Maria
March 17, 2004
Full version of Post-it GN 10-11
By MariaMaria #658 CM/FM 3464 4/03
Dear Family,
1. There are so many things about you that I love‚ but one of your most admirable qualities‚ one which you manifest year after year‚ is your fighting spirit—how you're willing to face the Enemy head-on and defeat him! No matter what comes your way, you're willing to fight though to victory time after time‚ and that's what's made you seasoned fighters. That's what the Lord means to happen—that you continue to be tested‚ so you'll continue to fight and be strengthened each time.
2. The Enemy is relentless in his efforts to try and hinder you‚ and his ultimate hope is to defeat you, but as long as you keep fighting with all of the weapons in your arsenal, which Jesus has promised are so much more powerful than the Enemy's, he will never win.
3. One of the tactics he's recently been using with greater force than ever is depression—very deep and long-lasting discouragement. It's not anything completely new. Dad always said discouragement and depression were the Devil's favorite weapons—and the Devil certainly used them on him, as he was hit by them frequently. I've recently received numerous reports and accounts of the Enemy's attacks on the Family in this way, and it seems like they're much stronger and more widespread than they have been in the past. He's using depression to assail so many of our Family—young and old alike.
4. As you who have fought it personally know, depression is debilitating. If not resisted and overcome, it can drastically sap your usefulness—or if left to run its course, even defeat you completely. Because of its seriousness, I've been very concerned about these widespread, crippling attacks. It's made me desperate to find His answers for you who are fighting these battles. I wanted to know all about it—exactly what depression is, why the Enemy is attacking us more furiously with it than ever before, how to effectively overcome it, and the secrets and steps to permanent deliverance.
5. Our wonderful Answer Man has poured forth an abundance of counsel, insight and encouragement on the topic of depression, which I'm going to share with you in this Letter.
Why the Enemy Is Attacking
6. Before we delve too deeply into the specifics of depression, I wanted to start with a message the Lord gave about the Enemy's recently increased attacks, and why he is using this weapon more ruthlessly than ever.
7. (Jesus: ) The Enemy is fighting with greater force than ever before because he knows that his time is short. Depression is a weapon the Enemy has used some in the past, but now he's pulled it out again and is using it with greater force than ever. He cannot match My new weapons with any of his weapons, but he's recycling and upgrading his old ones and using them in different ways to hinder My children.
8. The Enemy has used depression before to a certain extent, and many of you have experienced it. So he would have you believe that it's nothing to worry about or be too concerned about. He wants you to think it's one of his less powerful weapons. But I show you this widespread attack of depression for what it is—a dastardly ploy of the Wicked One in these Last Days to destroy you, to defeat you.
9. With all of the progress being made in the spirit and the new revelations and revolutions you're fighting to make an immovable part of your lives—the keys of the Kingdom, heavenly thought power, the Feast 2003 Word revolution, and so much more—he is raging mad. He is being defeated at every turn, being fought on every side, but he is not one to give up easily. In fact, he will never give up. He will continue to fight you, My children, as long as he is allowed power in these Last Days.
10. The Devil shows no mercy. He knows his days are numbered, that his power will soon slip from his grasp, and he hates the thought. That's why he's attacking with depression in these Last Days—and right now, today—in extreme ways you've never experienced before. He wants to rake in his final winnings before he is taken out of the way for good. He knows what tremendous witnesses you're each going to be during the final days of life on Earth as you know it, and that the more of you there are, the more of you there are to be conduits of My power, and the more brilliantly My light will shine as a result. He knows the strengthening of your spirits today prepares you for the future, and he fights this with a vengeance.
11. Before the End comes, before the great and final showdown, he wants to pull as many away from Me as he possibly can, and what better way than with extreme depression, which hinders forward progress, saps you of all faith and hope, and makes you want to give up the fight of your own free will? This is his ploy, his plan, and why depression is something to be vehemently fought against. (End of message.)
What Is Depression?
12. (Mama:) In order to be effective in "vehemently fighting," as the Lord instructs us, we need to know more specifically what we're fighting against. I asked the Lord to tell us exactly what depression is, how it's manifested, why it can seem so powerful and overwhelming, and how He sees it.
13. (Jesus:) Depression is hopelessness; it's having the will to live sucked out of you. It's the means the Enemy uses to tell you that there's nothing to keep fighting for, no reason to keep living. It's the tactic he uses to stifle your will to serve Me, your will to live. Depression causes you to concede defeat—living in sadness when I long to give you happiness‚ accepting despair and hopelessness when I desire to bring you victory. Depression is darkness of spirit, when you've allowed the Enemy's clouds of oppression to hide the sun of My joy and happiness.
14. Depression could be pictured as a large‚ powerful hand gripping a heart and slowly crushing it. That's what depression does to your spirit. It grips you and clouds you in darkness‚ sucking the life out of your spirit. Depression and hopelessness are connected, and are the cause of most suicides.
15. The Enemy has found depression so successful because it is human nature to look at the lacks, the losses, the sacrifices of life‚ and to dwell on them. And when you are not seeking to find the good in situations or things that have happened, you begin to lose a full and proper perspective on life. If this continues for a period of time‚ depression sets in.
16. Though there are times when depression will hit for no apparent reason, making you feel like a huge and powerful wave has knocked you for a loop‚ discouragement is most often the starting point of depression—discouragement over things such as not making necessary progress in your life, discouragement about your surroundings, discouragement about your appearance or character‚ discouragement in relationships, etc. There are many reasons why people are hit with discouragement, which is generally less severe, intense, and overwhelming than depression.
17. Discouragement doesn't automatically lead to depression; it's not just the natural course of events you're doomed to, because you can overcome and reverse the downward spiral with My power. But the danger is if you don't get the victory after a period of time of battling, but instead you stay discouraged and allow the Enemy to convince you that there's no way out of it. Then you begin to feel sorry for yourself, thinking that life is unfair, that fighting is a hopeless cause, which fast becomes a vortex of depression. (End of message.)
18. (Jesus:) Depression is a form of anger at Me. It is not agreeing with what I've chosen for you to experience and go through. This overwhelming sadness you feel when you're depressed is often rooted in anger and unyieldedness. It's like sand that sinks deeper the farther you walk into it, sucking you into its depths of death. (End of message.)
Depression Is Yielding
To the Negative
19. (Mama:) The Enemy usually uses things that you battle frequently, and he magnifies them to an outrageous proportion in your mind and heart. He usually hits your weakest spot. So if you battle with feeling unneeded‚ he'll strike at that and use that as the catalyst to start rolling you up in his chains of depression. If you're a comparer, he'll use that to begin the roller-coaster ride of depression. If you have a tendency to be negative about yourself, then he'll use that. If you battle loneliness, he'll unmercifully deal you a low blow in that area of your life. If you experience long-term afflictions or chronic pain, he'll consider that fertile ground for his attacks.
20. He doesn't normally get you feeling discouraged and depressed about something that is totally foreign. He'll usually begin with something more familiar—your besetting sin, something you battle with, something in your life that's difficult for you to yield, or ways in which you feel inadequate or inferior. Though it feels like a sudden sweeping swarm of depression that comes over you, it's often triggered by something that you will accept and believe. The Enemy often begins by hitting at your weakest spot.
21. Depression builds quickly, and then everything that happens adds to the big mass of depressing thoughts and feelings that are like a massive cloud over your head, blocking your view of reality. In a very short time you can't even tell what the trigger was or what the Enemy first used as starting ground to plant his seeds of depression. Almost immediately, everything starts merging, fusing as one, and everything in your life starts looking gloomy and beyond hope.
22. (Jesus:) Depression in simple terms is a yielding of the mind to the negative. It's a yielding or giving up of faith, hope and joy. It's turning away from the light and facing the darkness. That darkness is more often than not yourself, or self-pity; the seemingly "hopeless" or "sad" circumstances and conditions that surround you; or allowing the Enemy to smother the flame of hope and happiness in your heart.
23. It's a yielding of your mind and spirit to the negative. Consequently your physical body can fall fast behind, succumbing to all sorts of maladies and ailments as a result of your weakened spirit. Through this powerful negative weapon and tool of depression, the Enemy literally steals hope and faith and joy from your heart. When he's stolen these, he effectively holds everything regenerative from your spirit.
24. Hope, faith and joy—all of which come from Me—have regenerative power. They are forces of power within themselves. He knows that when you relinquish these to him, you have little strength even to lift your voice in praise‚ to call on the keys of the Kingdom, to read the Word, to lift your eyes toward Me that you may be lightened, to even have the will to fight on. Your vision becomes distorted, impaired, and clouded, your mind muddled and confused. (End of message.)
How Can I Relate?
25. (Mama: ) Some of you who are battling depression may wonder if I can relate‚ understand or sympathize with what you're going through. After all‚ I've never experienced what I would classify as depression. I do get discouraged occasionally‚ but the Lord has given me a gift of faith to where I really don't get "down" very often at all, which I'm very thankful for.
26. Though I haven't had firsthand personal experience with depression‚ quite a number of years ago Peter battled serious discouragement and debilitating depression, as have others that I've known and worked with over the years—including some folks in my Home now. Dad also battled discouragement and depression occasionally. I believe that these experiences have helped me to gain a better understanding of depression, how difficult it is to fight, as well as the Lord's unfailing ability to deliver.
27. When Peter battled depression, he would become discouraged to such a degree that he felt like he couldn't do anything‚ and it would sometimes last for 3 or 4 days at a time. He felt as if he was under a dark cloud, with a huge weight pressing him down, and he would get so down and discouraged and felt as if he had no spirit, no life. He battled periods like this for many years.
28. Thank the Lord that due to Peter's faith, prayers, yieldedness, fight, and desire for victory, coupled with the Lord's miracle-working power and our prayers‚ he was wonderfully delivered. He's now rarely attacked with depression, or when he very occasionally is, he's learned how to fight and it doesn't last long. He was completely liberated from the grip discouragement and depression once had on him.
Symptoms of Depression
29. There are many symptoms of depression, and in addition to those the Lord mentioned in the preceding messages, some common indicators are:
30. To shed further light on how depression can sometimes be manifested, here's a short excerpt of a message one of our folks in WS received when asking the Lord about depression and the symptoms of it.
31. (Jesus:) Your loss of concentration, your feelings of isolation, your feeling that you are watching everything on a screen or through a window, and feeling helpless to accomplish even the littlest task, even something like choosing what to wear‚ your constant and vague sense of feeling sick, your drastic mood changes‚ your misplaced frustrations‚ your loss of interest in enjoyed activities, these are all symptoms of depression. (End of message.)
Ask the Lord
Why You're Battling
32. (Mama: ) Taking our battles and problems to the Lord is something we all need to do more, asking Him to show us why we are battling and what the symptoms lead to—whether it's pride, jealousy, depression‚ or something completely different. Don't read the list of symptoms above and think you're depressed just because you're a negative thinker or you're feeling apathetic, frustrated and condemned.
33. The connection between these different symptoms and depression isn't automatic, nor can you say, "Well, I have six of the ten symptoms, so I must be depressed." It's not a matter of a high or low score in the symptoms, because sometimes if you have even one or two symptoms to the extreme, you might be depressed. Or, you might have many of these symptoms to a slight degree and not be depressed.
34. Remember, everyone is different, and just because something might be a symptom of depression for one person‚ it doesn't necessarily mean that it is in every case. Often in the busyness of day–to-day life, we don't take enough time to stop, pray, think, meditate, reflect, and search our hearts. So on top of feeling gloomy, heavy, and sad, you may not even know why you feel that way, which adds frustration and compounds the problem. That's why you've got to take time to hear from the Lord.
35. The only way to know for sure if what you're battling and the problems and difficulties and sadness you're facing is depression, is to ask the Lord.
Don't Feel Like
Hearing from the Lord?
36. When you're depressed you usually don't feel like doing anything. So I can imagine that it's very difficult for someone in the throes of depression to be able to hear from the Lord. It's nearly impossible to expect that a person in deep depression will have the faith, the ability, or the desire to hear from the Lord in detailed prophecy. So you'll most likely need someone else to hear from the Lord for you, or wait until you feel the battle ease a little and can hear from the Lord with a clear mind and heart. It's not that the Lord can't speak to you in a depressed state. He can and will‚ but it often takes a much greater effort on your part.
37. But the very least you can do is call for the Lord's help and claim the keys, even if it's just a few words. This is what the Lord expects of those who are in a depressed state, the first steps they can realistically take, which will begin to set things in motion in the spirit. Even if all you can do is cry out to Him and say, "Please help me," or, "I claim the keys," then the Lord will honor that.
38. But having said that, I want to make it clear that it's very, very important that as soon as you are able, as soon as you feel a break in the battle or a slight reprieve, that you do take the time to hear from the Lord personally. A tendency is to just try and forget the depression once you feel it's lifted somewhat, but that's the time to hear from the Lord and ask for His advice, help, encouragement, and tips for fighting, so that you can make forward progress. Our Husband knows what makes you tick, the problems you face, and best of all, He has the solutions to everything—even the most muddled confusion.
The Difference Between
Discouragement and Depression
39. Most of us experience discouragement from time to time, to one degree or another. No one is immune to it! We've all had to fight it‚ and many continue to do so on a regular basis. But you may be wondering, as I was, what the difference is between discouragement and depression. Are they connected? And if so, how?
40. The Lord said in the previous message‚ "Discouragement is most often the starting point of depression‚" but I asked Him to expound further.
41. (Jesus:) The first step down the pathway of depression is discouragement. The Enemy throws his fiery darts of discouragement your way to try to hinder you‚ delay you, and get you to doubt My love and care.
