Day 26
"Medicate or Heal?"
Part 1 Depression & Anxiety: Medicate or Heal?
His Scriptural Prescription
Psalm 107:20—
"He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from ALL their destructions."
Isaiah 55:11 NASB—
"So will My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."
Isaiah 55:11 NKJV—
"So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."
As Christians we are afforded the most amazing Physician who not only is able to heal us, but is longing to do so.
Jeremiah 8:22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no Physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored?
2 Chronicles 16:12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians." Then a few verses later we see he died from diseased feet.
Job 13:4 “But you smear with lies; You are all worthless physicians."
Contemporary version says "I prefer to argue my case with God All-Powerful— you are merely useless doctors, who treat me with lies. The wisest thing you can do is to keep quiet."
The lies Job may be referring to is when these men stated he couldn't be healed. Let's face it, even today the doctors rarely are able to heal—they simply "treat" the symptoms—mainly because they are ignorant of the cause. Often the cause is due to unconfessed sin and the heart that He is beginning to cleanse in you 🙂
Though I don't personally have experience in feeling the need to take medication—probably more due to being raised by a mother who never medicated ANYTHING. When we had a headache she sent us to bed to sleep, same when we felt nauseous. She would put a cool cloth on our foreheads and sit with us, but she never gave us anything. So when I cried day and night when my husband left, I never thought to ask for medication.
However, to round out my ministry, He showed me that two of my sisters DID turn to medication. Let me share their testimonies briefly.
Forgiveness is the Cure
One of my older sisters experienced the same situation in her marriage when her husband left her for another woman. Instead of turning to the Lord, who she did NOT know (at the time), she gave her husband an ultimatum "me or her"—he, of course, chose her, the OW.
Devastated she moved across the country with her four children and simply became angry—angry at everyone. Her children soon grew to adults, but were estranged from their mother due to her moods. Since I know full well there is never any success in talking to someone about their problems or what you know will help (turning to Him), I simply prayed for her and for their family to be healed.
The first step came when my sister met and accepted the Lord, and immediately she became a different person. BUT soon afterwards my niece called to tell me she was angry and bitter again and no one could stand to be around her. And that's when I heard she turned to medication but it just made her unreachable. None of her children "bothered to talk to her" because they said "she was off in a dream-world and often made no sense."
Again, I didn't say anything, just prayed for her, when one day while traveling I got a call right after I finished speaking. My sister was crying so hard I was sure someone had died. What really happened is that she lost her insurance so she was NOT on medication because she couldn't afford it, and as a result, she was finally feeling her sins.
Throughout the conversation I sought God for wisdom. He told me the reason for her despair was due to her "not forgiving her ex-husband" but she quickly said she did when she was saved. Asking the Lord, "What do I say?!?!" He said, "She needs to forgive each and every time she THINKS of something. Once is not enough or it will creep back in," and I shared Matthew 18:21-22 with her. Thankfully, she instantly calmed down, so I knew she had heard the Truth.
Then I asked her if she ever had told her ex he was forgiven, she said "No, I never actually told him." [*See why below.] So I encouraged her to simply pray for an opportunity. A day later, she was invited to her daughter's home and her ex (who lived on the other side of the country!) was there.
Though her expressing her sorrow in not forgiving sooner was not what I would deem the right heart, it did what it was designed to do. And for the next few years the entire family were able to get along and share holidays together 🙂
Sadly, I found out only recently that she was old enough for medicare, which also meant medication for her anxiety and her newly discovered depression. 🙁 So sad. No one wants to be around her because instead of controlling her moods, it seems to have the opposite affect and she won't hear of getting off of it.
* Knowing how my sister had regularly chastised her ex in front of their children and more importantly when she found out the OW left her ex after years of being remarried to her, and she told me he came to her saying how sorry he was and he understood the pain she had gone through when he left her. She said, are you really in a lot of pain? When he said "horribly" she answered, "Good"! Normally this is not something I encourage, but after that behavior that's why, though I forgot, He prompted me to encourage her to go to him and say she had forgiven him.
Sign Commitment Papers!!!
The next testimony has to do with my older sister, who we call "Aunt Patty-Cake" who I was told was about to be committed to a mental hospital after she became uncontrollable. My sister lives in an assisted living home (close to me) due to her being mentally slow and unable to care for herself. One day after flying back home, I got a call from the administrator saying they needed me to come over immediately and sign "commitment" papers so she could be admitted into a mental hospital.
