Mood:  happy

 What is Depression?http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/what-is-depression

General definition

The dictionary defines depression as one or more of the following:

* A feeling of dejection or sadness

* An attitude of self-depreciation

* A reduction is quality or force

* A lowering of vitality or functional activityClinical definition

Severe depression is an illness, it is not just sadness or temporary nostalgia.

 According to the DSM-IV, a manual used to diagnose mental disorders, depression occurs when you have at least five of the following nine symptoms at the same time:·                                 a depressed mood during most of the day, particularly in the morning ·                                 fatigue or loss of energy almost every day ·                                 feelings of worthlessness or guilt almost every day ·                                 impaired concentration, indecisiveness ·                                 insomnia or hypersomnia (excessive sleeping) almost every day ·                                 markedly diminished interest or pleasure in almost all activities nearly every day ·                                 recurring thoughts of death or suicide (not just fearing death) ·                                 a sense of restlessness -- known as psychomotor agitation -- or being slowed down -- retardation ·                                 significant weight loss or gain (a change of more than 5% of body weight in a month)

 How long do these signs have to be present before they are diagnosed as depression?

With major or clinical depression, one of the key signs is either depressed mood or loss of interest. For a diagnosis of depression, these signs should be present most of the day either daily or nearly daily for at least two weeks. In addition, the depressive symptoms need to cause clinically significant distress or impairment. They cannot be due to the direct effects of a substance, for example, a drug or medication. Nor can they be the result of a medical condition such as hypothyroidism. Finally, if the symptoms occur within two months of the loss of a loved one, they will not be diagnosed as depression. 

What are some common feelings associated with depression?According to the National Institute of Mental Health, people with depressive illnesses do not all experience the same symptoms. How severe they are, how frequent, and how long they last will vary. It depends on the individual and his or her particular illness. Here are common symptoms people with depression experience:·                                 difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions ·                                 fatigue and decreased energy ·                                 feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness ·                                 feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism ·                                 insomnia, early morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping ·                                 irritability, restlessness ·                                 loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex ·                                 no pleasure left in life any more ·                                 overeating or appetite loss ·                                 persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment ·                                 persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings ·                                 thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts While these are common symptoms of depression, they may also occur in patterns. For example, a person may experience depression with mania or hypomania -- a condition sometimes called manic depression. Or the symptoms may be seasonal as in the case of seasonal affective disorder.There are several types of manic depression. People with bipolar II disorder have at least one episode of major depression and at least one hypomanic -- mild elation or high -- episode. People with bipolar I disorder have a history of at least one manic -- extreme elation or high -- episode, with or without past major depressive episodes. A patient with unipolar depression has major depression only but does not have hypomania or mania.

How Do I Get Help for Depression?

Most people have felt sad or depressed at times. Feeling depressed can be a normal reaction to loss, life's struggles, or an injured self-esteem.But when feelings of intense sadness -- including feeling helpless, hopeless, and worthless -- last for days to weeks and keep you from functioning normally, your depression may be something more than sadness. It may very well be clinical depression -- a treatable medical condition.   

Here are useful advice to take: 

