Sometimes you might have days when you just can’t grasp hope, times when you just can’t find joy, and seasons when your depression holds on and makes you feel like you are walking in mud. When these times overtake you, there is something you can do to move out of a depressive mood more quickly.
You have a tool -- a resource -- to pull you up and out of your despair. You have a powerful weapon that will chase away the darkness and make the enemy flee. What is this weapon that has such power? Praise! Praise in Scripture, praise in song, praise as worship.
Today, learn why praise is so powerful that it can shut out the darkness and bring you into God’s wonderful light.
"The Cure for the Blues" by Jeff Schreve
Do you ever get the blues? Do you ever just feel blah, down, and a little frustrated with your life? Do you fall into the trap where everything seems so bland, tasteless, monotonous, and unexciting?
I think most of us can relate to the blues. Maybe you are in a blue mood right now. Maybe you have gotten knocked down by life and find yourself on the brink of depression (a blue mood gone amuck). What can be done? Is there a cure? Yes!
Psalm 104:33-34 gives us the key to defeating the blues:
“I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; as for me, I shall be glad in the Lord.”
God doesn’t want you to “sing the blues,” He wants you to “sing the blues away.” He wants you to open your mouth in praise to Him. He wants you to get your eyes off your depressing problems and on His matchless presence. No matter how “blue” your situation, God is still the awesome God who loves you and can work miracles on your behalf.
WHY SING PRAISES?
Why is there such great power in singing praise to God? The answer is found in Psalm 22:3 (KJV), “But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabits the praises of Israel.” God’s wonderful, awesome, life-changing presence begins to fill our “blue” mood when we make the choice to lift our voice in praise.
Perhaps you will remember these powerful lyrics from the song When You Praise the Lord.
When you’re up against a struggle that shatters all your dreams,
And your hope’s been cruelly crushed by Satan’s manifested schemes,
And you feel the urge within you to submit to earthly fears,
Don’t let the faith you’re standing in seem to disappear.
Praise the Lord, He can work through those who praise Him,
Praise the Lord, for our God inhabits praise.
Praise the Lord, for the chains that seem to bind you, serve only to remind you,
that they drop powerless behind you when you praise Him.
Will you take some time today to get alone with God and sing to Him? Find a great praise CD, one that gets your focus on the Lord and His greatness and power. Sing those praise songs back to Him. It will do wonders to cure your blues. Remember, your outlook will miraculously change if, if, if you direct your uplook to the Lord of glory who conquered death, hell, and the grave for you. His name is Jesus. Fix your eyes on Him, sing His praises, and say good-bye to the blues!
Lord, Your Word says to praise You in all things, and so I come to You in praise. Praise for who You are. Praise for what You will do. Praise because You are with me and in control. Thank You, God, for loving me. Thank You for showing Yourself and Your glory in this situation.
Have I praised God in my situation?
Put on your favorite praise music, raise your arms, and sing praises to God for His character and His faithfulness in your situation.
Praise can help chase away the darkness because the enemy can’t stand hearing praises for God. Praise also helps you to focus on the goodness and character of God instead of on the pain and hardships of life. Praise can lift a blue mood. It can dispel the darkness and bring healing. As you begin to heal, it will be important for you to understand how you might avoid depression altogether. In the next post, find out how to anticipate what tends to bring on the darkness so you can deal with it before it becomes overwhelming.