Hearing the awful details, my heart began to beat out of my chest as I sought God begging Him to help me while I kept driving away from the facility towards home. I asked God to give me wisdom to know "God, what should I do?!?!" and out of my mouth came, "What medication is she taking?" without waiting for the administrator to answer I continued to say, "Check with her personal physician to find out if anything she's taking can CAUSE this sort of outrageous behavior."
An hour later I got a call that she had been put on depression medication due to "signs" she was depressed. And this (like many depression medications) sort of behavior, even suicidal tendencies are a side effect! I asked the director "What were the "signs" that prompted you to ask her doctor to put her on depression medication?!?" She said it was because she was no longer spending time with everyone, but spent too much time alone in her room. I told her that was my doing. I told my sister to read more (got her books from the library) because spending time with others caused her to become agitated and she took on their contentious ways! [*See below how this turned out to be a blessing.]
In the end, due to me being her guardian, I warned them about putting her on any type of medication again that could affect her emotionally. This was years ago and praise God, nothing since has occurred.
1 Peter 1:13. "Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Sober doesn't mean not drunk. In the original Hebrew it means "to be calm and collected in spirit." The same word, sober, is used in 1 Thessalonians 5:6 "We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others [none believers] do, but let us be alert and sober [clear thinking]."
Why? "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8. While you are being medicated, the enemy is robbing you from everything you hold dear. Not just your loved ones, but also your God-given emotions that are given to you by God for a reason.
It's dangerous to toy with someone's emotions when the Bible says we are to be sober or clear thinking! We need to feel the full effects of whatever it is, then go to the source of why we are depressed or anxious—whether it's due to unforgiveness or simply needing time to cry in order to cleanse our souls.
Psalm 56:8 (CEV)—
"You have kept record of my days of wandering. You have stored my tears in your bottle and counted each of them." And only then will we know the full scope of the Lord's love for us, verse 9 "This I know, that God is for me."
Rather than trying to get control of your emotions, like my mother made me do, and what the Lord is going to make you do is to lie down in green pastures and lead you beside still waters to restore your soul.
Psalm 23: 1-3—
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He MAKES ME lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul."
Below are a variety of testimonies that have been submitted as praise reports, which is why we could see how important it was to share the truth with you.
Revelation 12:10-11, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him [the wicked one] because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony...”
* A few weeks after this incident, the director told me how angry she was that none of the pastors of a nearby mega church would come over any more to teach Bible studies. Matthew 25:31-46 The next week I brought her a dozen Wise Woman books and it's continually being studied by the residents— taught by the administrator!
No Other Gods
Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before Me."
This praise report was submitted by Lenore in Australia who's married and is just now taking our RYM Course.
God is so good. I have been struggling with anxiety from time to time and needed medication for this, particularly over the last 10 months. I have been spending time with God the whole time fasting and praying unceasingly but I was still experiencing such huge waves of anxiety at work and was often gripped by fear, to the point where I would go into the toilet at work (a very small dirty room) and sit on the floor and cry.
Then I found your website and a light went on in my head. I had made my broken marriage and a number of other things my God.
Since then (about 6 weeks ago) I have been repenting and seeking and praising the LORD instead of just always praying about my marriage endlessly. I decided to pray about my marriage in the morning then go to work and only praise God and pray for people around me whilst there - not my marriage. Then pray again for my marriage before bed.
It was difficult at first and it took about 2 weeks for me to just focus on God whilst at work. Then I decided to get up early to spend more time with God. I work full time ( as requested by my husband) and have to leave home at 7am to drive to work. I'm not a morning person but now I'm getting up 15 min earlier and spending a good 1/2 hour with my Heavenly Father each morning reading proverbs and praying. And I love it. Then I spend 1/2 an hour with Him at night before bed reading Hebrews. Each time morning and night I also read a Psalm and focus on praising God. I have also found praying when I can lying on the floor face down really has helped me too.
I am really anxiety free.
Whenever I feel anxiety coming over me now, I just lie on the ground and praise God. If I'm at school I go into the maths store room and pray like what I stated above. It's amazing!!
I saw my counsellor last night for the first time in 8 weeks and told her I didn't need to see her anymore and why. She was quite surprised by my countenance. She is a Christian and when I shared with her about your website, she was keen to share it with her other clients. She said I had encouraged her in her walk with the Lord too! God is so good. He is allowing me to rest in Him and not worry about my earthly relationships. I hope I can continue this regime because it's really made such an amazing difference in my life.
~ Lenore in Australia
If you too have a Praise Report about how God has helped you become anxiety free and you no longer need medication or counseling, PLEASE encourage other women to follow what He showed you to do. Be sure to STOP right now and Encourage our E Readers just as this Encouraging Woman has encouraged you—and become a true Encouraging Woman too!