42. Discouragement can come about through many avenues. Perhaps you're discouraged about a mistake you made; about a venture that didn't quite get off the ground; about your Home situation; about your children or those who have left the Family; or you may get hit with discouragement about yourself and the way you are or the way you do things.
43. The Enemy hits everyone with discouragement at one time or another. He uses this weapon frequently, especially with My children. He knows that each one of you does so much good and accomplishes so much‚ so he seeks to undermine all of the good that you do by coming in with his magnifying glass. He enlarges your faults and failings and mistakes. He magnifies the problems and the battles, and he plagues you with his evil and debilitating discouragement.
44. The Enemy seeks to divide and conquer in whatever way he possibly can. He has very limited power, but if he can get you looking at yourself and at the problems instead of up into My face, instead of up into My presence where I show you the victories, then he seriously hampers and hinders you. This then hinders the work that you do for Me to accomplish My plan of winning and wooing the world and all of My precious lost children into My Heavenly Kingdom.
45. Discouragement is simply the first step on the pathway to depression. If you resist Satan and deflect his fiery doubts before they take hold in your life, the pathway to victory is simple and sure. The secret to overcoming is to stand up and fight as soon as the Enemy attacks you with discouragement! Immediately resist the Enemy and claim the power of the keys! Don't give the Enemy any place in your life! Don't give him the satisfaction of hindering you and My work! Don't give him the satisfaction of making you miserable!
46. Ward off his big, dark clouds of discouragement with the sunshine of My promises and don't let him take any hold. If you let him in, he'll wreak havoc in your life. He won't stop with just one discouraging thought or feeling; he'll keep going until you're in deep. The longer you wait to resist the Enemy and kick him out the door of your life, the harder it is to do so. If you don't fight at the first sign of discouragement, then he gains more ground and it gets harder and harder to fight back.
47. Depression is deep discouragement. If you allow the Enemy's dark clouds of discouragement to overshadow your life without calling on My power‚ on the sun of My Spirit to drive him away, pretty soon it starts raining and pouring and you'll be in pretty deep. Soon you'll be hit with a flood of depression, and the effort to pull out of that mess will need to be even greater.
48. Depression begins when you don't resist the Enemy when he first comes into your life with his discouragement. Depression sets in when you don't fight, when you accept things as they are and aren't willing to stir yourself up. Discouragement is like the camel's nose; if you don't get rid of it while it's still small, it just gets bigger and bigger, and pretty soon you'll have a camel of depression in your midst.
49. If at the first signs of discouragement you fight with the Word, the keys, prayer, praise and songs, you'll be able to kick the Devil right out. If you wait a little longer, it takes a little more effort and strength of My Spirit, because his foothold in your life will be stronger. However, if you wait till you get in so deep that you're flooded with depression‚ it takes a miracle of My Spirit to pull you back out again.
50. I am able to ward off even the fiercest and vilest of Satan's attacks upon My children. He has no power over Me, because all power is given unto Me in Heaven and on Earth. But in order for Me to help you, you also have to fight. The spiritual warfare depends on you and the choices you make. I have to have your cooperation, willpower, yieldedness, and submission in order to defeat the Enemy and his depression.
51. Usually when you're depressed, you've been discouraged for so long you haven't been really fighting, so your fighting muscles are pretty weak. This is why I've made you a team with those around you—your loved ones, My brides. If you don't feel that you personally have the strength to fight to overcome, you must call on the help of your brethren and shepherds. You must call on the strength and skill of your fellow warriors of the faith, your brethren, your allies in the fight. Through united prayer and aggressively attacking the Enemy together, he will be defeated. I will defeat him through My power. I will cast him out with the magnificence of My Spirit! I will zap him with My laser beams that bring victory!
52. All power is given unto Me in Heaven and on Earth—all power to save, to deliver‚ to rescue. All power is given into My hand to defeat the Evil One, whose power is very limited in comparison to Mine. You must simply call on Me and the strength of My Spirit. You must call on your brethren, those who also love you and will stand with you in the fight for victory. I will do the miracle and pull you out of the pit of depression if you call out to Me for help. If you fight in the spirit, call on the keys, claim the keys promises, and recruit the help of others to fight with you, I can defeat the Enemy and his plague of depression.
53. Nothing is too hard for Me! With Me the impossible is possible. I can turn defeat into victory, darkness into sunshine, dark clouds into peaceful skies, depression into happiness and faith and trust, battles into sheer joy. But I must warn you, My children, do not allow the Enemy to have even an inch. When he hits you with discouragement, fight back, and you will defeat him right then and there before he has a chance to afflict you with further discouragement and ultimately depression. You can kick him out right at the beginning, at the first sign of his presence, and he won't have a chance. He will be defeated and you will be strengthened. But the longer you wait, the harder the fight will be. (End of message.)
Depression: An Attack
Of the Enemy on Your Life
54. (Mama:) One of the most difficult and disconcerting things about depression is that you usually can't put your finger on what's wrong with you or why you're so deeply discouraged. You know something's seriously wrong, but you don't quite know what or why. It can be easy to blame your battles on others, circumstances, your physical makeup, or yourself and what a mess you are. You feel down, sad, disillusioned, muddled, frustrated, confused, and you can't figure out what in the world is happening to you.
55. There are many physical things that can trigger depression or contribute to it, such as a personal loss or tragedy; a loved one leaving the Family; sickness, afflictions or chronic pain; relationship problems‚ a lost love or a difficult heartbreak; a major move or forsaking; stress and anxiety; changes in diet; your body's reaction to certain foods; vitamin or mineral deficiencies; suddenly gaining or losing weight; menopause; changes in sleeping habits, lack of sleep or poor sleep; changes in your workload; reading a depressing book, watching a depressing movie‚ or listening to depressing music‚ etc.
56. But no matter what the circumstances or conditions, right from the start you've got to recognize depression for what it is—an aggressive attack of the Enemy. Place the blame where it belongs! His agenda is to bring you down, drain all happiness and joy from you, get you to "throw in the towel‚" and render you useless to the Lord. I know some of you probably won't like me placing the "it's an attack of the Enemy" tag on depression‚ but it's the truth! Even if you've done things or made mistakes that have brought you to the state you're in, the bottom line is that it's an attack on your spiritual life and service for the Lord.
57. Fighting will probably be the last thing you feel like doing when you're down in the pit of depression, but it's the only way up and out of the depths. You've got to fight the Enemy with every ounce of strength you possess! You'll feel like you don't have much strength or fight in you and can hardly swing one blow at him, but the Lord will reward even your tiniest efforts. He'll champion your cause and fight for you‚ as He promised: "When the Enemy comes in like a flood‚ the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him" (Isaiah 59:19).
58. Depression is an attack on your emotional and mental well-being, with exactly the same goals as sickness—to hinder and hurt you, and ultimately to stop you and destroy your service for the Lord and others. But depression is even more dangerous to us than physical illnesses are, because, as the Bible says, "The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?" (Pro.18:14).
59. Depression very seldom happens overnight. Nearly always, there are early-warning symptoms and signs that something's not right. Normally when someone is depressed, even if they can't quite put their finger on what it is or why they're feeling the way they do, they sense that something's wrong, something ominous. They begin to feel very uneasy, and from there it just starts creeping up on them, like some oppressive spirit from the dark. Or perhaps they're feeling basically fine overall, but out of the blue they begin experiencing waves of emotional upheaval. Whatever's causing these feelings, because there aren't necessarily any obvious, tangible explanations or physical symptoms, they often don't really know why they're feeling the way they do, much less what to do to stop it. It can be very destabilizing.
60. One of the reasons depression is so effective is that it attacks from within. Depression starts out in the mind and infiltrates through your emotions. The trickery behind this type of warfare is that because it's harder to recognize it as an outside attack, you're often tempted to feel that the problem is with yourself or with those around you—your loved ones, mates, co–workers and friends—or you begin feeling that the problem is a result of your job or location or ministry, etc.
61. But if we could actually see the Devil himself attacking us, or any of his many slimy servants, or if we could feel their attacks in a physical way—like the first signs of a terrible flu—then we'd probably automatically take steps to ward off their assault, just like we do when we first feel a cough or a cold or some physical ailment coming on. But because we can't see or feel his attacks physically, then the Enemy is often able to trick us into believing that the problem is with us. His long-range goal is to get you to ultimately believe that your whole life was a mistake, even your very existence. This is his plan; he wants to make you feel that there's no use even fighting or living.
62. Because the Enemy's attacks of depression are so spiritual, instead of taking the necessary steps to fight off the attack and to strengthen themselves, many people fall into a bottomless pit. They allow themselves to begin feeling that they are the problem, and that the situation is hopeless. And so, believing the Enemy's discouraging lies—that their life is useless and that everything that's happening to them is a mistake—they're then left with no recourse other than to hate themselves, despise their life, even to despise the Lord for making things turn out the way they have, and finally, if they keep going down that road, to end their life by killing themselves—the Enemy's ultimate plan.
63. Thankfully, very few of God's children allow themselves to go that far in their discouragement or to reach such depths of depression. But many do allow themselves to become so weakened spiritually that they wish they were dead, which is in itself a pretty major win for the Enemy. If he can get you so down that you wish you were dead or that you'd never been born, as people are often tempted to feel, then he's obviously doing a pretty successful job of destroying your happiness and hindering your effectiveness as a Christian and as a witness.
64. You might feel that this is a little extreme. After all, doesn't everyone get a little discouraged or feel depressed at times? Isn't it just natural? Well, you might think that catching a cold every once in a while is also "just natural." And you could say that it is natural and normal and the normal turn of events in the way that we tend to relate to the word "normal." It's normal in the sense that it happens quite often.
65. But just because some people catch a cold or flu fairly often, that doesn't make it normal or natural. It wasn't the way the Lord intended the nature of things to be. Sickness was not part of His original plan. It was the work of the Devil and sin. The Lord allows sickness at times, and even uses it to work together as part of His plan in our lives, but sickness is still an attack of the Enemy.
66. So you might feel that it's not such a big deal, and that it's even normal to feel a little down and depressed sometimes. Some people have gotten so used to thinking depressing thoughts, they don't even recognize that they're being attacked by the Enemy. They've become so accustomed to thinking negatively, they've come to believe that it's just normal and natural, and that that's just the way they are—that it's just them and their own thoughts—not realizing that it's really the Enemy.
67. Often, just as is the case with sickness and other attacks of the Enemy, he's allowed to get in and hit you because of something you did or didn't do, or because of a breach in your spiritual armor which has weakened your defenses. Maybe there's sin or rebellion or unyieldedness or unbelief‚ or even just laziness on your part, which the Enemy has jumped on and used as a vehicle to get into your mind and spirit and start oppressing you. Or it could be something physical that triggered it. But whatever the cause, attacks of depression are not to be taken lightly.
68. Don't give place to the Enemy! Don't take his attacks lying down. Don't succumb to his depressing downdraft. You must go on the attack! Ask for prayer and claim the keys! Take time to hear from the Lord and find out exactly what is happening, and let Him give you the steps to take that will raise a standard against the Enemy and defeat his machinations and attempts to get you down.
69. (Jesus: ) Satan's goal of spreading sickness and disease is to inflict pain, to weaken, to hinder, to sicken—and ultimately to kill and to destroy. Likewise‚ his goal of attacking with discouragement and depression is to inflict mortal injury to your spirit and ultimate death upon his victims. He wants to stop and destroy My creation, and he especially wants to stop and destroy you—My children, My brides—and depression is one of his most effective weapons against you.
70. Regardless of what the Enemy's plan of attack or strategy is, My plan is for you to be healthy and happy, and He that is in you is much greater than he that is attacking you—whether he attacks from the outside or from within. If you will recognize Satan's attacks for what they are‚ and do your part by turning to Me and hearing from Me and following My counsel and using the new weapons I've given you‚ you'll be able to overcome and defeat the Enemy and put a stop to his evil plan. (End of message.)
Why Is It So Difficult
To Pull Out of Depression?
71. (Jesus: ) The Enemy knows the power of depression. He knows that if you stop fighting, if you give in, if you allow yourself to fall prey to depression‚ then he has much more power over you. Depression is something you allow yourself to fall into. And most often it's through lack of yieldedness and complete humble submission to Me.
72. It's so hard to pull out of depression, because by the time you've reached the continual "depressed state," you're not really looking for a way to change and make the effort to obey; you just want to give up. Your mind has become so conditioned by thoughts of quitting, of unfair feelings, of hopelessness, that you no longer have much will in you to get up and fight again, making it harder to rise above. And the longer you've allowed yourself to toy with depression and let it become a part of your life, the harder it is to get up and fight. (End of message.)
Pan, Arakan and Apotheon
73. (Mama:) We know from what the Lord has already revealed to us that Arakan and the arch-demon Pan fight us in the dominion of our minds, and specifically in the realm of negativity‚ confusion and depression. Apotheon also fights faith, courage and hope. Our Commander in Chief has revealed this information to us so we can be knowledgeable about exactly who we're fighting, and can effectively rebuke and take a stand against them.
74. To refresh your memory, here are some short excerpts on Pan, Arakan and Apotheon, and how they're linked to depression.
75. It is Pan—the arch-demon whose aim is to gain control over the mind—who fights with ferocity against My young children of David . Because the mind is the Devil's playground, the main inroad through which he seeks entrance to gain control, he is the author of strong negativity, depression, schizophrenia, even suicide and all manner of mental illnesses. (ML #3365:63, GN 963).
76. Arakan is a chief demon of confusion and depression. Call him out by name and do not let him hide in the recesses of your mind. Resist him by name, rebuke him by name, and he will flee! He is strong in his own might, but he is nothing compared to the power of the keys, which must be used to rebuke him. He works with Pan in the realm of the mind. (ML #3419:17,31‚ GN 1006).
