Did you know that the third Monday in January is known as Blue Monday? This is a day that some consider to be the most depressing of the year. It was a UK travel agency called Sky Travel who first introduced the term Blue Monday, on 24 January in 2005. In a press released they claimed to have calculated the date using an "equation". It takes into account weather conditions (and thus only applies to the Northern Hemisphere), debt level (the difference between debt accumulated and ability to pay), time since Christmas, time since new year’s resolutions have been broken, low motivational levels, and the feeling of a need to take action.
A Prayer to Beat the Blues
If you are feeling tired or discouraged today, remember that God is greater than our feelings. Here is a prayer you can use to help you beat the blues:
Dear Heavenly Father,
In the name of Jesus Christ, I come before You today, and I proclaim Your truth over any feelings of despair or sadness.
I declare Isaiah 41:10 over my life, "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
Lord, I remember Your promise in Psalm 30:5, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." We trust that Your joy is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10) and that, in Your presence, there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).
I cast all my anxieties on You, for You care for me (1 Peter 5:7).
I choose to focus on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable, as instructed in Philippians 4:8.
In Christ, I am more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37), and I claim the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, to guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
Thank You, Lord, for Your unfailing love and for the victory we have in Jesus. Amen.
The Power of Proclaiming God's Word
With this prayer to have taken a stand against the forces of darkness, confronting them with the Word of God. Satan has no reply to it!
Derek Prince struggled with feelings of depression in his life for a long time, until the Lord revealed to him that a spirit of depression was holding him down. After the Lord delivered him from that spirit of depression, he was a changed man for life. But afflictions would still come from time to time. Those experiences taught him to hold on to God's promises and to proclaim them in faith. In one of his sermons, he said:
“One of the most effective ways of releasing the power of God into a situation, is to proclaim the word of God. In fact, I have said many times, I doubt if Ruth or I would be alive today if we had not learned in a time of tremendous pressure, each of us at a different time, to proclaim the word of God.”
He continued proclaiming a statement from the book of Psalms 100:5:
“For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.”
Discover the Power of Speaking God's Word
