Depression is a stealer of joy. It can cause hopelessness to run your life so that you don’t even try anything. You kind of just…give up. It keeps you in that hole that feels like a trap. Even if you do try to get out, and it doesn’t work, you then go into a deeper hole because of the hopelessness that you were already experiencing. I know. I have been there myself. What we often do without realizing it is that we prophesy depression over our life, which means the language we use causes depression instead of bringing us to be free.
In Psalms 69:1-3, David pours out His heart for a plea for help, “Save me O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God.” What do you hear? He is in pain. He is crying, I think he is experiencing depression.
So what do we do? How do we overcome depression if we are faced with it? The answer is one step at a time. If you are in a hole, one little sprinkle of light at a time. When I was faced with darkness myself, I remember that everything in me wanted to keep complaining and crying and just not accessing peace. It’s like I wanted to keep being in that hole. When we are in this place, we lack the ability to comprehend what’s going on. Our field of vision narrows and we have less access to understand and allow the light in. I remember barely being able to squeeze out this name: Jesus help. That’s all I could muster up. And that’s all I held onto in that moment of despair.
God wants your heart, He wants your true honest heart. Supernatural shifts happen when we give things to Him. Just like what David did. So read the Psalms. Read Psalms 69, Psalms 23 and Psalms 103. There’s so many of them that bring life. But you access God’s truth in the middle of the pain. Guess what happens? We shift. When I could barely get “Jesus help” from my mouth, a little seed of hope started to rise. I started to believe again. I started to hope again. I took steps of prayer. I exercised. I journaled. I talked to friends. I got prayer. I worshipped God, I went to counseling, I did things to beat the enemy. The biggest thing is that we have to watch what we say.
I titled this article “God Help! Don’t Let Me Prophecy Depression Over My Life” because when we “feel” depressed, we continue to prophesy depression over our life. Here’s how:
• I am so tired all the time
• I am so down
• I don’t feel like doing anything
• I don’t want to do anything
• I am not going to do anything
• I deserve to not do anything
• I am just going to sit and eat ice cream and drink wine, I deserve it, it will make me feel better
• I am so hopeless
• I am so depressed
• I am depressed
What you are doing is prophesying all of these things to happen. Now, there is a difference between Psalms 69 talking to Jesus versus prophesying depression. Here’s the difference—if you are saying these things most days to many different people, you are prophesying depression. If you are saying these things to God in prayer, in your journal or to a trusted friend in whom you receive prayer from, you are calling out for life and want to receive it.
The sneaky thing about depression is that it can steal your hope so it’s almost like you don’t want to get better. I know that you want to get better but the depression doesn’t. So you have to recognize that you are not depression. You are a child of God. You are beautiful, smart, capable, talented and made in the image of God. Your identity is not depression. This is why I’m not a fan of diagnosing—the mere fact that I have a diagnosis is labeling and prophesying that over yourself.
I want to say that as a counselor, a mom, wife and just a regular person, that depression is so small compared to Jesus. I hope your faith has risen throughout this article to see it as so. I hope your authority over it has increased. If you still feel it on you, just take your hand and swipe it off you. That’s how little it is.
I declare that you are full of life, that you have joy in your life. You are an amazing parent. You are so good at your job. You are a good friend. God sees those little moments when you pray—He hears them. He is so pleased with you. You are so kind. When you speak over yourself and others, life comes out of your mouth. Jesus has your mouth. Jesus gave you your beautiful heart. People like being around you. You are such a joy to others and to the Lord. You are unique. God loves you with an everlasting love.
We thank you Lord for freedom from depression and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. We thank you for Your Word that says, “Instead of your shame, you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion, they shall rejoice in their portion, everlasting joy shall be theirs.” Help us receive even what we don’t understand because you are bigger than anything we can do. We give you all the glory Lord Jesus, Amen.
Heidi Mortenson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and owner of a mental health clinic in Minnesota. She is host of the Strong Tower Mental Health Podcast produced with Charisma Media and the author of the book “The Brave Encourager.” Heidi is ordained through Patricia King’s Women in Ministry Network, and is a second-year student of Bethel Supernatural School of Ministry online.
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