Tell someone
In the past few weeks I have had a number of conversations with women who are dealing with depression. I myself have battled depression too and I know that it is tempting to keep it to yourself for a number of reasons. First of all, we don't like to worry our friends and family. Secondly, telling someone means just that--you have to actually tell another person what you are feeling and you might not even know exactly what you are feeling or even why! It's easier to suffer alone and avoid feeling like a burden to our friends and family. And that is precisely what the enemy wants us to do. He wants us to suffer alone and to feel and be isolated. That way he can keep us from the destiny that God has for our lives and away from the peace that is Jesus Christ. Often times we feel like it's our job to fix our own problems, well let's face it, most of the time that is how we feel. But the bible says otherwise. I like the Amplified version of 1 Peter 5:7 best:
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].
Notice that it does not say to cast your cares on God and work in your own strength to fix your problems. Interestingly, it doesn't even tell you that God will work it out the way you want. He simply asks us to set aside our pride (a.k.a. give control over to Him), so that God can exalt you when he's ready to do so. It says we place all our cares, all our anxieties, all our worries, and all our concerns in His hands and I love this...once and for all. That means, give it up and let it go--all the time! Forever. And he reminds us that God cares about us and watches over us very carefully. This calls to mind the imagery of Jesus as a shepherd, watching over his sheep, tending to their needs and protecting and guiding them. That is the character of God, our Father.
He is present. He is near to us. He hears our heart's cry to Him and he is going to work on our behalf, in His own timing. It can seem like the weight we are carrying on our shoulders is just too much to bear all by ourselves, but nothing is too much for Jesus. He took on the weight of the sin of the world, died and then rose again so that we could have new life through Him. You are not alone! In our bible study group we were discussing how when we share our burdens with one another, out loud, it actually activates a community of prayer and support that we need in which to fight our battles in the spiritual realm. One person praying can make a difference so imagine if an army of people are praying for you and your situation! The enemy hates it when we pray for one another because he loses power when we call on the name of Jesus! That's why it's so important that we do so. Don't let the enemy win and keep you feeling alone, anxious and defeated. Tell a friend or a pastor or someone you trust to partner with you to defeat the enemy's schemes to keep you down.
If you need to tell someone but you don't have anyone you feel you can tell, please submit your prayer request to our ministry. We will pray for you and with you. Someone from our team will reach out to you and your information will remain confidential. If you want to join a small group so that you can grow spiritually and have women who want to connect and pray together, click here to sign up for one of our bible study groups.
Also, when we pray, it invites the Holy Spirit to intervene on our behalf. Say this prayer out loud:
God, I believe you are close to the broken hearted and the hurting. I am casting my cares on you Jesus. I cannot bear this burden on my own. I believe you have a divine plan for my life and that you can use any circumstance in my life to bring about your will and nothing is wasted. Help me to tell someone. Help me to see if there is something physical that is causing my depression. Help me to sift through my circumstances to see if there is a need for change in some way. If I am experiencing depression as a result of a spiritual battle, please bring that to light and show me the best way to fight that battle. Amen.