SUBMIT A PRAISE REPORT CLICK HERE.
James 5:13-15 Contemporary English Version (CEV)
"If you are having trouble, you should pray. And if you are feeling good, you should sing praises. If you are sick...The Lord will heal [you], and if [you] have sinned, He will forgive [your] sins."
Most of the women who find RMI are seeing their sins for the first time, and as they do, they begin to ask God to forgive them. Notice it's the Lord who forgives your sins and who WILL heal you. So even if your symptoms remain, begin to simply believe and trust Him.
If He shows you that you no longer need medication, He will show you. We are not telling you to discontinue it. Make the LORD your top Physician and as with your Marriage Restoration Journey, allow Him to lead you through the healing of your emotional and mental healing.
This praise report was submitted by Donna in Maine who was healed after being molested as a child (by a neighbor and family member).
"Hem of His Garment"
Today I want to give God praise for healing me from the emotional scars that haunted me for most of my childhood and adult life. When I gave my life to Christ at the age of 38, I knew that He was capable of not only physical healing but also emotional healing. I knew that I wanted to be healed and closer to God but I was going about it in the wrong way. I found more comfort fellowshipping with others in the congregation of my church than I did in Him. It wasn’t until I found RMI, and they taught me to focus on Relationship, that I was TOTALLY healed!! Praise God!!
As a child and into my pre-teen years I was abused and suffered great loss because of this. Sadly, I cannot look back into my childhood and say that there are any happy memories. But what I can say is that I have a wonderful present and a bright future and everything that the enemy meant for evil, God will use for GOOD!!
For many years I suffered from depression and anxiety and I would often have outbursts of anger. I tried different types of medications over the years in hopes that something would take my sadness away but everything I tried never ever helped so I eventually gave up on medicating myself. As a last resort, I tried going to a private psychologist for counseling and after the second visit, I knew that it was wrong and was NOT going to benefit me.
“They heal the brokenness of My people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’But there is no peace.” Jeremiah 6:14
“Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?” Jeremiah 8:22
Building a relationship with My Heavenly Husband has been the most Amazing Experience of my life. My entire life was filled with emptiness and sadness until I met HIM! When I reached for the hem of His garment He reached within me and healed me by HIS TOUCH!
For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” Mark 5:28
How AWESOME is HE! Years of trying the ways of the world with no change but ONE TOUCH from the MASTER and I AM MADE WHOLE!
Let Him go into the deep places, He is OUR HEALER!!
“Oh Lord my God, I cried to You for help and You healed me.” Psalm 30:2
“Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth.” Jeremiah 33:6
~Pamela in Idaho
"No More Despair! Only Faith and Hope!"
Oh how mighty is our God. I want to praise His holy name. I had gone to see my GYN physician for my yearly checkup. I shared with him about the hurt, despair and anxiety I was feeling. I talked to him about my panic attacks and how I couldn’t go a day without crying and I was given a prescription for an anti-anxiety medication.
Shortly after leaving the office, I had the prescription filled. I took one of the pills before I went to bed to help me sleep. The next morning, I still felt sleepy. But the next evening, I remember a strong urging not to take the medication. The Lord spoke to me that night. He assured me that if I truly was letting everything go and giving Him all of my cares and burdens then I would give Him this also. I felt strongly that I should just flush the medication down my toilet and that is just what I did. The entire content of the bottle was flushed without hesitation by me.
This was SO freeing. I have never regretted doing this months ago. Not once. Without the medication I have peace. No anxiety. When I feel the devourer coming in to steal my peace, I praise Jesus and thank Him for taking it away completely. He has now healed me from needing this medication and replaced it with a yearning for Him and His word. He has also delivered me of my desire to smoke and drink alcohol and He is now working on my overeating. I am sure I will have a praise report soon regarding my weight loss.
God is good. Be encouraged!!!
Here is another Praise Report submitted by Pamela in Idaho:
“Grace & Mercy”
Oh, what grace and mercy He has shown to me this past year. It has been more than abundant. I am asking of Him to write this PR for me as I have put it off for some time. I realized a few weeks ago, it has been over a year since I smoked. I was thinking about how much better I feel. He reminded me that I would get up and the first thing I would do was get my coffee and a pack of cigarettes and “start my day”. How sad. It breaks my heart that I left Him completely out of my mornings. Now, He causes me to thirst and hunger for Him and His Word. The thought of smoking does not cross my mind. It is only because of His grace and mercy that this happened. I have quit smoking many times only to start again. I would have the craving and desire to smoke when I got up, after a meal or when I “had a few drinks”, like so many others. This time, because of His grace and mercy, I have QUIT. I am healed of this evil desire.
