I’m happy to continue from where I left off last on What Does The Bible Say About Anxiety And Depression?. Last time, I delved into the book “Answers to Questions About Adversity” by Dr. David Jeremiah. In it, he talks about what answers the Bible has about dealing with anxiety and depression, along with such issues as temptation, family problems and money.

I have the last two Q & A bits here. I tried to find the book online to give you guys a link to buy it, but still no luck, sadly. This will just have to do for now!

God knows my pain, so why bother praying for help?

“This objection to prayer applies to any subject, not just depression. If God already knows our needs before we pray — and He does (Matthew 6:8) — why should we pray at all? The general answer, regardless of the subject, is because we are told to pray. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, which is a good reason for us to follow suit (Matthew 6:9-13).

Specifically, regarding prayer to relieve emotional pain or depression, we should pray because of the promise of Philippians 4:6-7. If there is one thing a depressed person needs perhaps more than anything, it is peace — peace of mind and heart. And that is what Scripture promises when we commit our needs to God: ‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ God is there and He cares about us. We can tell Him anything. When feeling anxious, commit your anxiety to God in prayer with thanksgiving. Then let the peace of God guard your heart and mind. Exchange anxiety for peace through prayer.”

I struggle daily with my anxiety, and a lot of times, I have trouble giving things over to God. I feel little to no relief, and when I do, it’s fleeting. It fades quickly. I don’t understand why that is. Is my faith not strong enough? Am I not praying correctly? Am I not allowing myself to feel relief and comfort?

The thing is, I’m just a worrier. Being able to find that relief will take time. It’s not that God’s not there comforting me. I’ve just let anxiety take over so much of my life that I have to weed it out until I can allow myself to be comforted. It’s a matter of discipline. Practice. You have to learn to let God give you his grace. You have to love yourself, and let yourself be loved.

Is there any way to prevent anxiety?

“Anxiety and depression are struggles that take place on the battlefield of the mind. To avoid anxiety, we must think proper thoughts. Most people don’t realize that thinking should be a discipline like prayer or Bible study. We are in control of our thoughts and can choose what we contemplate. Yes, thoughts can pop into our mind — but we are not obligated to dwell on them. But certain kinds of thoughts are worthy of our contemplation, and the apostle Paul gives us six examples (Philippians 4:8-9):

• Things that are true: Think about real things. Don’t indulge in fantasy, dread, worry or things over which you have no control. Make sure you’re dealing with reality.
• Things that are noble: Dwell on honorable and uplifting things, not dishonorable (impure, violent, hurtful, shameful, sinful).
• Things that are just: Entertain thoughts about things that are righteous by both divine and human standards.
• Things that are pure: We should guard our minds against impure thoughts, subjects, and images.
• Things that are lovely: This is the only time that the word ‘lovely’ appears in the New Testament, a Greek word that means ‘pleasing and orderly.’ Beauty and order reflect creation and the Creator.
• Things that are of good report: In short, reputable things. We shouldn’t think about things we would be unwilling to speak about to those we respect.

Paul summarizes by saying we should fill our minds with thoughts of ‘virtuous’ and ‘praiseworthy’ subjects. If we follow these exhortations, ‘the God of peace will be with [us]’ (verse 9). Do you see how the mind is a battlefield? Consider how many thoughts come to your mind daily — from media and from your own heart — that are not consistent with Paul’s ideals. Maintaining a positive, peaceful, uplifting frame of mind is a daily challenge. But through prayer and proper thinking, the peace of God can be ours.”

I have sososososososo much trouble controlling my thoughts. As I’ve said before on this blog (I can’t remember which post), I have these black thoughts that just come out of nowhere. I could be watching evangelists on the television all day (I don’t actually do that), and I’ll still randomly think of someone microwaving a kitten or something else disgusting and awful. I’m horrified each time. I don’t want to think of these things, but my mind just throws images, sounds and ideas at me that send a chill up my spine.

I have found, however, that what I put into my mind does matter. When I was in the deepest part of my struggle with mental illness, I was in love with all things dark and dismal. I collected pictures of self-harm, pro-Ana (pro-anorexia; Ana is the personification of it) icons, and generally decorated all of my social media sites in blood and gore. I listened to depressing songs, wrote depressing poems. I glorified horror and death.

Wow, I was a little morbid, huh?

Morbid? You were one eyeliner stroke away from Marilyn Manson.

When I stopped listening and looking at that kind of stuff, I felt my spirit lift. No matter what others say, it DOES affect you on a level you might not be aware of. You may think you’re happy in your dark little world, but when you have to step back into reality, it’s a shock to the system. The only place you ever feel comfortable is in darkness, and that’s not the way it’s supposed to be.

Although I still struggle with these thoughts that pop into my head, with God’s help, I can push them away. I am trying hard to develop discipline in this area too. Heck, I had to do it today (possible blog post later…).

I hope this post has been helpful and has provided some answers for those seeking them. If you’re not a Christian, or if you’re questioning your faith, please know that God is faithful and will lead and guide you. I hope that if you haven’t already, that you give your heart over to Christ.

I’m not a pastor, but my dad happens to be one, so if you have any further questions or something else you’d like to ask, I’d be happy to get the answer for you if I don’t know the answer offhand. Thanks for reading this all the way through! I know it was a long one!