Overcoming Depression

Author: Creflo Dollar

Summary:

Depression is the result of allowing external pressures to get in our hearts and weigh them down. It is actually internalized stress and pressure. We cannot prevent trouble from coming into our lives; however, we can prevent those things from weighing our hearts down and causing us to be depressed.

A pattern of negative thoughts cause depression.
1. What are you being exposed to? What is causing you to think the way you do?
2. Locate where you are getting your information.
3. Make the Word of God your primary source of information.
4. You can control your reaction to negative events and circumstances.
5. Each day you can choose whether you are going to have a good day or a bad one.
6. If you take control of your thinking, you will take control of your life.

You can control whether your heart is troubled (John 14:1, AMP).
1. Make a decision to believe what God says, not the norms of society.
  1. Depression is an enemy to your faith.
  2. When you confess the Word and continue in it, you make progress.
  3. When you are in a troubling situation, remain steadfast in the Word; it brings you closer to your breakthrough
2. Attend to the Word of God, it will determine the way you think (Proverbs 4:20-24).
  1. Keep the Word in the midst of your heart and do not focus on your problems.
  2. You may not be able to control your circumstances, but you are in control of what you allow in your heart.
Steps to getting out of depression:
1. Guard your heart. Consider what you are allowing yourself to watch, see, and hear.
2. Speak to your problems instead of about them (Mark 11:23).
3. If there is something missing in your life, ask God for it (John 16:23, 24, AMP).
4. Use thanksgiving as a weapon. Start thanking God for what you do have. Praise rebukes depression.