77. Apotheon goes about the earth to and fro amongst the children of men weakening and undermining faith, courage‚ and hope; seeking always to press down, to push down, to oppress, to cover the eyes of those who would turn them upward toward Me where there is light, hope‚ and growth, and where there is always forward movement. He seeks to suffocate and weigh down man's spirit and will to fight on‚ to rise above circumstances and conditions. His grip is like unto that of a python—suffocating and paralyzing. His bite is like unto that of a snake, which drains the very life, blood, and faith out of his victims. His power and poison are particularly devastating and life-threatening, striking even My Own‚ My Endtime brides. (ML #3400:178,181,182, GN 992).
The Demons of Depression
78. I was interested to know if there were any demons who specialize in depression, other than Pan, Arakan and Apotheon, that we should know about in order to pray against them by name. I was pretty sure that with the Enemy using depression more than ever, he must have numerous cohorts assisting him with his dirty work—and knowing more about them would help us to be more effective in fighting and defeating them through prayer.
79. It shouldn't surprise us that our Husband is continuing to give us more insight into the Enemy's tactics and plans, and that includes revealing more of his vile demons. He predicted it in "The Era of Action, Part 1," when He said: "Many more of Satan's minions are about to be released now at the start of this new millennium, for this is his hour, his opportunity. His multitudes of minions are no match for My legions of heavenly warrior angels. Yet they must be allowed to roam the Earth‚ to plague the hearts and minds and bodies of mankind‚ to bring about much sorrow and tribulation . Yet he will never overcome you." (ML #3288:52,53, GN 882).
80. Here is the vivid, sobering, and graphic vision the Lord gave when we asked Him to reveal to us who was behind depression.
81. (Vision: ) I'm being overwhelmed by a disgusting darkness. When I close my eyes I see a vast land of darkness, shrouded in a misty blackness. Putrid smells rise from this land of desolation, the air stings my eyes, and I'm being choked by the fumes I breathe in. I hear painful cries of agony rising through the air. They are sounds of suffering and death.
82. I see a number of very tall, dark, hooded beings. They have their backs to me, and they are clothed in long black robes that have a hood over their heads so that I can't see their faces. The only part of their body that I can see are their hands—they are formed like the skeletal base of the hand, without skin, just the bones. They move like a regular hand, only they are much more powerful, like they could crush anything that they hold.
83. I hear the screaming and crying again, and I look to see that these creatures of darkness are restraining a person. He's dazed, almost limp in their hands. The creature I've been able to see the most clearly stretches out his hand and reaches into the body of this man and grabs his heart and begins to squeeze it, not so tightly at first, and the man hardly notices what's happening and barely seems to stir from his sedation.
84. Oh, this is horrible! It is so dark here, so painful, so evil. He begins to squeeze the heart tighter and tighter in his viselike grip. I can't breathe; it feels as if it's my heart he's squeezing. He turns to me and I see his eyes. They are so horrible, so evil, full of destruction and hate. He's crushing the heart in his hand, and now the man is screaming out in pain. The creature begins to laugh, as if the man's pain is causing him pleasure.
85. He's staring at me, his eyes have locked with mine. I can still hear the man screaming, and then it stops suddenly he's dead. The creature turns from me, and the now lifeless body in his hands seems to slip to the ground, lost in the dark mist that covers it.
86. (Jesus:) You have seen the valley of depression. You have seen the demons of depression in one of the forms they take, who work this evil of darkness on the hearts of mankind. Depression is a witchery of darkness‚ practiced by these demons of depression—living-dead creatures of the netherworld. Their purpose is death. They squeeze gently at first and it's hardly noticeable, but soon they crush the heart with their viselike grip till the life has gone out of it.
87. You heard the sorrowful crying of the hearts of men‚ those who have unwittingly allowed themselves to enter the valley of depression. They have become acquainted with these demons of depression who will listen and entertain them in this darkness‚ only because they wait for the moment to prey on the hearts of men. And sadly, many fall prey to this darkness.
88. But having entered the valley, one can still be rescued! Even depression's strongest grip is hopelessly weak compared with My power to save and deliver.
89. (Vision continues: ) It's almost as if some of the previous scenes I was viewing have been rewound. I see the man lying in the arms of these demons‚ and a perplexed look crosses his face—he realizes where this is leading him and he doesn't want to go there. He looks upward, and begins to cry out for help.
90. Suddenly a flash of light slices through the darkness‚ encompassing it all in a piercing brightness. Once it settles, the man is no longer there. He has vanished. I then see him placed in a very green field. The grass is all wet. Above there are dark clouds in the sky, with only a few blue patches, one of which the sun is shining through. He lifts his hands and rejoices. It begins to rain, washing him clean. He's crying‚ singing, he's so happy. It doesn't seem to bother him at all that the rain is pouring down heavier and heavier.
91. I have the impression that this was the setting he was in before he entered the valley of depression, and he was finding it hard to abide with the continual rain. But now he's found that he can be happy regardless of the setting or his surroundings. He's found freedom and happiness that's not contingent on anything.
92. (Jesus continues:) The clutches of darkness and depression cannot match the power of My light, My love, and the power of the keys. No demon of depression can counter the power you have in the words you speak as you challenge them in the power of the keys. But that is a stand you have to take. You must be willing to fight, and you will be supernaturally released from the clutches of depression. (End of message.)
93. (Mama:) Thank You, Jesus, for helping us to see a glimpse of the spiritual warfare through Your eyes. Thank You for Your light, love, and the keys of the Kingdom that are more powerful than depression or any other attack of the Enemy. You will defeat the Enemy and his cohorts every time, dashing them to smithereens, if we do our part and call on Your power and depend on it.
A Massive Attack
94. The Enemy isn't selective in who he's choosing to bombard with depression. He isn't just targeting those of the first generation. From the reports I've received from the VSs and COs around the world, it seems that depression has become quite a regular prayer request‚ and many Family members are being fought by it—including a large number of our young people. This was something I hadn't heard much about before, so I asked the Lord why the Enemy was specifically attacking our young people.
95. It's sad for me to hear that any of you are held in the clutches of depression, battling strong negativity and discouragement, so I asked the Lord for some further insight. Following is the vision and message He gave in response, with helpful counsel for us all.
96. (Vision:) I'm being pulled back from the Earth, as if standing out in space just above the atmosphere looking down on Earth. Now I'm seeing a large part of the Earth's surface open up, and a huge gaping hole is apparent. And from this cavernous hole, fire and fumes are belching out! It looks like the mouth of Hell itself!
97. Now I'm seeing these enormous, green cloudy waves seeping out of this hole and flowing over the whole Earth at surface level. They're in a ring formation—huge, giant rings that appear to be part of a powerful vortex of some kind.
98. Now emerging from within these green cloudy waves, I see all these different kinds and forms of demons stepping out onto the Earth, almost as if they were part of this vortex and being transported on these waves out over the Earth. Yuck! From where I'm standing, they look like a giant drain!—All these waves first seeping out, but then powerfully spinning back down into the center of this netherworld vortex—the mouth of Hell!
99. At first sight I'm sort of awed and floored by the sheer magnitude and power of this "thing," but I know I'm seeing this for a good reason.
100. (Jesus:) The Enemy has launched a massive attack upon your young ones—one that he hopes to prolong and that he hopes will be devastating. He besieges them in the fortress of their faith, seeking to cut off their spiritual nourishment, to shoot his fiery balls of fear and discouragement over their ramparts, and to strike here and there around their walls. He seeks to weaken their resistance and fortitude to fight on. He seeks to weary them, to cause them to succumb under the pressure of being one of My front-line soldiers. He seeks to tempt them to surrender, to desert their posts, to give up the fray. And how is he hoping to accomplish this?—Through them surrendering their minds to the spirit of depression, negativity, and hopelessness.
101. The Enemy has now opened the gates of Hell wide, and every foul spirit and ring of treachery has been unleashed upon the Earth in great quantity. Netherworld activity has intensified and is at an all-time high. The next line of attack has already begun.
102. To help you understand what you have just seen: The Earth—even its physical elements—is now almost fully given over to the Enemy. The Earth has succumbed to the Enemy because of man's sins. As man is yielding himself more and more fully to the Enemy and his ways, so Satan's power grows and his hold upon the Earth and those who dwell therein increases. Greater power has been granted him over the Earth and its elements.
103. The Earth, its atmosphere, and its physical elements are changing—both from the hold Satan has over it and from man's abuse. The Earth's elements are now given over to all manner of unhealthy imbalances, a growing imbalance of the negative over the positive‚ the harmful over the healthful and helpful, the detrimental over the beneficial. Increased headaches, dullness of mind, anxiety‚ and a surge in disease of various sorts—these are some of the physical byproducts of what is happening in the spirit. These are but the beginning of sorrows and the beginning of Earth's travail. She is bearing the fruit of having been plundered and abused by many evil men who have walked upon her surface for generation upon generation.
104. Earth has always represented the negative, just as Heaven represents the positive. Now its negativity is increasing‚ as man falls more and more under the influence and clutches of the Enemy and his power.
105. As you are aware, the pull of the world is very strong, and is growing stronger by the moment. That pull is especially strong for your young ones, because they have grown up protected from so many of its negative influences and are not so aware of their power. In this vision you have literally seen the Earth given over to the Enemy‚ and the world and its systems sitting precariously atop Hell's vortex, slowly going down the tube and drain day by day. Those who know Me not and who dwell outside My Spirit and protection are powerless against this pull.
106. This new attack is something that has been happening for some time and is fast gaining momentum. These green rings are a physical manifestation of the Enemy's vortex of depression‚ discouragement, anxiety and negativity that has gone out in wave after wave over the Earth. Its clouds sweep over the whole Earth, blanketing and weighing heavily upon its inhabitants. Its vortex and power to drag under—even down into the depths of Hell itself—grows stronger by the day. And it is especially targeted at the children of David. It pulls on young and old, but at the moment its pull is strongest upon your young warriors.
107. I have revealed to you the dominion of Pan, and some of his cohorts and minions—Arakan in particular—who work within the realm of the mind‚ causing negativity and depression. They work within these cloudy green rings, and wherever they go, they produce more of this filthy cloudy trail. It's their spiritual "excrement‚" so to speak.
108. I wanted to show you this picture to alert you, to show you the urgency of going on the attack against this heinous weapon and device of the Enemy. Now you've seen with your own eyes just how much time, energy, and power he is putting into targeting the young people in particular. And with each one who chooses to turn away from the pillar, the Enemy's ego is boosted and his determination to pull more away is refueled.
109. You know that the pull of the world, the lure and enticement of the world during these vital younger years is very strong. It's an ongoing battle‚ one that doesn't let up, one that doesn't go away. The Enemy seeks with a fury and unrelenting intensity to pull these ones away from their high calling. He knows these vital years are the prime, ripest years for pulling their attentions and love away from Me and toward himself and the ways of the world. This line of attack via these treacherous rings of depression is a nasty below-the-belt attempt to take these young ones completely out, many of whom are either weakened, battle-weary, or just plain exhausted spiritually from fighting on many different fronts all at once.
110. He's trying to besiege them, to cut them off from their vital spiritual supplies and starve them, and then overwhelm them, so that they fall into his pit of depression and negativity. He's trying to steal their Halloween wheels (ML #363:52) so they'll give up the fight and leave the fray just before the real action begins, just before they start seeing the magnificent manifestations and testimonies of My power and My Word fulfilled.—All the wonderful promises, prophecy and Word they've read over the years and known backwards and forwards, but which they have patiently been waiting to see fulfilled within their generation. He's now trying to deal this "death blow" through depression, so they'll give up their faith and completely succumb to his negativity.
111. This new attack and the siege of your faith is no surprise, My loves. The timing is no surprise either, especially since the Enemy is also furiously engaging his forces on the apostate and persecution front, and your young ones are at the same time having to weather the personal emotional storms of having to stand up for their faith to those who have left the fold—many of whom were their friends, acquaintances‚ or even family or loved ones. Many truly wonder if they too will fall by the wayside. They wonder if they'll really have the strength and fortitude to fight on. The vision of why they're fighting and if it's really worth fighting for is fading from their sight; the odds against them seeming to be stacked higher and higher with each passing day. And sadly, for many, happiness and joy seem to be slipping away from them.
112. The Enemy always seeks to cover his tracks, to hide under the cloak of anonymity. And he seeks—through this rash of depression cropping up—to cause you to turn your eyes inward, wondering if you as their elders, shepherds, and parents are failing your young people in some major way, if you're not doing this or that‚ or if there's some other major problem that needs to be addressed and solutions found. Yes, there are always ways you can improve‚ but the Enemy is seeking to pull your eyes away entirely from who is really behind this attack and why. He wants you to start self-analyzing‚ to start introspecting—anything at all but turn your focus on where these attacks are really originating from—Hell!
113. Under and within these sickening green rings—this hellish haze—lie the true enemies‚ the same evil fiends of darkness: Oplexicon, Pan, Arakan‚ Apotheon and their cohorts. They seek to hide their form and mischief within this green cloud, but it's merely another one of the Enemy's attempts to drag down‚ to pull My young ones down and away from the wall and battle at hand.
114. So launch a passionate counterattack in the spirit! Rebuke these foul spirits by name in the power of the keys! Don't let up! You must not fall under the false assumption that once you rebuke and bind these demons, they are forever defeated. Yes, you may drive them back, but they are unrelenting in their assault on the bands of David. So must you be unrelenting in your counterattack and spiritual awareness. Claim the keys and blast away every particle of the green cloud or fog of depression that they try to conceal themselves under.
