Well, my, friend, if you’ve tried getting help from people, pills, and programs only to sink further down into the dark abyss of depression, and are left feeling entirely empty, helpless and frustrated, I can empathize with you. To gain some insight, let’s notice now what happened to the people in Psalm 107 referenced above:
Psalms 107:13-14 ESV Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. (14) He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart.
My friend, I’ve shared a lot with you about my life, the depression I endured for so many years, but have I ever told you that I cried out to the Lord for help? Having discovered no help in man and medicine, no help in rules and religion, I read this very passage in Psalm 107. “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble.”
I remember calling out to Him in desperation, acknowledging my sin and asking for His forgiveness, asking for His help. It wasn’t a pretty prayer, it just went something like this: “Father in heaven, I have really blown it, I have sinned badly. And now I sit here guilty. In a prison of my own making. I need You. I really just need you. Can you forgive me?”
Question 4. You’ve shared in question 3 about the things you’ve tried, but have you called out to the Lord for forgiveness? If not, why not write out your prayer to Him here? If you cry out to the Lord, we will cry out with you.
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Harris writes, "Lord Jesus I cry to you for real help. Only you forgive and cleanse from sin. I ask you to wash away my sins of pride, lust, porn. I ask forgiveness and help to rise above the clouds of darkness that surrounds my life. Deliver me from depression and heaviness, heal my emotions Lord for your glory and the praise of your grace."
Carnell writes, "Father in Heaven I cry out to you because I have blown it big time. I really messed up. I am guilty and in this storm of my own making. Lord please forgive and deliver me from this depression. Cleanse me of this lust pride and porn. Heal me of my emotions make me more like you. In Jesus name, Amen."
Remember what happened when the people in Psalm 107 cried to the Lord? Three things. Let’s look at it again:
Psalms 107:13-14 ESV Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. (14) He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart.
He delivered them from their distress.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death.
He burst their bonds apart.
THIS is what the Lord does in a person’s heart and life! This is the power God has to rescue us and redeem us, to deliver us and set us free. Don’t you just love how God “brought them out of darkness”, and broke their prison chains apart? God does this, not man, not ourselves, not religion, nor anything else. God alone.
But how does He do it? The answer to that question is found a few verses later in Psalm 107:20: “He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction!”
Oh, my friend, here is the gospel of Jesus Christ. God sent His Word and healed them and delivered them. Jesus is called “the Word” in John 1:1-14, and He was sent from the Father specifically to heal us and deliver us. God sent His Word to the cross to redeem us and forgive us.
Look there at the cross, do you see Jesus nailed there, the wounds all over His body from the beating He has endured? He went there to heal you! Do you see Him in complete darkness for three full hours? He went into the darkness to rescue you out of it. Do you hear Him gasping His final breath and shouting the victory cry, “It is finished”? He has redeemed you! He has paid the price for your sins! Do you hear Him praying “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”? His Father answered Him, and forgave them, and you! Oh what love this is! Oh it is nearly unspeakable the amount of love Jesus poured out on that cross.
This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (1 John 4:10).
“But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
Question 5. Please explain, in your own words, what Jesus went through so that you could be healed and delivered:
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Carnell writes, "Jesus endured much agony for us all. He was pierced beaten and crushed for my iniquity. In his beating I am made whole. By His stripes I am healed."
Tori writes, "Jesus was pierced, beaten, crushed and whipped just to save me. He took my place. Thank you Jesus. I am healed because of Him and have a reason to smile because of Him. Without Him, I am nothing."