Merlin and I receive many requests for prayer every day. Some want God to change their circumstances. Some prayer requests are for God to heal their finances or relationships. Others are for physical healing. We do our best to lift each of these up to the Lord.
      But today I want to write about another problem many folks are facing: Depression. It is certainly true that the enemy of our souls is busy in the world today. It is also true that there are times when a person has a chemical cause for dark and depressing thoughts.
      However, for lots of us, there are some questions we need to ask ourselves. Answering these questions honestly will be hard. But if we want to be free from oppressive thoughts, if we truly want to be delivered from this cloud of depression, we must be honest with ourselves. I am praying that our wonderful and compassionate Savior will help us do just that.
      When we were in school we read books and listened to our teachers as they taught us what we needed to learn. In order to learn, we had to believe what we read and were told. This pattern of learning has followed us ever since. We have a natural tendency to believe what we read and what we are told by "experts".
      So today, we need to stop and think: what have I been watching and listening to on TV and movies? What have I been reading? Have all of these helped me to be growing in trusting Jesus? Or, have they had a discouraging effect on me?
      What about the wrong thoughts and desires they give us, such as anger or lust? Or has what we watched, listened to or read caused us to desire to become more Christ-like?
      As if all that were not enough – how about the folks we hang out with: friends, neighbors, co-workers, even relatives. Are they encouraging
or discouraging? We do have some control over
them. Often we can say pleasantly, "I really have
to go now". Or, "I must get back to work". Think
ahead to what would be the best way to excuse
yourself.

by Mary Carothers

     There is one more area where we need to
check up on ourselves: on what are my
thoughts dwelling? This may come as a surprise
to some, but did you know we can control our
thoughts? What an amazing truth! Proverbs
4:23 tells us to carefully guard our hearts (our
thoughts and emotions) because they will
influence all the other areas of our lives.
     Whew! If you have made it this far, be
encouraged. There is help! God truly loves us
and wants us to grow in Christ. He has given us
His Word – the Bible – to help us. Each time we
open it to read, we need to ask Him to help us learn and understand whatever He wants to
reveal to us. It goes without saying that if we
have difficulty controlling our thoughts, we
should ask the Holy Spirit to guard and guide
our minds.
     A trip to a Christian bookstore is a good
place to figure out which Bible translation best
helps you understand God's will for you.
Remember – God is able to watch over His
Word and speak through it to your heart and
mind, regardless of which translation someone
else prefers.
     One last thought: Giving praise and thanksgiving
to God is a very pro-active way to overcome
wrong thoughts. If you cannot bring
yourself to give Him thanks and praise for a bad
problem, start by praising and thanking Him for
Who He is, all He has provided for us here on
earth, that He is ultimately in control, for the joy
waiting for us in eternity with Him, for His joy
and strength that He gives us, etc, etc.
     PS: The Bible is a rich and glorious source to
learn all the blessings the Lord has provided
for us. Seek and you will find them.