115. The only sure antidote is the Word‚ praise and the keys!—The Word, the Word, the Word! Praise, praise, praise! And call on the keys! The Word is what will infuse your young ones with light and the will to fight on. Praise is the ignition, the fuel to blast them out of the stinking clouds of depression and into the clear blue sky of hope and renewed faith, and the keys give you power to triumph. (End of message.)
Text box:
116. (Mama:) I asked the Lord for more information on what He said in paragraph 112, and this is further insight He gave, which I wanted to share with you.
117. (Jesus:) The Enemy likes to stay hidden and unexposed, and he especially hasn't wanted to have his depression demons and weaponry exposed. He has wanted to hide under a cloak of anonymity, hoping you wouldn't delve further into his world and uncover all his dirty work for the Family—the demons at work, the way he's attacking, and everything else that I have revealed about his plans.
118. He had hoped that as you heard about the many cases of depression you would look more to the physical, to the inward workings of the Family, wondering if it's because the shepherds or the parents are failing, and that's why the young people are depressed. But though there are problems and faults and failings, this is not the root of the problem. He seeks to get your eyes off of the cause—which is his evil and his demons—and focus on the problems, hoping you'll blame the depression on circumstances or problems within the Family. In short, he was hoping that his plans and strategies would be overlooked, that he could hide within the cloud of this big problem, hidden within the haze, shielding his vile ways from you.
119. But he has already been defeated in the spirit world. You have uncovered his tactics, you have received My Words, and you are in the process of exposing his devices. He's well on his way to defeat, because once these words are in the hands of the Family, they will be better armed and able to defend themselves against his attacks. He had hoped to slip by unnoticed. But now you are exposing him‚ blowing away his clouds as you are blasting away the problems‚ lifting his cloak of anonymity. He is very vulnerable and scared now, for he hates exposure.
120. He knows that when My children are no longer ignorant of his devices‚ he is then visible in their firing range and will be shot down by those who go on the attack against him. (End of message.)
End of text box.
More on Why So Many Young People
Are Being Hit With Depression
121. (Jesus:) I've called all My disciples and asked them to choose discipleship as their profession, to stand up and show what they have learned over the years in My discipleship training program. When the stakes are higher, the victories come at a greater cost. They require more of you in the fight.
122. Time is running out, the forces of the Enemy are being rallied to fight against you‚ and the spiritual tension has heightened all about you. You, My dear Family young people‚ whether you have been born and raised in the Family or you have joined in recent years‚ must be put through the fires of testing. Your worth must be tried. I must know that you will stand steadfast, unmovable in the days to come when the clouds of darkness and spiritual oppression will overshadow the world. The purity of gold cannot be known until it has been through the fire; so it is with you.
123. The entrapment of depression will only get stronger with time, as it's fast becoming one of the Enemy's chief means of attacking My children. You cannot pretend it doesn't exist or think that you're immune to it, because it is only your willingness to fight continually, the light of My Word, and the power of the keys that break the spell of depression. The power to overcome is given to the children of David, and as times grow darker and the battles escalate, so will the potency of My power in you increase.
124. Overcoming depression is a choice you make. It's when you reach the point where you stop pointing the finger at Me and at others for the hardships you're faced with, and determine that you're going to fight for your life—for your escape from depression. It's a choice you make that you will fight to overcome the daunting obstacles in your way and rise above. It's a choice to believe that the power of the keys you hold in your hands is far more powerful than the darkness and weight of depression.
125. You choose your state of mind. Will it be shrouded by the darkness of depression? Or will it be victorious, illuminated by the light of My Spirit—My joy and My happiness? (End of message.)
Our Heavenly Counterpart
126. (Mama:) As Jesus revealed so much about the dark spiritual forces that are fighting us with depression, I wanted to know who our heavenly counterpart from the realm of light was. Altos said in a message I published in "Mama's Birthday 2002, Part 1": "Within the spiritual realm there is always the counterpart of light versus darkness. So do not be afraid to seek the names of those who stand within the hierarchy of our angelic warrior order" (ML #3443:50, GN 1024). So I decided to do just that.
127. I was thrilled with the message Jesus gave—not to mention the magnificent and powerful helper He's revealed as a result! Being reminded of the unmatched, unlimited, and undefeatable power we have in our Husband puts everything in perspective. Those who fight against us, even those who are powerful in the realm of darkness, are puny, lame, weak and helpless by comparison.
128. (Vision: ) I'm seeing this absolutely beautiful spirit being come into focus before me. But he appears to be much more than that—he's an angel or power of majestic and awesome levels—because I can feel and sense his power and authority.
129. He's so very beautiful, but at the same time he really moves me, because whatever power he embodies, I can sense that he also strongly embodies great mercy. I sense such a powerful force of the Lord's love emanating from him that I feel drawn to him.
130. In describing his form, the word "purity" comes to mind‚ because everything about his appearance manifests that. He appears to be made of crystal-clear materialized light, even though he has a definite and powerful form. His wings are incredible, striking, and definitely very supernatural. They're magnificent, very, very big, and they seem to be in continual motion—but a very peaceful and serene motion, as if watching something move in slow motion. They appear to carry some sort of power or energy within them.
131. But now my attention is being drawn to what he bears in his hands—a circular ball of incredible light and power. It resembles a flame, because it's moving, but at the same time it's not a flame or fire, but it's some form and force of powerful light. As it moves, these incredible rays of light escape from it. Its light is infinitely purer and more powerful than the sun, and this light reaches into my soul and spirit; I can feel its power and warmth penetrating me. It seems to be going right through me, searching every part of me.
132. Now the scene has changed and I appear to be in the valley of depression looking at someone lying on the ground, who manages to turn over, raise one arm upward as if motioning for help, barely having the strength to even call for help. Then I see this same beautiful spirit being instantly appear. What happens next transpires in virtually an instant, and it truly is a rescue mission: This spirit being appears, and the light he bears penetrates and overpowers the darkness completely. With great love and mercy he picks up the person, and then they're both gone—translated in an instant! Thank You Jesus! It's so beautiful to see!
Lucerne
133. (Jesus:) I give you Lucerne, the angelic being created to bear My light to these who lie within the clutches and darkness of depression—My counterpart of light to the darkness of Satan's depression. He is a faithful bearer and carrier of My light, one who carries it in humility, love, and compassion‚ and is worthy of this great honor. He has taken up in part and measure where another left off so long ago—one who tossed his crown aside in great pride and scorn to embrace darkness instead of light—Lucifer himself. And so I have given you Lucerne—My counterpart of light to the darkness of Satan's depression.
134. The light that Lucerne bears brings faith, hope‚ and courage to the spirit‚ and yet is borne on the wings of compassion, mercy, and great love. His is a supernatural gift—a gift from My throne of grace—one given when your own fight and resistance ebbs‚ when the will to fight and resist has left the human spirit.
135. I have given you Arcothon as a powerful warrior in combating and driving back Apotheon and his forces. I now give you Lucerne‚ the powerful angelic being of light created to help you specifically defeat the darkness of depression. He has a dual purpose and power. When called upon, through the power of the keys, he will be there for you in opening your mind to what clearly is the path of light and what is the path of darkness. He is a powerful force and resistance in aiding you in the fight against negativity and depression. He will be there for you, if you do your part in facing the light and seeking to resist the darkness and not surrender to it.
136. He is also sent specifically as part of My rescue mission to those trapped in the valley of depression. He is part of the supernatural power afforded you through the keys in rising above all circumstances and conditions—even the condition of your own mind and spirit. So Lucerne's role is to gather and retrieve those who have fallen and lie slumped in the valley of depression. He comes as a carrier and bearer of My light to these who lie wounded in the shadows of darkness—the kind of light that breaks forth and penetrates the darkness when all other lights have gone out. His mission, as you call on him specifically in desperate prayer, is to defeat depression and rescue these fallen ones who are almost too weak to resist or fight much for themselves other than to turn their faces toward the light seeking My supernatural help.
137. Because depression captures and holds the mind hostage‚ the powers given to Lucerne pertain to the mind. He—if called upon in faith and desperation—is able to steer your thoughts and mind back into its right state. He helps you to see things in the spirit—reality—how they really are. He has been given the power to open the eyes of your mind. For this reason he is called Lucerne. He gives you a lucid mind—a sound mind—and the power to translate you out of the slimy pit of depression and back into the fields of light and contentment. And lastly he gives your mind the gift and power of discernment—of helping you discern the difference between the right and wrong paths your mind should and shouldn't follow.
138. These demons of depression—and their heinous gases and clouds of deceit—seek to close your eyes and mind to My light. You see, My loves, depression steals your mind. Remember‚ the Enemy of your soul and all of his demons work through deception, not reality or truth. The forces of darkness are trying to put out your light, not just as a Christian, but more importantly as a child and warrior of David. This tool of the Enemy—depression—is aimed at stealing your light. And when you surrender to depression, it effectively robs your mind of light, of truth, and of reality.
139. So call on My power given you through the keys! Rebuke and resist the darkness of depression! Call on Lucerne and the power and light given him, which can transport your mind and spirit off the road of negativity, out of the darkness of depression, and back into My glorious light!
140. And if you have a loved one, friend, or someone in your Home who needs supernatural help to pull out of depression, you can call on Lucerne for them. Through your prayers, My children, you can not only fell the demons of Hell who are afflicting and tormenting, but you can also summon powerful spiritual helpers and angels to a loved one's side in their time of need. Lucerne longs to rescue and bring My light and joy to those who have lost it, so claim his help through your desperate prayers. (End of message.)
Keep Your Spirit Strong
Through the Word
141. Now that we've learned a bit more about the specifics of depression—how the Enemy is using it in this day and age, how it's manifested, how to recognize it‚ those in the spiritual realm who fight us, as well as who we can call on to defeat the Enemy's power—let's move on to more on how to guard against it, avoid it, and fight it!
142. At the top of the list, of course, is the Word! I'm proud of you who have been putting the Word first as a result of our Husband's desperate plea to us during Feast 2003. Giving His Word the time and priority it deserves and strengthening your spirits through faithful study of it brings with it innumerable benefits and advantages. One such awesome byproduct is its power to strengthen your spiritual defenses and shield you from many attacks of the Enemy. Those whose defenses are weak, through lack of the Word, are much more vulnerable to depression.
143. Along this line, an SGA woman in WS who was battling depression received the following message from Jesus, which I'm including excerpts of. Though she still battles discouragement from time to time, as a result of her desperation and perseverance she has received long-lasting relief from chronic depression in her life. It was a difficult battle, but she fought the Enemy and has been blessed with the reward of victory.
144. When she was in the process of actively fighting for victory, she asked the Lord, "What opens the door to my depression? What causes it?" He explained that the best defense against depression is to stay strong in spirit through the Word and spending time with Him—our only hope and salvation, and what feeds our faith and will to fight.
145. (Jesus:) Depression is an attack of the Enemy. He cannot get in when your defenses are up, when your spiritual strength is strong. But he's there looking for a weakness, looking for a way in. When your spiritual strength is depleted, when your Word time is too short or not feeding enough, when you aren't spending as much time with Me as you should, when you begin to get very busy and stressed and aren't taking the burdens to Me as much as you should, these lacks weaken your spiritual defenses so that the Enemy can come in with an attack of depression.
146. Depression is caused by a general weakening of your spirit. This weakening can happen in a week, a month, or it can take a few months. It can be very gradual‚ so you don't see it‚ you aren't tuning in to the health of your spirit. A little neglect here and there, a little lack of Word here and there, a little putting off hearing from Me‚ and over time, it weakens you and your spirit to where you become susceptible to the Enemy's attack of depression.
147. When your workload has increased, when it has changed, when there are other battles that you are fighting in the spirit, all these things put a strain on you and your spirit‚ and that strain must be combated by extra time with Me, extra time in My Word. Otherwise‚ the weakening can happen much more quickly.
148. Ask others to help you and check you if they see you getting so busy that you're not taking the time in filling up that you need. It's not a luxury; it's a requirement!
149. The physical and spiritual combine. If you're run down in the physical, it has an effect on your spirit. If your spirit is run down‚ it has an effect on you in the physical. Your health depends on both these factors. Just as you have to watch for your physical health, you have to care for your spiritual health.
150. The more demanding your job is, the more you're pouring out to others, the more you have to give of yourself, the easier it is for your reserves to be depleted. If you're not being faithful to fill up the storehouse again, to fill yourself with Me and My Word and to absorb My way of doing things, then the faster you're weakened, to the point where the Enemy can come in with depression.
151. You have to be knowledgeable; you have to realize what his tactics are so that you can fight against him. A lot of your efforts can be preventative. He can only get in when your spirit is weakened. So if you do your part to keep your spirit strong, to keep your link with Me strong‚ then he can't get in. He may try, but he can't succeed. You have to do your part. (End of message.)
A Message from Dr. Koger
152. (Mama:) Depression is classified as an "illness" in the world today. According to their statistics, it's a health problem ranked as serious as diabetes and leukemia‚ one that affects more than 340 million people worldwide. Doctors in the world prescribe all kinds of antidepressants that relieve some of the symptoms, but never bring permanent surcease. These types of drugs often wind up harming more than they help.
153. Thank the Lord that we don't look at depression in the same way the world does, nor do we have to take medication for it! We have the greatest Doctor in the universe, Who heals all of our diseases and afflictions—spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical. And speaking of heavenly doctors, here's an interesting message from Dr. Koger, who talks more about depression and gives us a free heavenly "prescription" that's guaranteed to bring lasting results.
154. (Dr. Koger:) Depression is the spiritual condition when your spirit, your aura, your level of spiritual energy is depleted. It can come from any number of causes and sometimes is just plain unavoidable. It's not incurable, but you can't always expect immediate results.