1. Face it, in other words, face the illness. 2. Look for a solution, with help of loved ones, and a therapist or specialist. Don't give up until you find a suitable doctor and medication for you. Learn about the illness, Read about depression, check forums on the internet, and go to self-help groups.3. Seek medical help,  If the doctor recommends taking medication, follow his instructions. Sometimes it just takes a few weeks for the medication to start working; sometimes it takes weeks or months. Side effects of medication vary. Every case is different. But remember that it’s quite common to start with a heavier dose to stabilize your condition if needed. Later on, the dose can be lowered. 3 Seek spiritual help. Find a church, where you can meet with elders or your pastor discuss with them, sometimes you need they to pray for you.4 Learn to pray on your own, by building a relationship with Jesus Christ your savior, ask God to heal you, . Learn to listen what God is teaching you and ask God to help you to apply in your life so that you can be healed and enjoy A health and a victorious life. And to ask God to open your heart to forgive those who hurt you in past and present time.5. Repent from your sins, and accepted God to be your savior, to take control of your life, to lead you and guide your steps.6 Exercising and healthy nutrition is a must. 7 Achieve your goals one step at the time. And enjoy the beauty of nature; explore your gifts and talents. Learn how to serve others.8 Make sure you get regular and sufficient sleep. Lack of sleep not only deprives you of vital physical rest. It is scientifically proven that it also make it much more difficult to control one’s emotions because the brain becomes far more reactive when it lacks sleep.the same time building strength for the next season.
Even in the book of Leviticus 25th chapter......God instructed the
people in the old testament to allow the land to rest every seven
years so that the soil could replenish itself with all new minerals
and nutrients.....
And now that we don't do that, all of our soil lacks the
essential things that are needed to provide us with the proper amount
of vitamins we need....otherwise causing us to have to eat more, in
order to fulfill the craving of the body for
nourishment

Most and very important: you will have to be willing to do your part, in taking the medication regularly, not just when you feel like it, do it in instead to avoid danger relapses.

the same time building strength for the next season.
Even in the book of Leviticus 25th chapter......God instructed the
people in the old testament to allow the land to rest every seven
years so that the soil could replenish itself with all new minerals.


Depression and christianity

Depression can happen to any of us. Sometimes depression is self-induced because it is caused by sin. Mental attitude sins will bring on depression. Failure to exercise Faith-Rest principles or failure to claim promises from the Bible can cause depression. If sin is the problem, the first step to the solution is to confess sin Biblically and use the techniques of Faith-Rest, Occupation with Christ, and the Filling of the Holy Spirit to begin a quick recovery.

Sometimes depression comes through no fault of our own. There may be severe problems which are imposed by outside circumstances. There may be physical exhaustion and a weakening of physical and emotional strength. There may be serious disturbances or distress in life with a feeling of being trapped or a fear of what might happen. If the depression is not caused by a sin problem, confession is not called for. But the techniques of the Christian way of life are equally useful in combating depression in whatever form it comes.

Depression in the Bible
The Bible deals extensively with the subject of mental anguish, sorrow, and depression. There are many Bible words used to describe the thoughts and feelings people have when they are depressed. Studying these definitions and the Bible passages where they are found, is a very important part of the therapy for depression. Almost every Bible verse that has a word related to depression also has part of the cure for that condition somewhere in its context.

As you study the following verses, try to determine in each case the reasons for the state of depression and whether it was caused by personal sin (self-induced), was the result of undeserved suffering, or came from some other source. Then, try to decide on what the "cure" should have been. In some cases, the cure will show up in the context. In others you will have to decide on a solution from categorical doctrinal principles.

The Bible deals with depression categorically using the following words:

lupei, meaning "grief, sorrow, distress, suffering, a sad plight". The verb form is lupeo, "to cause pain, to grieve, to annoy". In military terminology, the word was used of troops in the sense "to harass; to annoy" the enemy. In the passive voice, where the subject receives the action of the verb, the meaning is "to be sad, to be sorry, to be grieved".

"And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry." Matt. 17:22,23

"And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?" Matt. 26:22

"But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions." Matt. 19:22

"And he [Jesus] took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me." Matt. 26:37,38

"... I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy." John 16:20

"But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably." Romans 14:15

"For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you." 2 Cor. 2:4

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope." 1 Thess. 4:13

"Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through many testings." 1 Peter 1:6

"Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Heb. 12:11

"For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully." 1 Peter 2:19

adeimonia, noun, "in great distress or anguish"

"My soul is exceeding sorrowful...", Matt. 27:38. See also Mark 14:33,34

"For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick." Phil. 2:26

anagkei, noun, "necessity, constraint, natural desire (such as hunger), bodily pain or suffering". When used with thlipsis, signifies a condition of necessity arising from some form of outside compulsion.

