11/26/23 | Journal Thoughts
Today, I woke up with an overwhelming heaviness in my heart. It felt as if a dark, nasty cloud hovered over me, and all I could do was lie in bed, waiting for it to pass.
One hour… two hours…
The weight wouldn’t budge, and then I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit again, urging me, “Open your mouth and pray.” However, I couldn’t muster the strength to pray. I felt utterly useless, knowing that if I didn’t take action, I would remain stuck under the oppressive grip of depression all day.
“Okay, open up your Bible.”
But my Bible was in the other room, and I wrestled with my thoughts for a few more minutes before finding the strength to reach for my phone beside me. Opening the Bible app, I scrolled through and typed “thoughts,” not entirely sure why, but I felt prompted to do so.
Various verses appeared, but the one that caught my eye was 2 Corinthians 10:5: “We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”
We? Does that include me? Can I overcome this darkness that renders me so powerless?
The Holy Spirit spoke again, “Depression has to bow down to the Word of God. You have the weapon to defeat it (the Word), and I will give you the strength to wield it. Just open your mouth and declare.”
For the next 20 minutes, I began declaring the truth of the Word over myself. I commanded my soul, my heart, my mind to submit, and I told depression to bow down and obey what the Word says. In the remarkable 30th minute, the cloud started to lift, and I felt the darkness flee.
Overwhelmed, I began weeping and thanking God. I affirmed that only Jesus would sit on the throne of my heart and mind, not depression or anxiety.
Friends who grapple with depression, anxiety, or any other lofty thought that contradicts the Word of God: Open up your mouth, and He will fill it abundantly.
Declare the Word! Meditate on it and command your mind, heart, and soul to submit to its authority. Remember, you have authority through Jesus Christ.
As Proverbs 18:21 reminds us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Your words hold immense power, capable of shaping the reality you experience. So, speak life, truth, and the promises of God over yourself and those around you.