155. When you're physically sick, you know you're ill. You can feel it. You feel miserable, so you lie down. You can hardly help yourself. Your body is demanding it, so you take your rest. You sleep all day. You drink extra liquids, take vitamins if you need to, eat healthy foods, and anything you can think of that would be healthy and should help you get over this sickness.
156. But you wake up the next day and still feel miserable. Well, it's not that all those things you did yesterday were ineffective. It just takes some time for the healing process to restore your body to full health. So you can't get discouraged that it isn't working. You just have to keep going by faith, keep resting, keep drinking those liquids and eating those healthy foods and supplements, and doing your best not to exert yourself unnecessarily. You keep that up day by day, until slowly your body manages to put itself back together and restore all the systems that have been depleted and run down, or attacked by the particular sickness.
157. It's just about the same with depression, except that it all takes place in the spirit. But because it's more difficult to see and detect, it's easier to keep on going with business as usual, doing your work, existing on your average diet of Word time, quiet time‚ time with the Lord‚ and attending to your daily duties and routines. But that will only prolong the "healing process," so to speak, if not actually worsen the condition. So when you notice these bouts of depression beginning to take hold, it's a sure warning sign that your spirit is in need of some quality "rest and recuperation." And you can take these times of rest and recuperation in many ways.
158. Extra Word time is a key. You know that if you take too much vitamin C, your body will reject what it doesn't need, so that it's wasted. Well, extra Word time is never wasted! You can never get too much. That's your chief vitamin, your chief antidote for this condition. It's not your only one, but it is one of the most important. If you don't make the effort to get that extra Word time, even if it doesn't seem to show any effect and seems almost a waste of time, none of the other "treatments" will do the trick.
159. So getting extra Word time is the prime requisite, as it will begin to channel the needed strength and life back into your flagging spirit. You needn't question how your spirit got that way—at least not at the time. That's just introspection‚ and more easily leads to carnal reasoning and the downright condemnation of the Enemy. When you're depressed, what matters is how desperate you are, and what you do to get rid of it. I'm advising you how to get rid of it here‚ but the desperation will have to be your own.
160. That is one of the other key elements for getting over any disease—it's the will to live, the will to fight and overcome whatever condition is plaguing you, whether it's a common cold or a battle for life or death. How much fight you have in your body directly determines the rate at which your healing process takes place. It's the same for depression. You've got to have the will to keep going, to see it through‚ to run this particularly obstacle-filled race with patience‚ looking unto Jesus.
161. So‚ once you know that you're getting all the Word time you need, take some more. Honestly. It's like Grandmother used to say about medicine. "If one pill should do it, I'll take two and make really sure." Well, I had to tell her to be careful about such an attitude, especially with some of the medications they were dealing out in those days, and it's even worse now. But when it comes to the spiritual medication of the Word, it's a perfectly safe and even advisable policy to follow.
162. There are other things, of course, that will help your spirit regain the strength it needs. It never hurts to simply get more rest. Depression is not just a spiritual thing, although its cause is spiritual and it has to be cured on a spiritual level. But it also affects your body, and your body may need extra rest as well to be able to cope with the effects of the depression. So give your body the rest it needs. Besides, you shouldn't be putting yourself under stress at such times anyway, because that's another thing that'll help the healing process—to go slow, and not try to keep up the same high-speed, high-pressure mode of operation you would normally be capable of.
163. Here is where a danger lies in this being a spiritual condition. You feel well able to keep up your normal routine of life, when really you should be going slower, taking life a little easier, and allowing yourself not the luxury of relaxing, but the requirement of relaxing. That's right—it's a requirement—something your spirit is requiring of you.
164. "Now," you might think, "I've done all these things, but they don't seem to make much difference." Well‚ of course they don't, because it's very difficult to tell on a physical level what difference is being effected in the spirit and to your spirit, while your every thought and perception is clouded by the depression. But those are just the kinds of things you have to take by faith. The healing process will always vary, and I can't tell you, "If you do these things, it'll be over within a week, and if you don't do them, it could last three weeks."
165. In fact, it might not make any difference in the length of the depression, in some cases. But it will make a difference as to how you come through it, whether it's victoriously, a little stronger, a little better prepared for the next battle, or whether you just barely stumble through‚ muddle through, and are simply thankful you manage to keep up your work and hectic lifestyle.
166. But if you follow this prescription of taking that needed and extra time in the Word—and that includes time spent speaking to the Lord and listening to Him, casting your burdens on Him, and taking time to rest your body as well—you can be sure that your spirit is going to come through this bout much better. You see, you can use these times of depression, times that you dread and just can't see any purpose for, or even any reason why the Lord would allow them to come upon you, as times of strengthening your spirit‚ to polish your armor, so to speak‚ and to take a time of reprieve to get strengthened and filled up for the other battles that are yet to come.
167. There are other things you can do as well, little things that could have a more noticeable effect on a day-to-day basis‚ such as cleaning or reorganizing or even redecorating your room. Do something different. Go outside and eat in the sun, or take quiet time outside. Go for a bike ride and find some nice field to lie down in, and read there, rather than reading in your room. Get involved in an activity, or in planning a surprise for somebody else. All these things can help you get your mind off yourself and your own problems. These physical things don't replace the need for you to fight in the spirit through the Word, prayer, praise‚ and the keys, but they can sometimes help make the battle easier.
168. The Lord allows depression not only to make you a fighter, but to encourage you through these times to come to Him‚ to take more time with Him, and to let Him use your weaknesses to fill you with His strength, His power‚ and His energy, which can take you so much further and do so much more for you than your own could anyway.
169. And when it's all over, raise your hands and praise the Lord that He helped you make it through! Then forget about it, get on with your life, get on with your work for the Lord‚ get on with loving others and the Lord, implementing that little "Jesus-Others-You" formula, and thank the Lord that His joy can be your strength. Then do your best to keep your spiritual resistance up, so that you'll be less susceptible to such bouts of depression. (End of message.)
You Don't Have to
Live with Depression
170. (Mama:) Depression is a strong attack of the Enemy, but you can get over it with prayer, claiming the keys, laying on of hands, rebuking the evil spirits behind it, and drinking in the Word. Just like any other spiritual attack, it takes the Word to strengthen your faith and renew your spirit, and it takes united prayer to break the initial grip it has on you. Then it takes more prayer after that to continue to strengthen your spirit against the attacks.
171. Depression is something that takes time to overcome, so you have to be prepared to fight the battles, to ask for prayer as many times as you need it, and to continue to get in the Word. Even if you don't feel like reading the Word—which you probably won't when you're in the middle of a bout of depression—this is what your spirit really needs. The Enemy specifically fights reading the Word when you're depressed, because he knows that sooner or later it will start to strengthen and encourage you and bring forth positive fruit. Slowly it starts to shoot holes in his depression and blow away his clouds of gloom—but it often takes time.
172. If you've been yielding to negative and depressing thought patterns for a long time, you've probably formed habits that will take some time to overcome, but please don't get discouraged. No matter how long you've lived with depression, even if you feel it's "the way you are" or it "runs in your family" or is a part of your "chemical makeup," you're not ever beyond hope of deliverance and victory.
173. The bottom line is, you don't have to live with depression! You can be strengthened. It's much like jealousy. When you're in the middle of the battle you feel like nothing can be worse, nothing will help, and that you'll probably never get over it, but as you keep fighting, calling on the keys, strengthening yourself with the Word and prophecy, you become stronger and stronger. It's going to take every ounce of strength you have to do anything—to do your work, to get in the Word, to praise the Lord‚ to pray, to claim the keys. But as you fight to do these things, it'll get easier and easier.
174. You can have a real victory over depression. It takes a lot of umph, fight, desire, faith, prayer, getting in the Word‚ and claiming the keys! But it's worth whatever it costs! Whatever it takes to get completely delivered from it is well worth the fight, because the victory is so wonderful! The victory over depression and discouragement is well worth any price that you have to pay. The Lord can deliver you from it‚ and He will!
175. (Jesus: ) Depression is a killer, because usually depression will take you on a downward spiral that is hard to climb back up from. Depression will strip you of all motivation—even the motivation to remain close to Me, to read My Word‚ or to pray and hear clearly from Me. Depression is a strong attack of the Enemy‚ but it's not something that you have to accept.
176. Depression is something that can take time to overcome, so you must be prepared to fight the battles and to ask your loved ones for prayer as often as you need it. And you must continue to fight for that time alone with Me. Take time in the bed of love, commune with Me and soak up My Words. The keys to overcoming depression are the Word and prayer. With a loss of motivation‚ you might not feel like reading the Word. But that is what your spirit needs for this fight, and what will be the most powerful weapon you can use against the Enemy at a time like this. (End of message.)
Why United Prayer
Is So Important
177. (Mama:) The Lord has repeatedly told us about the benefits of united prayer and what great miracles He grants us when we humble ourselves to get it. The marvelous benefits of united prayer are available to those who fight depression too. In fact, it's one of the most important steps to attain victory. It's difficult to ask for united prayer for any affliction or spiritual battle, but the Enemy seems to especially fight asking for united prayer to be released from the grip of depression, because he knows that if you do‚ his doom is sure.
178. It's humbling to admit you're suffering from depression, especially when it feels like a big black ominous cloud that has muddied your outlook and stolen your joy, but you just don't know why or how to express it. It isn't an easy thing to explain to others, so the Enemy fights you taking the step. He tells you that others won't understand what you're going through, or maybe they'll look down on you as being "weak" or "emotionally unstable." But the truth is that others will admire and love you all the more for your humility to admit your need for help, and the best part is that your receiving united prayer will drastically turn the tide of battle in your favor.
179. The Enemy will try to tell you that united prayer isn't really all it's cracked up to be, and isn't worth the trouble or the humbling. But the reality is that asking for united prayer brings about crucial change in the spirit world, and through it our Defender releases supremely powerful spiritual helpers to aid you in the fight—valiant warriors who might not have been available to you otherwise.
180. (Jesus:) United prayer will have a great impact on your spirit and will change things in the spirit. United prayer against depression will dissolve the Enemy's gray storm cloud around you and open the way for your spirit and mind to receive a complete, full view of the beauty of My love and of all your blessings. United prayer will begin the healing and cleansing process of your heart. You will receive full healing, a full cleansing, and a full recovery from this attack of the Enemy on your soul. You'll be changed, strengthened, and renewed through the power of My Spirit. United prayer against depression will change the course of the battle, give you the upper hand over the Enemy, and set things in motion for victory.
181. These victories are yours to claim right now. I offer you complete deliverance from depression and lack of vision. I offer you freedom from all the negative influences of the Enemy through comparing, bitterness, jealousy, and negative thinking. I have had these gifts of deliverance and these rewards for your faith prepared for you for some time now, and I only await the cry of your voice lifted up to Me, beseeching Me for the complete victory. According to your faith be it unto you. (End of message.)
Victory After United Prayer
And Encouragement to Fight On
182. (Mama:) When receiving united prayer‚ it's a good idea to hear from the Lord afterward to receive His promises for you. United prayer is the first step in loosing the grip of depression on your life, but it will undoubtedly continue to be a fight. The Enemy will attempt to steal your victory, so receiving the Lord's personal Words to you and tailored instruction about how to keep up the momentum of victory is a very important follow-up step.
183. In the days after your united prayer, you can be sure the Enemy will attack your mind with doubts, telling you that the prayer didn't have that much effect in your life and that things are still the same. But you've got to resist his lies‚ believe the Lord's promises of deliverance, and hold on to the facts of His Word—both the promises in His written Word about the effects and benefits of united prayer, as well as His personal words to you in prophecy.
184. The Enemy won't want to give up easily, but just because he's attacking, it doesn't mean the Lord hasn't delivered you. It would be unrealistic to expect that you'll never be hit with depression again‚ but you can be assured that after you've received deliverance, its grip won't be as severe and intense. If you are fought, you can't just think, "I got depressed again‚ so my prayer must not have worked. I might as well forget it," and then just lie back and let the Enemy walk all over you. You've got to keep fighting to build good habits and a positive mindset—and the Lord will help you! Don't give the Enemy the pleasure of seeing you quit! Keep fighting!
185. Here's a message the Lord gave to someone who received united prayer against depression, which I want to share for your encouragement, as well as an example of the personalized fighting tips the Lord gave. He wants to speak to you‚ too—not only to show you what victories were won through humbling yourself to receive united prayer, but also to give you the formula for continued and enduring victory.
186. (Jesus: ) This time of united prayer has had a great impact on your spirit, and on the lives of each one who witnessed your sincere heartcry. This united prayer has changed things in the spirit. It's destroyed the Enemy's embankment around you and opened the way for your spirit and mind to receive complete healing and cleansing. You will receive full healing‚ My love—full cleansing, full recovery from this attack of the Enemy on your soul. You'll be changed, strengthened, and renewed through the power of My Spirit. You'll be made wiser, more mature, humble, yielded‚ and more connected to Me than ever before, as you fight this battle to the end.
187. You must hold on to the fact that this united prayer has changed the course of the battle and set things in motion for victory. It's very important that you don't doubt this, but that you hold onto My promise of complete healing and deliverance as a result of your obedience and faith. In the days to come, and even right now, the Enemy is attacking, and will attack your mind with negative thoughts, with doubts, with the idea that this united prayer meant nothing, that it didn't have that much effect and things will continue as they were. It's very important that you resist the Enemy's lies and fight for the truth. I've said that I will deliver you, completely heal you, and you must hold onto the facts, the truth of My Word!
188. I want to prepare you, My love, that the Enemy is going to come in with another attack on your spirit, especially right now after asking for united prayer. You'll be tempted to feel even worse than ever, even more humiliated, worried, fearful that you won't make it. All this will cause you to doubt My Word, to doubt the power of united prayer, to doubt My promises to heal and deliver and give you complete victory. But you must continue to believe My promises no matter what the Enemy tries to tell you and no matter how you feel. Trust My Word to you and My power to complete the work that I've begun—to deliver, to set you free, to heal.