[From here on, you look up the verses for yourself; all this typing is making me depressed. wd]

MATT. 18:7; LUKE 14:18; 21:23; ROM. 13:5; 1 COR. 7:26, 37; 9:16; 2 COR. 6:4; 9:7; 12:10; 1 THESS. 3:7; PHILEMON V. 14; HEB. 7:12,27; 9:16; JUDE V. 3

stenochoria, noun, "narrowness of place, a trapped feeling."

ROM. 2:9; 8:35; 2 COR. 6:4; 12:10

sunochei, noun, metaphorically for "anguish or distress" caused by a compressing together or narrowing of the way.

2 COR. 2:4

LUKE 21:25

thlipsis, noun, "pressure, oppression, affliction.

MATT. 13:21; 24:9; MARK 4:17; 13:19,24; JOHN 16:21,33; ACTS 7:10,11; 11:19; 14:22; 20:23; ROM. 2:9; 5:3; 8:35; 12:12; 1 COR. 7:28; 2 COR. 1:4,8; 2:4; 4:17; 6:4; 7:4; 8:2; EPH. 3:13; PHIL. 1:17; 4:14; COL. 1:24; 1 THESS. 1:6; 3:3,7; 2 THESS. 1:4,6; HEB. 10:33; JAMES 1:27; REV. 1:9; 2:9,10,22; 7:14

kataroneo, verb, "to wear out with toil or suffering"

Acts 7:24 and 2 Peter 2:7

sunechw, verb, "to forcibly hold together; to contain; to constrain; to oppress" Used for holding rowers together on galley ships.

MATT. 4:24, 38; 8:37

LUKE 8:45; 19:43; 22:63

ACTS 28:8; 7:57; 12:50; 18:5

2 COR. 5:14

PHIL. 1:23

odunao, verb, "to cause pain". In the passive "to feel pain".

LUKE 2:48; 16:24

ACTS 20:38

thlibo, verb "to press; to distress; to trouble; to gall"

MATT. 7:14

MARK 3:9

2 COR. 1:6; 4:8; 7:5

1 THESS. 3:4

2 THESS 1:6

1 TIM. 5:10

HEB. 11:37

tarachei, noun, "trouble, disorder, confusion"

MARK 13:8

JOHN 5:4

tarasso, verb, "to stir up, disturb, trouble; to trouble the mind; to alarm; to frighten; to throw into disorder"

MATT. 2:3; 14:26

MARK 6:50

LUKE 1:12; 24:38

1 PETER 3:14

Principles of Application in Dealing With Depression

The following ten principles are Bible techniques which you can use to deal with depression in your life, regardless of the cause. Each of these topics is discussed in more detail in other notes in this series, but this outline will give you ideas on how you can make specific application of categorical doctrine to help with real world problems.

CONFESSION OF SIN

Personal sin leads to depression. You must deal with sin on a daily basis by confessing and moving on. If you don't do this, sin becomes a burden which clouds your joy, drains your spiritual energy, and destroys your productivity and vitality. In short, sin is always depressing.

In privacy, make a list of your mental attitude sins, verbal sins, and behavior sins. Ask the Lord to make you aware of the habits of your own life. Respond immediately to the Holy Spirit when He uses the Word to spotlight your sin. Name the sin to God; then rejoice in forgiveness and cleansing and your renewed fellowship with God. All the promises and provisions of God the Father are now available to you. Make it a spiritual habit to confess sins whenever they show up in your life.

THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit fills you and controls your life when you have no unconfessed sin in your life. You can trust the Holy Spirit to reveal sin to you when you commit it, or even before. When the Holy Spirit in control, He produces His fruit (Gal. 5:12). The fruit of the Spirit does not include heaviness, depression, discouragement, disillusion, anguish, sadness, dejection, or loss of vitality. Consider these points:        Impersonal love is free from depression.        Joy pushes depression out.        Peace does not coexist with disillusion in the soul of the believer filled with the Holy Spirit.        Longsuffering gives the ability to deal with depression and trouble.        Gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance are fruits of righteousness, which is divine good. Divine good takes the place of depression. LIVING IN THE WORD

By Living in the Word you are constantly reminded of God's viewpoint, of His Plan, of His provision, or His awareness of our spirit of heaviness and what He want to accomplish in us with the testing. Living in the sphere of human viewpoint is a source of depression. Living in the Word gradually transplants you to a new sphere, a new environment for your life, in which there is victory over depression.

ORIENTATION TO GRACE

Depression is often caused by people, most of the time by people we cannot escape, or people we love, or people we cannot confront, or people we trust. Grace Orientation includes the ability to look at people and see them as God sees them. It includes the ability to let them live their lives as unto the Lord, and trusting God to make His way clear to them. This technique lets people make mistakes without your judging them. It enables you to accept criticism without hurt or bitterness. It enables you to "esteem other better than yourself", to "do nothing through strife or vainglory."

OCCUPATION WITH CHRIST

The technique of Occupation with Christ helps to cure depression because it gets your eyes off your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your friends, and yourself. Instead, as you move through the day, you are thinking about the Lord Jesus Christ, His plan for your life, the Father's provision for each incident in your life, and His provision of wisdom for each decision you must make. Occupation with Christ is a by-product of the Faith-Rest Life. Depression is a by-product of occupation with self, with life, with problems.

THE FAITH-REST LIFE

Faith-Rest is believing the promises of God and then entering into the "rest" phase of Christian living by claiming and enjoying those promises. Therefore, you must search the Scriptures daily to remind yourself of promises, and to learn new ones. You must know who and what God is so that you will not hesitate to believe that He can do what He has promised to do. Study the attributes of God using verses about the Essence of God. Know Him as He reveals Himself in the Bible. Believe Him when He tells you what He will do for you. Count on it. Let your faith rest on it. Cast your burden on the Lord.

RELAXED MENTAL ATTITUDE

A relaxed mental attitude is based on knowing God and on having the divine production in the soul that comes with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. A relaxed mental attitude is one of the results of Living in the Word, Walking in Fellowship, practicing the Faith-Rest Life, and being occupied with Christ. All of the components of depression melt away when God provides this attribute.

MASTERING OF THE DETAILS OF LIFE

We are all involved with details of life. Either we master them, or they master us! If you are a slave to one or more details of life, your thoughts are devoted to them, and they drive you. They dominate your thoughts, your conversation, your decisions. Slavery to the details of life leads to disillusion, disappointment, and depression.

Mastery of the details of life means that you look to the Lord for every detail. Your happiness does not depend on people, circumstances or things. You have the peace of God that passes understanding. You have learned to be content under any circumstances. You can wait for the Lord's timing in providing the details you want; you can enjoy them when you have them; and you can remain happy when the Lord sees fit Not to provide some detail.

CAPACITY TO LOVE

There may be many depressing details that surround our relationships with other people or the circumstances of our lives. The fruit of the Spirit love deals with that depression by giving us the capacity to have a Spirit-produced love for God (1 Cor. 16:22); for spouse (Titus 2:4); for others (Rom. 12:13).

INNER HAPPINESS

Inner happiness is not possible for the believer who is occupied with himself and his needs. Inner happiness is a state of rejoicing based on knowing that God is everything He claims to be and that He can do what He has promised. Inner happiness is the joy of living where every provision for physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being is being made by God in the life of a Christian who is walking in daily fellowship with Him.   

Posted by intercession at 7:39 AM EST

Updated: Wednesday, 4 February 2009 7:49 AM EST

Share This Post

Post Comment | View Comments (1) | Permalink

Mood:  happy

Are you struggling with physical, spiritual and mental pain and trying to figure out if you’re in depression?

