, Romans 15:13, Psalms 46:1, Lamentations 3:22-23, Romans 8:28

 Taking Action

Congratulations! You have made it to the final day of this devotional plan. I am proud of you! Taking action against depression isn’t the easiest thing to do, but you are fighting back. Remember to breathe in life, draw near to God daily, actively think positively, go to therapy, use coping skills, and take medicine if needed. All of these steps I’ve taken to defeat depression, and this is the most important takeaway: 

You matter and your life matters! God loves you so much and saw that this world needed you in it to make it better! You have a unique background, various experiences, and necessary gifts to share. By telling your testimony, you can change and save a life or inspire someone to be the best version of themselves. 

I want to encourage you with a quote from “Keep Breathing”, a song I wrote while reflecting on my season of depression: 

“Imagine if I told you, God has something great in store. You were created with a purpose and that’s the reason why you were born. You’re chosen, anointed. God has greater plans for you, a survivor of all you’ve been through. He still has plans to prosper you.” 

Everything I said is true. God has something great in store for you! Take it one day at a time, trusting in God and utilizing the steps we discussed in this devotional. It will all get better. 🙂 

Prayer point:

Heavenly Father, Almighty God, thank you for helping me take action against depression. I pray that you comfort and heal me. Lord, I pray you strengthen my mind and protect me from the enemy’s tactics. I ask that you guide me and that I listen to your guidance. Continue to draw near to me and draw me near to you. I love you, and I trust you. Heal me from this depression. It’s in Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.