189. Everything is going to change in your life and spirit. Your ministry, your connection with Me, your interaction with others, your mindset, your attitudes, your hunger for My Spirit, your faith—it's all going to change and be different, renewed, refreshed, and alive! You'll be different. You'll change. Your spirit will become more like Me as you keep trusting in Me and following Me very closely. But I want to warn you that it won't be without a fight. This change of spirit that you so desperately want will cost you. It'll cost your all, but it will be worth your all. It won't be dropped into your lap. You'll have to walk in the power of your prayer of deliverance, in the power of the anointing that I will give you—which will be the power to fight.
190. You've gone through the first round of intense battle and have come out victorious. Yes, you're victorious! You've just won a great victory! You don't realize it right now, but the victory that's just been won is the most important one‚ the major victory of this battle. Without this initial victory of confessing your need before the body and asking for united prayer, you wouldn't be able to win the other victories that will come. All the following victories of contentment, inner peace and happiness, vision and concentration in your work‚ control over your physical needs, were all waiting to be set in motion, and now have been because of this prayer.
191. These victories are yours right now‚ My love—the complete deliverance from depression and lack of vision; deliverance from the pull of material comforts; freedom from all the negative influences of the Enemy through bitterness‚ jealousy‚ and negative thinking. These have been prepared for you, My precious bride‚ and are waiting to be given to you in full because of your faith and obedience. I've had these gifts of deliverance, these rewards for your faith, prepared for you for some time now‚ and have just been waiting to hear the cry of your voice.
192. They are yours, but you must go the rest of the journey to receive them. You've begun well, you've fought the first battle, won a major victory through asking for united prayer, and now you must continue to fight so that you can receive the full power of victory in each area that I've promised. If you want the full power and anointing of each victory, the power and anointing in your ministry, in your personal life, the power over your own spirit, then you must walk the mile with Me, fight the battles, and go the distance in order to become the woman that I want you to be.
193. The choice is yours. You don't have to do this. You can stop at this one important victory in asking for united prayer and I will still bless you with a measure of victory and happiness. I've already given you a blessing and reward of My Spirit—the comfort and encouragement that I will care for you, the encouragement of your loved ones, the blessing of My voice of prophecy, the peace of mind that you've done the right thing. But if you want to partake of the full power of the anointing and see the fulfillment of each promise you must choose not to stand still‚ not to accept only one victory, but you must choose to fight for it all—for the power of your full anointing.
194. You're as a soldier at war who comes before his commanding officer with an assignment completed, having won a victory, having completed his mission. His commanding officer commends him, gives him a well-deserved rest and reward for his labors, but also gives him his next assignment. The soldier doesn't want another assignment; he's tired, worn from the battles. He just wants to rest and not have to fight anymore. He was expecting to hear, "Well done. You don't have to fight anymore." But instead he hears, "Well done. Now here's the next battle plan for you."
195. You've completed one mission, My love, and I'm proud of you. You've completed one of the most important missions—you've infiltrated behind Enemy lines, and now you have to be even more vigilant than ever. You've exposed the Enemy, you've called for extra troops to fight the battles, you've broadcast his dirty work loud and clear and warned others of the dangers, you've pointed out the landmines hidden in the field that threaten to blow people up, you've raised a call to arms. The Enemy won't take this lightly; he won't sit back and let you expose his plans so easily. He'll fight back, and this is what you have to be prepared for—to fight harder, to be even more determined than ever to win every victory.
196. You have to be prepared to fight to the death, to fight to kill, to fight though bloodied. This is the power of your anointing that is given to you today. This is the greatness of your victory—a special anointing and power to fight the Enemy. If you take up this challenge to fight, you'll go from strength to strength and you'll see the fulfillment of every promise. You'll have complete deliverance, full freedom from the attacks of the Enemy and the things with which he seeks to bind you.
197. Don't be afraid of how you'll do this, of where you'll get the strength from‚ of how you'll have the power to fight. I know you feel weak and incapable, and feel that you won't be able to do this. You'll be tempted to throw in the towel, to forget the whole thing. But I promise that I'll give you the anointing you need for each battle, for each step of the way, if you hold on and don't give up. All you have to do is take things one day at a time, and keep fighting.
198. Don't look at the whole mountain ahead of you, at how far you have to go, but just keep your eyes on Me for today, for today's battle. This battle will be won one step at a time, one prayer at a time, hearing from Me step by step, following the things that I show you step by step. I will speak to you and show you what to do, how to do it, and all you have to do is follow Me. I'll show you how to fight each battle, and I promise that I'll give you the strength for each one as you hold on to your faith and trust Me.
199. Trust Me, My love, for I know what's ahead. I know exactly how much you can endure, and I promise that I won't give you more than you can bear. Know that many have gone before you and live to testify to My power to deliver. They shine with the glow of victory, they give Me all the glory, and they praise Me for the great things I've done in their lives. You too will testify to My power‚ to My greatness in your life. You too will walk with the glow of victory, the anointing and blessing of My gift of victory to you. Hold on, fight for it, and know that what I've promised, I will fulfill! (End of message.)
A Personal Testimony
200. (Mama:) That's a beautiful message from our Husband, packed with wonderful promises you can claim as your own, but I wouldn't be surprised if you wonder if the victory the Lord speaks of seems a little out of your reach. You wonder if you'll ever shine with the "glow of victory" He speaks of‚ and one day be able to testify of His deliverance power in your life!
201. To encourage you in the fight and give you a peek into the heart of someone who knows what it's like to be down in the pit of depression, feeling there's no way out‚ but then being completely and totally delivered, I'm going to share with you a testimony from dear Bethy. As we were working on this GN on depression‚ we sent her a note, asking if she wanted to write up a testimony to include‚ which she agreed to. Her battle with depression was tough and long, but it made her victory all the sweeter!
202. You will be delivered, too‚ if you want the victory desperately enough and are willing to fight for it!
203. (Bethy:) Beginning in my early teen years, I battled depression a lot. In my late teens and early 20s, it just got worse. It seemed that every attack of depression I had was stronger in intensity and lasted longer than the previous one, till my last attack of depression lasted over four weeks.
204. I was never able to pinpoint the exact trigger for my depression‚ or find any pattern in determining how or why it would come on. It would seem to come on with no warning, and I felt like ten thousand tons of bricks just fell on me and I couldn't get out no matter what I tried. I would usually try to keep up my work and ministry and struggle through, despite how I was feeling, trying to ignore it.
205. But as the attacks increased in frequency and severity, I found it impossible to carry on with business as usual, as the way depression would manifest itself in my life was very strong. I felt like my personality would completely change, and the things I enjoyed or was normally interested in, I had no desire for or interest in. I would be extremely listless for weeks at a time. Apathetic is probably the best description of my feelings about things.
206. My depression got to the point that it was pretty physically debilitating. All I wanted to do all day was sleep, because then I didn't have to think about anything and it was the only time I was happy. My attention span on a day-to-day basis was extremely short. I would have great difficulty focusing on anything or being productive. I tried to stay away from people as much as I could. It was pretty rough.
207. For years, I just sort of weathered the attacks of depression I experienced. I would always eventually find relief and the clouds would lift—whether in a few days or a few weeks—and I was always very grateful when it came. It took me a few years to figure out that what I was going through was actually depression. After I found my efforts to make it "go away" were unsuccessful, I eventually convinced myself that my proclivity to depression was hereditary, and that it was actually a physical chemical imbalance of some sort, and that I would have to battle it for the rest of my life—as a sort of continual besetting sin or weakness of some sort. I soon found out that I wasn't beyond the Lord's healing power and deliverance
208. My shepherd at the time of my last attack of depression was understandably a little alarmed by my fatalistic approach to the very bad attack of depression I was having. One morning during a devotions that I missed because I was sleeping, he asked for prayer for me—explaining to me later that depression was a spiritual sickness, and just like we would ask for prayer from the body if we were suffering a debilitating physical illness, we should be willing to ask for prayer against the Enemy fighting us so much spiritually. This was sort of a new thought for me.
209. While I was still being quite oppressed in that specific attack of depression, one of my shepherds was able to talk with me and explain to me some of the lessons he'd learned in fighting the Devil and winning victories over depression and discouragement. The main point that he stressed to me was that depression is an attack of the Enemy, that I needed to see it as such, and fight it and not just passively accept it, letting the Enemy walk all over me. He prayed for me, and from that moment on, the cloud and weight of depression that I felt left me. He also suggested that I ask for prayer from the Home for deliverance, which I did shortly thereafter.
210. I was completely delivered from the hold depression had in my life. In the four or five years since, I have not had a similar attack of depression. That is a great miracle, considering I would often have them every few months or certainly every six months. I have still had to battle with attacks of discouragement from time to time, but I have been freed from the grip that depression used to have on me. I am so grateful, and I credit it all to the power of united prayer! (End of testimony.)
Utilize the Keys
211. (Mama:) In order to wage the most effective warfare against depression, we'll want to access all of the power and new weapons the Lord has given us‚ which of course includes actively using the keys of the Kingdom! We wield unmatched power when calling on the keys! So take full advantage of them, because their power can increase our fighting skills to the maximum.
212. Memorizing some of the keys promises we are including at the end of this GN will equip you with extra firepower against the Enemy! You can also memorize the following message from Jesus, or selected portions of it, because it's chock-full of powerful promises that will zap the Devil to bits.
213. (Jesus: ) The keys of the Kingdom are a consuming fire to engulf and destroy depression in all its forms. They squash‚ squelch, and trample depression. They wipe out, obliterate, and banish depression. They kill, maim, and exterminate depression.
214. Every demon of depression is subject to the power of the keys. Apotheon, Arakan‚ Pan, the demons of depression, and every other minion of the netherworld cannot escape from the keys' power. When you call on the keys to defeat them, they will flee in terror and beg for mercy at your hand! Give them no mercy, for they show no mercy toward you. Blast them with the power of the keys, because My shocking wave of destroying power through the keys is what they deserve.
215. No matter how deep or long-lasting your depression‚ there is relief and victory to be found through the keys. No evil work of the Enemy is a match for the keys‚ which destroy the works of darkness. The keys will remove from your life anything that afflicts, brings despair‚ or hinders your service to Me. The keys not only bring life to your spirit, but death to the deeds of the Devil and all his demons of Hell.
216. Hold fast to the keys! Claim their power, because they are a weapon the Enemy sorely fears, a power he doesn't stand a chance against. He will turn tail and run when you face him with the keys. If you feel too weak to do anything else, call out to Me and My powerful keys, and I will fight for you. (End of message.)
A Testament to Key Power
217. (Mama: ) As further proof that the keys are mighty weapons against depression, I'd like to share another short and inspiring testimony a woman in one of our WS Homes just sent me, relating her personal experience with key power.
218. From the time I was about five, until about eight months ago, I'd go through bouts of depression at least once a month, lasting at least a few days each time. In my opinion, there's hardly anything worse to go through than a bout of depression—I'd put it right up there with intense jealousy battles. I would rather have been physically injured than depressed.
219. Depression to me was something mentally, physically, and spiritually debilitating, a major time and energy waster, completely illogical and nigh impossible to pull out of. Depression is not just feeling sad, or even very sad. For me it was a "whole-body" illness—involving my body, mind, thoughts, spirit, and all my moods. Sometimes something specific triggered it, but other times it just came unexpectedly. When my friends or shepherds tried to pull me out of it, I resented them. No matter how hard they tried to help me, the fact that someone around me was happy or on top of things made me feel all the worse and more depressed. Then, of course, if no one noticed well, that was the worst.
220. I desperately prayed against depression with all my heart time and again for years, tried so hard to fight it, etc., but it never went away for all that long before coming back to bite me once again, usually worse than the last time.
221. Having lived through many days and nights of the very deep agony of depression, I thought it was something I'd have to fight forever—that I'd get depressed from time to time and that I'd just have to ride it out. It seemed like something I couldn't pull out of.
222. I am extremely happy to be able to testify to the fact that there is complete deliverance to be found from depression. I know this‚ because I found it. My deliverance from depression and severe negative thinking has nothing to do with my circumstances changing, because they haven't. The Lord miraculously gave me wonderful deliverance and victory about eight months ago‚ when I began using the power of the keys in battle against depression.
223. A real lifesaver in my life has been refusing to give into it from the start. I wanted to do this before, but never had the strength to do it before I had the power of the keys to utilize.
224. There are times when I feel close to slipping back into depression, but what works for me is to repeat key quotes over and over‚ persevering‚ and really trying to believe in and visualize each word in my heart and mind that I am quoting. The keys have not once failed me, and I'm totally sold on them—as nothing else I've ever tried has really worked long-term before! (End of testimony.)
The Underused Weapon of Praise
225. (Mama:) We'd all be a whole lot happier if we praised more. We have so much to be thankful for‚ bundles of blessings, and more to be happy about than anyone in the world. But I don't think we praise "the One Who freely gives us all things" nearly enough. So often we get our eyes on the problems and difficulties, when just focusing on the good, thinking on the positive‚ talking about the positive, and praising our Husband for the positive would drastically improve our lives for the better.
226. Being reminded to praise more may sound like a simplistic pointer for fighting depression, something you've heard a million times before and are tired of, and probably the last thing you want to hear when you're depressed. But praise is an underused spiritual weapon that is instantly effective in defeating the Enemy, and can help to reverse the depressive spiral. He can't stand our praises! Let's use that weapon more! Like that simple little song says, "If you really wanna knock the Devil for a loop, just start praising the Lord!" I could paraphrase that to say‚ "If you really wanna knock depression for a loop, just start praising the Lord!"