If that is your case, I want to share with you my own experience dealing with depression and overcoming it. I also want to share with you some coaching advice together with applications of the word of God to help you to move forward with your life and find a purpose for your life in the midst of your circumstances.

Through my circumstances I understood that there was my call.

My story

A few years ago, I was suffering from a very weird, really incomprehensible and exhausting disease called depression.

I was suffering from panic attacks, stomach ache, fear, confusion, trembling, insomnia, manic, excessive thoughts, fainting, impulses to hurt myself. I felt like I was dying inside. I felt that I had a purpose, but something stronger than I was holding me back, was taking over me. I felt discouraged and started to avoid people. I can’t describe the pain I felt. The whole thing was devastating. The illness made me helpless, and inflicted me physical pain and poor physical health. I lacked self-esteem, motivation and the ability to accomplish basics tasks.

How did I get sick? It’s strange and not so easy to explain. Looking back, depression ran in my family and some deep-seated scars from my childhood had made me vulnerable. I had witnessed traumatic things. I know now that depression had been building up for a while but paradoxically, the trigger for me seems to have been a newfound stability. As I didn’t need to fight anymore, I relaxed and then it hit me.

But at the time I didn't know what it was. I was going from one doctor to another spending so much money that until one day I decided that I had to get over this situation. I thought there had to be a solution for my illness.

By that time I already knew the Lord, because I had grown up in a Christian home with my parents and grandparents. As a child, from 7 to 9 I used to go to the church with my parents. But I never thought God could heal, and that you could call upon the Lord at times when you need him. I recall that one day my mother gave me a Holy Bible.

As I was very much in pain, I remembered that I had the Bible. I took the Bible and I opened it on Psalms 148. I didn't know how to pray, so I just opened it. I believed that somehow I would get help. I didn't know how. But that was my hope, so I kept the Bible always open on that verse.

I must admit that I didn't know that the Lord was so powerful in his deeds. In the past I recall that when I needed real help I always went to a Catholic church and prayed before the Cross. I always felt something about Jesus on the Cross. But I never got to know him so much. No one had really taught me how to pray in Jesus' name and whenever I got into trouble I didn't know how to talk about it with other Christians.

I was searching for solutions so I ended up going to see a cartomancer, to try to find out about myself as she read cards in order to guess my destiny. But for some reason I always had doubts about this practice. I still believed that there was one God that could have helped me but I didn't know how I could call on him. Anyway, going to the cartomancer helped me to realize that she could not help me. It opened my eyes.

I got some medical help. It worked, but I was slow to recover. Medication had heavy side effects. When I felt OK, I tended to drop the medication and endured relapses. At the same time, I felt that there was a broader problem: I didn't only need medical help but also spiritual deliverance.

One day I had this strong feeling to start reading the Bible, and starting going to church. I had elders and anointed people from the church praying over me. I went through a process of spiritual deliverance and kept on praying.

I remember that I decided to read the Bible a lot. Because of my depression I went even as far as reading it compulsively. It became an obsessional refuge. I could not stop reading. I stopped giving due attention to the usual things you do to lead a normal life. Don’t get me wrong. I was sick. I still read the Holy Bible a lot and I think it is a perfectly healthy and helpful thing to do.

Still, obsession or not, I felt that reading the Bible changed my life. Many things started to be revealed to me. God started to reveal his Love and care for me. I repented for my sins. I got baptized through immersion in water. In this way, I accepted God as my savior. I strengthened my faith and started to grow in an intimate relationship with God. I started asking God to heal me from depression.

I read from the scriptures all the miracles that Jesus did and I asked God to do this for me as well. I always focused on the Cure of the woman with a hemorrhage, in Matthew 9:22. One day while I was reading the Bible the Lord answered to me from the scriptures, through Matthew 15:28, ‘ Woman, you have great faith. Let your desire be granted.'

