Put all your anxieties on him, because he cares about you. Do not worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and prayer with thanksgiving, send your requests to God. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears them and frees them from all their afflictions. In this small talk, God, through the wisdom of Solomon, provides both a diagnosis and a prescription that can help people overcome depression.
All quotes from the Scriptures, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, the standard version in English. Regarding depression, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) states that symptoms experienced “most of the day, almost every day, for at least two weeks, could be diagnosed as a depressive disorder. The Anxiety and Depression Association of the United States estimates that 40 million adults, or 18.1% of the population, have an anxiety disorder. Confusion and frustration can arise from the chorus of voices in the public square of people who claim to understand depression.
But what about subtle habits of the mind, such as anxiety? Is it a sin? It's a big question, as many have and deal with anxiety. Think of it as if you were driving a car on the highway, where anxiety is like driving a car faster and depression is like driving a slower car. Behind every support specialist, Bible study editor, graphic designer, and accountant is a Sunday school teacher, children's volunteer, or small group leader. Therefore, we must understand that, from a biblical perspective, anxiety and depression can be rooted in demonic oppression, in sin in our own lives or in the lives of others (such as the environmental and psychological factors mentioned above), as well as physical origins in our fallen bodies (such as the biological and genetic factors mentioned above).
Visit the Bible online to search for words if you don't know the specific passage you're looking for. Church members tend to want to address only the spiritual side of things or to believe that anxiety and depression are caused solely by spiritual forces. You are the church and Lifeway is here to serve you with biblical resources for everything life throws at you. The NIMH lists several symptoms as possible indicators of depression, such as sadness, emptiness, hopelessness, anger or bad mood, lack of interest in things or activities you used to enjoy, tiredness without energy, feeling worthless, thinking about dying or trying to commit suicide, etc.
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