227. (Jesus:) When you praise Me it shows Me you love Me. When praise comes from the heart, it expresses your love. Praise gives Me the reverence and honor that is My due. Praising Me is worshipping Me. Praise is something that all the angels and beasts and saints in Heaven do constantly; they praise, love, and adore Me. Praise fills the halls of Heaven! My throne is filled with praise.
228. Praise is also a weapon‚ like prayer, prophecy, and the keys. Praise is very powerful. It can protect you from attacks of the Enemy, or if you're already being attacked, release you from his clutches. Praise transports you from the earthly to the heavenly. It can release you from depression, sadness, anger and hate. It can strengthen you not only spiritually but physically.
229. As I have said, the weapons of your warfare are not carnal, but spiritual and mighty, and praise is one of those weapons. It makes you stronger in spirit, more yielded, more tuned in, more loving‚ happier‚ and more victorious. I dwell in the praises of My people! Your praises have drawing power‚ and the more you praise, the more power is released to you and surrounds you.
230. Praise calls down help from Heaven and surrounds you with angels and heavenly forces!—Just as I surrounded My children of old when they went to battle. They were armed with songs and praises as their only weapon against their enemies‚ and I went before them with My armies and slew all their enemies (2Chr. 20). Your praises can slay all your enemies and do battle for you and get the victory.
231. Your praises surround you with a force field both spiritually and physically. It transports your mind into heavenly places. It can protect you from pain, eliminate fear, and defeat the Enemy. Praise is another weapon, mighty and powerful. Just as I filled the temple with My presence when the Israelites praised Me, so will I fill your home and your heart and your thoughts with My presence when you praise Me‚ and I will be with you. (End of message.)
How to Fight Effectively
With Praise
232. (Mama:) It's abundantly clear from what the Lord has said about praise that it's a vital weapon to destroy the attacks of the Enemy. But sometimes it's hard to know how to do battle against the Devil with praise. You know you should praise and you know the Enemy hates it, but exactly how do you do it—especially at those times when you feel like doing anything but praising? I wondered about this, and thought some of you might have the same question.
233. How do you fight the Enemy with praise? Do you just thank the Lord for anything at all that you can be thankful for—from the grass, to the birds, to clean water? Or is it more effective to fight with specific praises, directly related to the battles you're facing? Are you supposed to use the weapon of praise when you're depressed by praising the Lord about anything directly related to what you're going through? A lot of people default to saying, "Praise You, Jesus! Thank You‚ Jesus!" And though that's wonderful and good‚ it isn't real specific.
234. I wondered if the Lord means for you to get much more specific in your praises, and this is the message He gave when we asked Him about it.
235. (Jesus:) All praise is powerful, and the Devil hates every word of praise that comes forth from your mouth. But he especially hates specific praise‚ retaliation praise, when he's attacking you with a particular battle and you turn right around and sock it to him with your praise—praising Me for the specific things he's trying to use to attack you. That kills his pride and mortally wounds his spirit.
236. Praising in general terms for anything you have to be thankful for or your many blessings does lift your spirit and help you to feel more victorious. All praise is good, but when you take the specific attack the Enemy is hitting you with and turn around and transform it into a praise to Me, looking at the situation positively and thanking Me for whatever you can think of that is related to the battle he's attacking you with, this is indeed a fiery sword that pierces his heart to its innermost depths and forces him to retreat, screaming with pain from your attack through praise. (End of message.)
237. (Mama:) Isn't that tremendous? Imagine how the Enemy must reel in defeat when we use specific praise to fight him, turning what he originally intended to defeat us into a weapon to destroy his power! I was excited about this, and asked the Lord for a sample prayer of praise for those of you who, like me, find it helpful to have an example of how to put things into words. You can use or adapt this according to your needs.
238. (Prayer:) I activate the power of the keys of praise, dear Husband, which You have promised are powerful and mighty! I praise You even for the battles, because I want to fight the Enemy with this powerful spiritual weapon of praise. I want to see him defeated and driven back with the power of praise! I want him to feel my fiery sword of praise piercing him to the heart! I want to turn his attacks back on his own head!
239. I praise You, Jesus, for the battles—even the discouragement and depression I feel—because I know it's driving me to You. I feel helpless, weak, defenseless and feeble, but that makes me depend on Your power to help me, deliver me, and bring the victory. I praise You that nothing is impossible for You, and that You can destroy the Devil and all his demons and free me from their attacks. I praise You that no matter how hard I'm hit, You can deliver me.
240. I praise You that through these battles I'm learning how to fight! I praise You that though the Enemy is trying to defeat me‚ You've given me the power to rise above. I praise You‚ because as a result of these battles I will be stronger in spirit and not ignorant of the Devil's devices. I praise You that when I am weak, You are strong. I praise You and You alone, because the Enemy's attacks are puny and his power is weak when compared with Your mighty majesty and strength.
241. I praise and depend on You, my awesome Savior‚ my great and terrible Destroyer of Evil, my Shield and Defense, the Rock of my salvation, my wonderful Deliverer and Redeemer!
The "Chocolate" of the Spirit
242. (Mama: ) I don't think you'll need more convincing about the benefits and importance of praise‚ as our Husband has already given so much, but here's another fun message He gave on the subject.
243. (Jesus: ) Just like cocoa beans there on Earth are high in chemicals that can elevate your mood and give you an uplift, so is praise. Through praising you receive positiveness‚ a high or lift in the spirit that will brighten your day, improve your mood, and help to cleanse your heart, mind and body from depression.
244. Unlike earthly chocolate that often has a lot of sugar and fat in it, causing you to be careful about overindulging, there are no limits to how much you can praise. Praise as much as you like, because the benefits of this spiritual phenomenon only increase with time and use! Pamper your soul and satiate your heart and spirit with the perks of praise! There's no such thing as overindulgence! It'll only make you feel better! (End of message.)
Spiritual and Practical Strategies
245. (Mama:) We asked the Lord for some of the general steps and tips for overcoming depression in point form, to summarize it for us, so that it would be easy to refer to at a glance. This isn't an all–encompassing list, but here is what He gave as a good start. He's included most of the spiritual steps to victory we've already touched on in this GN, as well as a few new physical steps you can take. I pray these tips, when used together and according to the Lord's personalized plan, will aid you in overcoming and rising above.
Encouraging or Shepherding
Someone Battling Depression
246. (Mama:) It's very difficult for the person who's fighting depression to recognize what is happening to them, even when their loved ones try to help them, much less to have the strength to fight on their own. And because it's such a tough battle, you may feel like you, as a shepherd, mate, or friend, aren't helping them much or making a difference. But I can't stress enough that the support, encouragement, prayer, and time you invest will bear fruit, and are, in fact‚ essential ingredients to victory.
247. Those fighting depression desperately need help‚ counsel‚ shepherding‚ a listening ear, and a lot of love. Receiving the Lord's Words in prophecy for the person who is battling is another key. If the person is receptive and hungry, the Lord's Words will have the most lasting, dramatic effect of all.
248. There's really no way to know how to effectively shepherd someone who's fighting depression unless you ask the Lord. Though there are some general rules across the board—such as their need for love‚ encouragement, prayer and support—so much of the counsel the Lord will want to give will be tailored to the individual. He's the only One Who knows their personal formula for victory. He sees into their heart and will give you, as the shepherd, mate, or friend of someone battling‚ solutions‚ insight, and specific counsel on how to reach and help them.
249. I'm going to share with you a message of personal counsel that the Lord gave a young woman in WS when she was helping to shepherd and encourage a loved one battling depression. You may find some of the tips and insight from the Lord and Dad helpful, and I pray that it will encourage you to hear from the Lord specifically and regularly when you're in the position of helping or shepherding someone who's battling in this way.
250. (Jesus:) I know how the battles of this, your loved one, weigh heavily on you. Like I told you earlier, you cannot take these burdens of hers upon yourself or assume responsibility for them or expect to be able to "solve" her problems. What you can and should do, though, is to bring these problems and battles to Me. Cast your cares upon Me. Encourage her to cast her cares upon Me.
251. Fighting for her in prayer is the single greatest and most important thing you can do to help. I've been showing you and all My Family the importance of prayer, and now you will get a chance to see the power of intercessory prayer for another come to life in a very wonderful way. She's willing, she's hungry, and she's receptive. She wants to change, to grow, to fight, to gain victories, but she's very discouraged and is being hit hard. Her own strength, even her own prayers‚ are not enough to sustain her in the battle. She needs yours as well.
252. There are other things that she needs that you can and should encourage her to do. She needs to hear from Me daily in prophecy, and to stretch and strengthen and develop her channel. She has a beautiful gift of prophecy, but very little faith in it. This comes from her lack of faith in My love for her. She feels unworthy, unimportant, and of little value, and this extreme negativity and dissatisfaction leads to depression. There's a great insecurity in her heart. This will be in large part remedied by two things—one, a stronger connection with Me, as she develops it further; and two, lots and lots of encouragement and acceptance from those around her.
253. As you know and can sense in the spirit, this isn't a one-time battle or something which is resolved just with a prayer or two, or even by coming to Me to get instructions. It's not something you can "fix" from one day, or even one month, to the next. It's a long-term battle, a deep-rooted problem in the mind and heart that takes time to fully overcome.
254. That doesn't mean you can't expect to see signs of progress. You can, and you should fight for them and encourage her to fight for them. But don't be surprised or discouraged when it seems there is a lot of progress, then all of a sudden there's a big dip and major episode of sadness and woe. This sadness and heaviness of heart and spirit have become a part of not only her thought process, but her heart and her personality, and while I can and am ready and willing to change anyone and anything, it usually takes time.
255. There's a process to go through, and part of that process will be that at some point she'll need to have united prayer, coming before the body or at least a part of the body, to take a specific stand against the Enemy's attacks of negativity and depression.
256. Right now what she needs from you most is a lot of love and support. She needs a friend. She needs shepherding, and lots of it, and she can't get everything she needs from any one person.
257. I've helped you through your battles with negativity and comparing and resentment, and part of the purpose of that victory is for you to help others. People won't accept help from someone who seems perfect, so it's important that you do talk with her about your battles. Not only your past ones, either, but recent or present ones. She knows you've gotten a major victory, but she needs to understand that it took time, effort, and that you're still not perfect and still have struggles.
258. It's like Mama said in "The Weakness Revolution," if you as a shepherd relate to others' weaknesses by only talking about things in the past that you got the victory over, well, in a way that gives them hope, but it's really not very encouraging, because it can make them wonder why they still have to struggle so much. So really pray in everything you say or share with her‚ that you can portray a spirit of humility and desperation, and encourage her with the fact that people can change and that there are victories, but don't make the "victory status" seem so high and mighty and unattainable. It comes about in steps. It always takes some time and a lot of fight to completely overcome a long-term, deeply rooted mindset.
259. The most important and best things you can do are to pray for her and encourage her. This isn't something you can just hear from Me about once, either. It's something to seek Me about regularly. As you're with her or before you take time with her‚ get a little word or direction from Me about what to focus on, what to say or not say, what to ask her‚ etc. Then occasionally take time to get a longer, more detailed message‚ something to give you more insight into her heart and needs‚ and more instruction about what to do or say to help her.
260. She needs a lot of warmth and tenderness now, and though it may seem to be taking a lot of your time to be with her and minister to her‚ I assure you that it will pay off. In the end you'll have a strong, solid, victorious sister and co-worker who is well able to carry her own weight and then some. The time will come when she too will minister to others, both physically and spiritually. This will be a very rewarding day for you, and for her; and while her battles and tests are strong and will take time to overcome, it will surely be worth it all when you see her testify of the miracles that have been done.
261. Of course, like any spiritual problem, the decision and will to change largely rests upon the person involved. They have to recognize the problem‚ they have to desire a change, they have to be willing to fight for a change and fight to develop a new mindset and new thought patterns, and it's not easy. There are things that you can do, though, as shepherds, or things that I could say in prophecy to those who are afflicted‚ to help them better understand the problem and what to do about it.
262. I am the Answer Man. I am the Solution Giver. I am the Great Physician. I am the Great Shrink, too, and there's no problem—spiritual, mental, physical or emotional—that is beyond My power to touch and to heal. All I need is the will of the receiver on My side. This is the difficult part, but it's not impossible, because nothing is impossible for Me. Remember that, and have faith and hope that I will answer your prayers for this dear love of Mine.
263. I will help her as she fights and as she draws closer to My breast to receive My love, courage, faith and joy. I have all this and more to give her, and I will give it to her. I will answer the prayers of her heart and the prayers of your heart. Keep fighting for her in spirit. Keep giving her love and encouragement. Keep seeking Me for guidance. And watch Me do what you cannot do. (End of message.)
The Gift of Encouragement
264. (Mama:) If you've been reading this GN, thinking that not much of it applies to you since you don't specifically battle depression‚ then you can rest assured that this next point will certainly apply to you; it applies to all of us.
265. In the message you just read, the Lord said that a person battling depression needs lots of love, support‚ encouragement‚ warmth and tenderness. But this isn't true only in the case of those experiencing depression. We all need more love and encouragement no matter what battles or challenges we're facing in our lives, and in order to get it we have to give it—it's a cycle of love, and the Lord needs each of us.
266. Because the Enemy fights so many of us with discouragement regularly, the gift of encouragement is one that we should pray for the Lord to help us to activate, hone, and use. Jesus has blessed some people with a more outstanding or noticeable gift of encouragement, but we can all have a greater measure of that gift even if it's not a part of our nature. Whether or not it comes naturally, Jesus wants us to use the gift of encouragement more. Not only will we receive personal blessings in our lives as a result of loving and giving more‚ but the Lord can use us to touch, encourage, and lift up those who are weary and discouraged, thus helping to defeat the Enemy's attacks on them.