From that moment, I knew that God had healed me spiritually. But I was still physically and mentally sick. I didn't know yet, or I didn’t admit, that I had to discipline myself, adopt a healthier lifestyle and take my medication. I was exhausted and losing a lot of weight. My condition deteriorated further, I behaved in ways I couldn’t explain now and I couldn’t explain at the time either. Sometimes destructively. I had to be admitted in a hospital, where they gave me some medication to recover.

I recall I rebelled against this at first and not only at first. I said to my loved ones that cared so much for me, that I was healed, and that I didn't need to go to the hospital. But as I became physically too weak and mentally too instable to do anything useful, I got the signal that something was deeply wrong. I understood that the only thing that was left for me to do was to accept to be treated, to go to the hospital to be treated physically and mentally with medication.

I struggled a lot trying to understand why I was sick and why I needed to take medication. I didn’t know at the time that all people who suffer from depression ask themselves the same questions and that many of them experience the same reluctance to comply with medication. I experienced my illness as either a mysterious injustice or something that was not even there. I felt that something was wrong with my mind, my soul, my spirit, with myself, and rejected the idea that pills could fix that.

For a diabetic, it’s easy to accept that he or she needs insulin. Psychiatrists have known for ages that a severely depressed person needs pills to fix his or her brain chemistry, and sometimes needs them for a very long time, possibly for life. But this quite difficult to accept for many of us, and certainly for a sick, confused person. A mental disease is a physical disease of the brain. It needs treatment. We can understand easily that someone’s brain chemistry is in trouble when he is drunk or high on drugs. For some of us, brain chemistry goes wrong without substance abuse and it has to be fixed.

Medication was heavy at first, because of my bad condition, and not always the most adequate - doctors have to learn what works for you, and you too. I put on weight. In my case, I functioned very slowly, overslept and experienced all sorts of unpleasant side effects. I had occasional relapses when I didn’t take my medication. Then with time, the doctors started to lower the dose. The betterment process took a few years. Now I am on a very very small maintenance dose without any side effects. I am happy and leading a normal life again.

I also believe strongly that medication is necessary but in some cases not enough. When I started to think clearly again, I asked myself a lot of questions and discovered things hidden inside me. Sickness had transformed the way I thought, and I needed to review the way I looked at things. We need more than a functioning brain chemistry. We need to express ourselves from inside out. Receiving love is very important. Knowing God to know how much he loves you is very important. I realize that I didn't know how I should love myself until I knew how God loves me. 

All these years I had been asking: why? I found a simple, unscientific but spiritual answer: I have learned that some people for some reason have a different body and health than other people, and God heals according to his will.

He has ways of healing. I have learned this from the scriptures. The Book of Ecclesiasticus 38:1-15 says:

Medicine and Illness

1. Treat the doctor with the honor that is his due, in consideration of his services; for he too has been created by the Lord.

2. Healing itself comes from the Most High, like a gift received from a king.

3. The doctor's learning keeps his head high and the great regard him with awe.

4. The Lord has brought forth medicinal herbs from the ground and no one sensible will despise them.

5. Did not a piece of wood once sweeten the water, thus giving proof of its power?

6.      He has also given some people knowledge, so that they may draw credit from his mighty works.

7.      He uses these for healing and relieving pain; the druggist makes up a mixture from them.

8.  Thus, there is no end to his activities; thanks to him, well-being exists throughout the world.

9. My child, when you are ill, do not rebel, but pray to the Lord and he will heal you.

10. Renounce your faults, keep your hands unsoiled, and cleanse your heart from all sin.

11. Offer incense and a memorial of fine flour, make as rich an offering as you can afford.

12. Then let the doctor take over-the lord created him too- do not let him leave you, for you need him.

13. There are times when good health depends on doctors.

14. For they, in their turn, will pray the Lord to grant them the grace to relieve and to heal, and so prolong your life.

15. Whoever sins in the eyes of his Maker, let such a one come under the care of the doctor!

All this time, my husband was extremely concerned. I was fortunate that he did everything he could, going with me to the doctor, reading all sorts of books about depression, searching information… I know it wasn’t easy for him at the time. People don’t know how to handle a depressive person.

