{"id":3416,"date":"2017-01-19T12:23:13","date_gmt":"2017-01-19T17:23:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/prayerplainandsimple\/?p=3416"},"modified":"2017-01-19T12:23:13","modified_gmt":"2017-01-19T17:23:13","slug":"got-free-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/prayerplainandsimple\/2017\/01\/got-free-depression.html","title":{"rendered":"How I Got Free From Depression"},"content":{"rendered":"

He [Barnabus] was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Barnabus was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord. Acts 11:23-24 <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Psalm 51:12<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Barnabus was given the name Son of Encouragement. This man was a source of joy and courage to the early believers, and they needed it. Life was no picnic; their very lives were threatened on a regular basis. Barnabus kept their spirits high. How? He was filled with the joy of the Lord. Joy reproduces joy, as sadness often reproduces sadness.<\/p>\n

Depression has no upside. The years I spent struggling with depression benefited no one around me. (Quite the contrary.) God\u2019s grace has eradicated depression \u2013 although once in a great while, I allow it to creep back in. Thank God, I\u2019ve learned to catch in it\u2019s early stages, like a virus, before it spreads and causes havoc in my emotions. I have found almost without exception that to the degree I invest in my faith on a given day, there is a direct corresponding level of joy in my life the following day, which correlates with how much hope I experience, which, in turn, determines my level of joy.<\/p>\n

So if I build my faith today through hearing the Good News (faith comes by hearing the Word of God \u2013 Romans 10:17), my hope grows (faith is the evidence of things we hope for \u2013 Hebrews 11:1), and when hope grows, I have joy even in the middle of challenging, painful, fearful, and dark circumstances.<\/p>\n

This has become my\u00a0strategy to overcome depression. I hope it is a help for you. It\u2019s not some smug formula by any means, and I realize the dark times we go through are very real.\u00a0There are different origins of depression, and our doctors and counselors can help us navigate them. Still, we have constant, open access to the Great Physician, and the Counselor of all Counselors \u2013 the Holy Spirit for free! And for our freedom!<\/p>\n

Struggling with depression, my friend? Pray this plain and simple prayer with me today\u2026<\/p>\n

Father,<\/em><\/p>\n

The entrance of Your Word gives light. Thank you for illuminating the darkness in my life. Lord, I choose to follow you to find a way out of the brambles of depression. I long to be a source of support, joy, encouragement and faith for the people I love. As Blind Bartimaeus left his ratty, gross, old beggar\u2019s cloak behind when he ran after Jesus, I leave my rags behind, the rags of sadness, trauma, victimization, unforgiveness, complaining, negativity, and fruitless living. I run to you, Jesus. You have thoroughly and completely done everything to free me from all that is not good. I receive your help! I receive your joy! I receive Your Word and your promises. Set me free to live a life of joy so that I can be a light for others who need hope.<\/em><\/p>\n

In Jesus\u2019 Name Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

He [Barnabus] was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Barnabus was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord. Acts 11:23-24 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":478,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,15,7,4,25,3,1],"tags":[274,1989,1990,1991],"class_list":["post-3416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible","category-bible-prayer","category-daily-prayer","category-god","category-jesus","category-prayer","category-uncategorized","tag-depression","tag-non-clinical-depression","tag-overcoming-depression","tag-restoring-joy"],"yoast_head":"\nHow I Got Free From Depression<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/prayerplainandsimple\/2017\/01\/got-free-depression.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How I Got Free From Depression\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"He [Barnabus] was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. 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