267. The gift of encouragement can be manifested in many ways—through giving affection‚ going out of your way to love another‚ helping someone in need‚ sharing a word of appreciation, forsaking your own wants and desires for the sake of another, complimenting someone, sharing a message of encouragement from the Lord for another when He lays it on your heart‚ and the list is endless. About the gift of encouragement, the Lord said:
268. (Jesus:) One of the greatest weapons of the Enemy to hinder My children is discouragement. Many battle with various forms of discouragement, depression, defeat, and condemnation, and this is why it's important that the members of My body have the gift of encouragement. You must stretch to make more room for this gift, to be used to be a blessing to others.
269. Allow Me to use your words and your hands to be an encouragement to others, to lift up the hands which hang down, to share the burdens and uplift the spirits of others. Exercise this gift. It is not a work of the flesh, but a yielding to My Spirit, allowing My Spirit to work within you. (End of message.)
A Prayer of Deliverance
From Depression
270. (Mama:) I'd like to end this GN with a sample prayer of deliverance from depression that the Lord gave in prophecy. This is a powerful prayer that you can pray even when it's the last thing you feel like doing. Even if all you can do is just read these words, the Lord will see your heart and honor your desperate cry for His help. When you're in great despair, you're not going to feel like fighting or praying, and you probably won't even know what to pray for, but if you can read and say this prayer to Jesus with your whole heart, He will hear and deliver. He promised that if you call out to Him and His powerful keys, He will fight for you!
271. (Prayer:) Dear Jesus‚ depression is a force so strong and powerful‚ something I can't fight against in my own strength. I can't even understand why I'm depressed, much less have the strength to fight it on my own. It's gripping my heart, squeezing the life out of me, and trying to defeat me, but with Your hands, Jesus‚ and the words of truth You can smash in pieces this grip the Enemy has on my life. Please remove this depression and send it far from me! Free me from its grip and save me through the power of the keys.
272. I'm deep down in this dark pit of depression; the sides are slippery and I can't see how I'm going to find my way out. I don't have any strength left, sweet Love, and I can barely utter these words to You, calling out to You to do the miracle. But I know that You hold the strong‚ unbreakable rope of deliverance, and I'm reaching out to it right now. I'm reaching out to You‚ I'm clinging to You, and I praise You for the power You have to lift me up and out of this pit. Please pull me up and out right now, Jesus, as I call on You and Your keys of deliverance.
273. I know that I'll have to hold on to Your rope tightly. It will probably be a long ascent up and out of the deep pit I'm in right now, but help me to not give up. Help me to keep fighting through holding on and trusting You. I know that as I take this step to pray and call out for Your help‚ You will help me. I have to believe that You're going to do the miracle—and I do believe, Jesus. I'll hold on‚ even if the Enemy keeps fighting me. I'm determined to have the victory, because I hate this icky, depressed state I'm in. I want Your joy. I want Your peace and happiness to flood my heart once more.
274. My dear Husband and Defender, please set my feet upon a rock and restore to me the joy of my salvation. I claim a victory as strong and solid as the rock of Your Word, and I ask for extra key power to activate this miracle. I claim happiness in You that isn't swayed or moved by my feelings, the lies of the Enemy, or any earthly circumstances. Ground my hope, faith, and happiness in You, and remove any other scaffolding or supports that get in the way.
275. You said that every demon of depression is subject to the power of the keys. So I rebuke Pan‚ Arakan, Apotheon, the demons of depression, and any other hellish demon that might be hindering me. Release me from their influence, bind them with the keys of imprisonment, blast them with the power of the keys, and cleanse me of their lies and depression. I call on Lucerne to defend me and defeat the darkness of depression.
276. My great Deliverer, I call on the keys that are a consuming fire to engulf and destroy this depression. I ask You to wipe it out, obliterate it, banish it, kill it, maim it, murder it, squash it, squelch it, and trample it with Your power!
277. Help me to fight for victory and to overcome negativity and bad thought habits! Please give me the strength to fight with all my might, and to know that no matter how long it takes, the victory will be well worth it!
278. I'm undeserving of victory, Jesus, but You've promised it because You love me. Please restore my spiritual health to me! Create in me a clean heart, and renew my spirit as You've promised. I have nowhere else to turn, no one else to lean on; I'm depending on You and trusting You. Thank You for delivering me.
Additional Reading
279. (Jesus:) The way you experience your life and all around you is colored when you are depressed; it makes you feel as if things are hopeless. But things are never truly hopeless for a child of God, for a bride of Mine.
280. I know the way depression has caused you a general loss of self-esteem. It has made you feel less and less positive about yourself, how I have made you, and you have at times questioned your personal value. The spirit of depression brings with it a dark desire to escape from problems and even from life itself. But this is the Enemy's way. My ways are the ways of love, truth, freedom‚ and life.
281. I want you to know this for certain, although you might not always feel this way: You are wonderfully and fearfully made in the way I wanted and ordained. You are amazing. You are perfect to Me, because even your imperfections are perfectly in sync with how I wanted you to be, so that you could remain humble, desperate‚ and close to Me.
282. Besides salvation‚ the greatest of My gifts to you is My love. I know you've heard this said over and over, but I'll repeat it to you because it's the truth—there is no love that compares with Mine‚ and I give you My love because I'm in love with you. Everything about you is special, unique, and causes Me to love you more and more each day. The love I have for you can't be described by mere words, for how can even a human mother or father describe the love they have for their child? It's impossible. But My love for you is infinitely more intense, more wonderful‚ more powerful.
283. Because I love you, I promise to take each circumstance of your life and use it in a constructive way for your growth. Because I love you, I don't keep score of all your sins and mistakes. Because I love you, I will keep on working patiently with you even when you feel like giving up and can't see why I don't give up on you too. I never will let you go, My dearest lover.
284. Because I love you, I will never forsake you‚ but will stand with you through every trial—even when you reach the rock bottom of despair and see that My love for you and the beauty and love I send into your life is so‚ so great.
285. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned or scorched, nor shall the flame kindle upon you. For I am the Lord your God, your Husband, and your Savior.
286. My love, the Enemy has attacked you with lies about yourself that you think are the truth. You've heard some of these lies for so long that to your mind they're not lies. But I want you to treat them as if they are lies, and rebuke them, because they are lying vanities, and great will be your victories.
287. Claim the power of the keys against the Enemy, so that none of his thoughts may make a playroom of your mind. Rebuke the Enemy in the power of the keys when he comes in with his lies and deceits and tries to consume you with depression, discouragement, and feelings of hopelessness. Just rebuke his lies, and believe My Words with all your heart—that I love you and I will be here to help you.
288. I know that it's hard sometimes, but you need to have faith that I will be there to help you all the time because I love you. So trust your all to Me and know that I will help you. I'm going to bless you for trying to fight this depression, and each time you resist it‚ it will get easier. Each battle you fight, if you use My power, will strengthen you, and prepare you to be able to win the next battle and the next. Soon you will love the fight!
289. You can break the cycle of depression. I know how easy it is to stay in the pit of despair or depression; it is relatively easy to stay there because of the great effort it takes to get out at times. I know how especially difficult it is to overcome depression when you feel there is no solution to your problems, and sometimes you don't even know if you really want what victory means. Some things you have to take by faith just because I said so. But there is victory—lasting victory—over depression.
290. Think of depression as a thick, cold, dark cloud that obscures your vision. You can't see out of this cloud. When you're in this cloud, you can see no hope, no reason to hold on, no reason to walk on in faith in My love.
291. When you're in the midst of this cloud of depression, read positive things in My Word to push this cloud aside. Walk through it, believing My promises to you that there is an end point to this cloud, and that you can fight your way through it to the light, happiness, and joy that you desire. Seek happiness and you will find her. How do you seek happiness and find her? By forgetting your own self, happiness, and personal desires. Seek and strive to care for others and bring happiness to them, and then happiness will find you!
292. I know how dark and terrible this cloud of sadness and depression can be. I know how difficult it is to go on in life without hope. For without hope, the human spirit eventually gives up. You've got to understand that feelings such as this are brought by the Enemy of your soul—the author of lies and deceit. Nothing is stronger than Me and My Words, and when you feel like, "What's the use?" and you barely have the strength to express faith and it's a struggle to come to Me, you must do so anyway. For if you claim and stand on My promises, the cloud will be lifted by no feat of yours, but by My Spirit. I'm only a prayer away! I'm with you. I only await your call.
293. I know you feel like the cause of your times of depression can tend to be so unnamed, unspecific, and just like a terrible feeling that clutches you and suffocates you. Depression is a spirit, and you can't be rid of it when you allow yourself to feel that it's stronger than you. In some ways, it is stronger than your human nature, for depression is a strong demon that preys on the human desire for self-pity and self-centeredness. But remember that you've been given all the power of the universe in the power of the keys!
294. As My Word says, "The power of the keys can overcome any negative view you have of yourself. Call on the power of the keys continually and claim the transformation you desire, being specific about what you need, and you will be transformed by the renewing of your mind through the power of the keys." Through the power of the keys I can renew your mind, lift your spirit, and purify your whole being. Soak in My Word. This is the secret to victory.
295. Depression is not an easy problem to overcome. You can't look at one or two specific things and say, "This or that has caused it," though sometimes it is kicked off by a specific incident. But your diet, your sleep‚ and your habits, including your habits in the Word, can all improve your mental attitude, and can make you more able to withstand these attacks of the Enemy.
296. Rejoice, My love, that although the Enemy sends you turbulent feelings, My love in you is stronger and I will always, always win the victory. Every time you focus on Me and keep My thoughts uppermost in your mind, asking Me everything and praising Me for all that happens, I will send My love, My heavenly forces‚ My bright "weather‚" instead of the gloomy rain clouds that cloud your mind and spirit. And in thus keeping you close to Me‚ in breaking your heart through this great need for Me‚ I will draw you closer in a new way.
297. Our love for one another will override the negative feelings of depression from the Enemy. Just lie on My breast in brokenness and humility, knowing that you can't keep these feelings away yourself, and cling to Me. I will do the miracles in your life that you desire. (End of message.)
Depression/Discouragement Keys Promises
The Devil has thrown you into a pit of depression‚ but the keys of faith are your salvation. Cling to them, and I will pull you out of the miry clay of despair and wipe away the feelings of utter defeat.
You can't imagine how you'll make it through another day, but if you call on the keys of My ability‚ I will give you the superhuman strength of spirit you are in desperate need of.
The Devil brings misery, self-pity, despair, and every form of discouragement, but there's power in the keys of overcoming to rise above and conquer every demon of depression.
When depression is draining you of your strength and you're hit with discouragement on every side, call on the power of the keys for an infusion of new joy, hope‚ faith, and the will to fight on.
The demons of depression can't stand the blinding light and power of the keys of faith and victory; they will be vaporized.
You may have every reason in the natural to be depressed, but the keys hold supernatural power to rejuvenate your spirit, soul, mind and body.
There is not one iota of encouragement that you need that I will withhold, or one iota of discouragement that I will not dispel, if you will look to the power of the keys!
The keys will light your way when you feel like you're walking in darkness.
The keys of overcoming will be your rod and your staff as you walk through what feels like the valley of the shadow of death.
The keys are keys of victory. Cling to them when you feel defeated, and let them fight for you.
Through the keys of deliverance your depression and sadness can be transformed into overflowing joy.
No sadness is so great that My Spirit of happiness cannot overcome it; no depression is so overwhelming that the power of the keys cannot remove it.
You possess freedom over discontentment and depression as you hold up the keys-turned-to-swords and strike the Enemy back with praise and positiveness.
When you claim the keys of encouragement, I will send spirit helpers, your brothers and sisters in My realm, who will spur you on and whisper to you words of courage and camaraderie.
If at the first signs of discouragement you fight with the Word, the keys, prayer‚ praise and songs, you'll be able to kick the Devil right out.
The clutches of darkness and depression cannot match the power of My light, My love, and the power of the keys.
No demon of depression can counter the power you have in the words you speak as you challenge them in the power of the keys.
If you fight in the spirit, call on the keys, claim the keys promises‚ and recruit the help of others to fight with you‚ I can defeat the Enemy and his plague of depression.
The power of the keys you hold in your hands is far more powerful than the darkness and weight of depression.
The keys give you power to triumph.
The keys of the Kingdom are a consuming fire to engulf and destroy depression in all its forms. They squash, squelch‚ and trample depression. They wipe out, obliterate‚ and banish depression. They kill, maim, and exterminate depression.
Every demon of depression is subject to the power of the keys.
Apotheon‚ Arakan‚ Pan, the demons of depression, and every other minion of the netherworld cannot escape from the keys' power. When you call on the keys to defeat them, they will flee in terror and beg for mercy at your hand.
No matter how deep or long-lasting your depression, there is relief and victory to be found through the keys.
No evil work of the Enemy is a match for the keys, which destroy the works of darkness.
The keys will remove from your life anything that afflicts, brings despair, or hinders your service to Me.
The keys not only bring life to your spirit, but death to the deeds of the Devil and all his demons of Hell.
Hold fast to the keys, because they are a weapon the Enemy sorely fears, a power he doesn't stand a chance against. He will turn tail and run when you face him with the keys.
If you feel too weak to do anything else, call out to Me and My powerful keys, and I will fight for you.
Claim the power of the keys against the Enemy, so that none of his thoughts may make a playroom of your mind.
Through the power of the keys I can renew your mind‚ lift your spirit, and purify your whole being.
Copyright © 2003 by The Family
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