Hope for Christians Who Are DepressedWatch and Pray

We all have grey days. Instead of facing the day with excitement and expectation, we face the day with weariness and depression. These are the times when we would rather stay in bed and withdraw from the world around us. However, God has not designed a life of despondency for His people. And thankfully, there is hope for Christians who are depressed.

God’s Word Gives Christians Hope

God’s Word (the Bible) is the source of that hope for Christians who are depressed because it was tailor-made for those gray days. God had a purpose in mind when He had the Scriptures preserved. Romans 15:4 tells us that the Scriptures were written for our instruction. This includes how to endure difficult times. So, if we submit to the teachings in God’s Word, not only will we receive hope, but we will receive the patience and encouragement to go through difficult times.

The 40th chapter of Isaiah gives us some insight into dealing with down days. In this chapter, Isaiah saw the coming of the great Babylonian armies. Furthermore, he knew that they would destroy Jerusalem, take his people captive and leave the nation in ruin. But in the midst of all his confusion and discouragement, Isaiah received a message from God. It was a message of encouragement for his suffering people (Isaiah 40:27-31). By the same token, God is waiting to help us today.

Hold on to God’s promises

In verse 28 of Isaiah, there is a double question: “Hath thou not known? Hast thou not heard? This verse was given as a reminder of what they had been taught to recognize. We all need reminding from time to time. The same God who helped us yesterday and who is helping us today, will go on helping us through all our tomorrows and into eternity.

Oftentimes, when we become discouraged and depressed, we forget God’s mercies and blessings of the past and become fearful about the future. The enemy will do everything in his power to get us to think that God has forgotten us. However, this way of thinking is contrary to God’s Word which says, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” (Hebrews 12:5). This is one of many Bible Scriptures that gives hope to Christians who are depressed.

Waiting on God gives hope to Christians who are depressed

Waiting on God enables Christians to keep going when they feel like giving up. To “wait” means to put your confidence in God and draw your strength and hope from His power. King David knew from experience what it meant to wait on the Lord (Psalm 27:14). He waited more than 15 years of his life for the fulfillment of God’s promise to reign as king.

David never gave up, even when he was discouraged at times. The Bible says, in 1 Samuel 30:6, that David encouraged himself in the Lord, when he was distressed. No doubt, David encouraged himself through prayer and reflecting on God’s faithfulness.

Waiting on God is not easy, and that is one of the reasons why depression comes. Often, it seems God is not answering our prayers or doesn’t understand the urgency of our situation. That kind of thinking, however, implies that God is not in control or is not fair. Sometimes, God calls us to wait because He uses waiting to refresh, to renew, and to teach us something. In light of this, we should try to make good use of our waiting time by discovering what it is God is trying to teach us.

Keep your focus on God

We will gain renewed strength and a new perspective if we focus directly on the Lord and not on our problem. We our bound to fail and spiral even further into depression if we take our focus off of God. So, how do we keep our eyes focused upward? First, praising God for Who He is and reading His Word on a regular basis help us to stay focused on God. If we keep our eyes on God, we will begin to see Him as greater than our problems.

Receive strength from the Lord

God’s power and strength never diminish. So, there is no reason for us to quit. God is never too tired or too busy to listen to our prayers. Moreover, His strength is our source of strength. In fact, Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: Wait, I say, on the Lord!”

So, when you feel life is weighing you down and you cannot go another step, admit that you cannot solve your problems and turn them over to God. Call upon God and ask for His help, then watch your hope return and receive a renewed strength.