My husband gave me a little prayer that helped me through dark times:

God grant me the serenity to accept things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I can. And the wisdom to know the difference.

I only wish I would have not lost so much time to find my way back to normal life.

Thanks God, today I'm spiritually healed and physically I am in good shape. My thoughts are stable. Now I appreciate myself and others, I can make projects and live for my purpose. I have to remain disciplined in taking my medication, because maybe for now that's what my body needs. So I surrendered all in the hands of the Lord, but I know I also have to do my part. I praise the Lord for teaching me sanity and more.

With both discipline and sanity, and the word of God, I have found balance and I am strengthening my relationship with God. I'm striving every day to be more and more divinely lead. I reposition myself and I explore new directions.

With times,

I learn that God healed me according to his will. He gave me also a big opportunity to learn a big lesson. God has many ways to answer to our prayers. I have learned that God works with man even through circumstances. I learned that the God of universe empowers man with gifts and talents to work for his purpose helping one another.

I give the glory to God first to heal me through my circumstances, and also to give me the opportunity to see and understand that he gives credit to Science, doctors to heal me with him in midst of it. He gives me the ability to understand and learn sanity, by allowing science and spirituality to work together. In my case I saw God working with both science and Spirituality, and finishing His healing according to his will and my faith and discipline, and the supernatural power of God and Grace. I am healed.

Posted by intercession at 7:24 AM EST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  energetic

 

 Are you a new born Christian  or, do you want to received Jesus Christ as your savior?

If you’re a new born Christian, or you want to receive Jesus Christ as your savior.

 Congratulations on your decision to place your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation .

Nowing,  that the apostle John’s words: “ For God so loved the world that he give his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have life”(john 3:16;

Romans 10: 9-10) The Christian life is journey, but you can always  be confident that God loves you and is with you each step of the way(Matthew 28:20).

1. Make sure you understand salvation.

1 John 5:13 tells us, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” God wants us to understand salvation. God wants us to have the confidence of knowing for sure that we are saved. Briefly, let’s go over the key points of salvation:

(a) We have all sinned. We have all done things that are displeasing to God (Romans 3:23).

(b) Because of our sin, we deserve to be punished with eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23).

(c) Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus died in our place, taking the punishment that we deserved. His resurrection proved that Jesus’ death was sufficient to pay for our sins.

(d) God grants forgiveness and salvation to all those who place their faith in Jesus – trusting His death as the payment for our sins (John 3:16; Romans 5:1; Romans 8:1).

That is the message of salvation! If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are saved! All of your sins are forgiven, and God promises to never leave you or forsake you (Romans 8:38-39; Matthew 28:20). Remember, your salvation is secure in Jesus Christ (John 10:28-29). If you are trusting in Jesus alone as your Savior, you can have confidence that you will spend eternity with God in heaven!

2. Find a good church that teaches the Bible.

Don’t think of the church as a building. The church is the people. It is very important that believers in Jesus Christ fellowship with one another. That is one of the primary purposes of the church. Now that you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, we strongly encourage you to find a Bible-believing church in your area and speak to the pastor. Let him know about your new faith in Jesus Christ.

A second purpose of the church is to teach the Bible. You can learn how to apply God’s instructions to your life. Understanding the Bible is key to living a successful and powerful Christian life. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

A third purpose of the church is worship. Worship is thanking God for all He has done! God has saved us. God loves us. God provides for us. God guides and directs us. How could we not thank Him? God is holy, righteous, loving, merciful, and full of grace. Revelation 4:11 declares, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

3. Set aside time each day to focus on God.

It is very important for us to spend time each day focusing on God. Some people call this a “quiet time.” Others call it “devotions,” because it is a time when we devote ourselves to God. Some prefer to set aside time in the mornings, while others prefer the evenings. It does not matter what you call this time or when you do it. What matters is that you regularly spend time with God. What events make up our time with God?

(a) Prayer. Prayer is simply talking to God. Talk to God about your concerns and problems. Ask God to give you wisdom and guidance. Ask God to provide for your needs. Tell God how much you love Him and how much you appreciate all He does for you. That is what prayer is all about.

(b) Bible Reading. In addition to being taught the Bible in church, Sunday School, and/or Bible studies – you need to be reading the Bible for yourself. The Bible contains everything you need to know in order to live a successful Christian life. It contains God’s guidance for how to make wise decisions, how to know God’s will, how to minister to others, and how to grow spiritually. The Bible is God’s Word to us. The Bible is essentially God’s instruction manual for how to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to Him and satisfying to us.

4. Develop relationships with people who can help you spiritually.

1 Corinthians 15:33 tells us, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’” The Bible is full of warnings about the influence “bad” people can have on us. Spending time with those who engage in sinful activities will cause us to be tempted by those activities. The character of those we are around will “rub off” on us. That is why it is so important to surround ourselves with other people who love the Lord and are committed to Him.

Try to find a friend or two, perhaps from your church, who can help you and encourage you (Hebrews 3:13; 10:24). Ask your friends to keep you accountable in regard to your quiet time, your activities, and your walk with God. Ask if you can do the same for them. This does not mean you have to give up all your friends who do not know the Lord Jesus as their Savior. Continue to be their friend and love them. Simply let them know that Jesus has changed your life and you cannot do all the same things you used to do. Ask God to give you opportunities to share Jesus with your friends.

5. Be baptized.

Many people have a misunderstanding of baptism. The word “baptize” means to immerse in water. Baptism is the Biblical way of publicly proclaiming your new faith in Christ and your commitment to follow Him. The action of being immersed in the water illustrates being buried with Christ. The action of coming out of the water pictures Christ’s resurrection. Being baptized is identifying yourself with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4).

Baptism is not what saves you. Baptism does not wash away your sins. Baptism is simply a step of obedience, a public proclamation of your faith in Christ alone for salvation. Baptism is important because it is a step of obedience – publicly declaring faith in Christ and your commitment to Him. If you are ready to be baptized, you should speak with a pastor.

Posted by intercession at 6:34 PM EST

Updated: Friday, 16 January 2009 6:38 PM EST

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  energetic

Devotion is not the same as preparation for Ministerial Duty, like preaching or teaching. This is preparation for you.

A few moments with God make your spirit ready for the battles of the day. If devotion is a regular time of listening to God through scriptures and prayer, your quiet time with God will help you maintain perspective in all the demands of life.

You will find God's place in all you do.

The bible teaches:

I AM the true vine, and my father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth no fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me , and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. (John 15:1-6 KJV)

Benediction:

All the saints  salute you. The grace of the of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:13-14 KJV)

Posted by intercession at 5:08 PM EDT

Updated: Monday, 6 October 2008 1:13 PM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink

Mood:  happy

Last week, at our ladies' Bible Study I shared my experience about how God is teaching me to know Him better everyday by hearing His voice, by offering the best of my time in close relationship with Him.

As the discussing went on, we all seemed to enjoy the topic. At the end of our discussion,  a fellow lady in our group asked a question:

1 - Why do we really need to know God?,

2- Can I really know God since he is Almighty ?

Well the answer is Yes. The bible teaches us:

Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrificies, holy and pleasing to God- This is your spiritual act of worship. Do not confirm any longer to the pattern of this world, but the transformed by the renewing of your mind Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is his good. Pleasing and perfect will.  ( Romans 12:1-2)

Another verse in the book of Jeremiah (9:23-24) teaches us:

This is what the Lord says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdow or the strongman boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches. But let him who boasts boast about this; that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteouness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the Lord.

Posted by intercession at 11:09 AM EDT

Updated: Sunday, 28 September 2008 2:59 PM EDT

Share This Post

Post Comment | Permalink