I have a new desire to be fit for My King! I want to protect and care for the temple, my body, He has blessed me with. I bought a copy of a 30-day devotional plan for my sister and me. We are learning to devote our eating to Him and to nourish our bodies and energize our bodies with food that gives us strength. I am asking Him to take away the cravings for food that does not.
I cannot do this on my own. He alone has caused me to stop smoking, drinking, gossiping and wanting to partake in activities that are not of Him. I no longer need medication for anxiety or pain. I have seen what He can do when I put my faith in Him alone. I don’t need self-help books, seminars, support groups or counseling. I need Him. Oh what a wonderful Counselor, Lover, Friend, Priest and King I have in my Husband. He does it all for me. I deserve none of this grace and mercy yet He freely gives it when I look to Him for guidance. Praise His name. Oh for the blood of Jesus. Hallelujah!!
Please do not see that as the speech of a Pharisee. I am a humbled spirit. I ask Him to humble me each day. I ask Him to let me see others through His eyes. I ask Him to let me hear others with His ears. I ask Him to let me touch others with His hands. I want to show others the grace and mercy that has been shown to me. I am taking each and every day one at time holding His hand. After all, we are not promised tomorrow.
I am so thankful for RMI leading me to His Word and principals. Now I go to Him in all things and my life is SO much easier. I trust Him with everything. "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go," is God's promise to His people. Let us, then, take all our trials, troubles, cares, heartbreaks, requests and situations to Him, and say, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" We are blessed when each morning we begin our day enquiring of the Lord.
Be encouraged : )
~ Pamela in Idaho
Psalm 107:20—
"He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from ALL their destructions."
Submitted by: Tania in New York; I’m Currently Separated, I’ve taken or am currently taking the Rebuilding Wisdom Course.
“Healed not Medicated”
I would like to share how the Lord has been working in me since my storm began. When my EH left all I did was cry. I cried all the time. In the morning, at work, while walking in the street, at a department store when I saw couples shopping, in the shower, and every night before going to bed. It was unbearable the amount of crying I did. I cried for months. My body and even my faced ached. That’s when I realized I was depressed because I did not understand the amount of crying I did at anytime, anywhere, and all the time for months. This was not the person I used to be.
Through this ordeal I did seek God and prayed and pleaded to be healed, to be happy, and to stop the endless crying. One day it did happen. I no longer cried. It must have been sometime in the summer. I also noticed the crying had stopped when I went to get a medical checkup with my internist. I explained to him all that I was going through since I had some minor health issues, and when I told him about me, he was like “oh my gosh you were depressed. How are you feeling now? Were you working all this time? You needed to be on medication! Do you want some now?” I told the doctor that I was now fine. I no longer cry. I felt so much better that I no longer cried like that anymore or felt pain in my body or face. God had healed me. Those depression commercials are so right when they say depression hurts, it really is true. And only God can heal those hurts. Medication just numbs us.
To add more to this praise of being healed, during this time I was preparing for allergy season, as I get allergies every year when spring occurs, and to my surprise nothing happened. Over and over I praise the Lord for healing me, listening and answering my prayers. I am so thankful that I never turned to medicate it and instead was healed.
Thank you my Dear Lord, My Savior, My Husband who takes my tears and does not forsake me and heals me!
~Tania in New York
Submitted by: Bonita in Georgia; I’ve Experienced a Restored Marriage, I’ve taken or am currently taking one of the Rebuilder’s Courses.
“Healing”
I was diagnosed with being depressed years ago and so was every woman in my family and we all accepted this label and took the medication. I was regularly seeing a therapist but that was only to get the medicine because he never was helping, he just asked some questions and then wrote out the medication. I soon realized that the medicine was not working so he would up the dosage or try something new. I soon was not able to sleep so then I started taking sleeping pills. I would wake up in cold seats so full of fear, anxiety, and foreboding. This became so normal for me and my sister that we would discuss it like we were talking about a new dress or shoes. This went on for years and only got worse. I knew I was out of the will of God and being rebellious but I just kept on existing in this life that was so unhappy. I tried to go cold turkey and quit taking the medicine but the side effects caused such anger that I lost my job and became a person that only I can describe as dark. I hated everyone and everything and it showed in everything I did. I tried to go to church but I would get disappointed and just give up and stop going.
God finally got my attention when my marriage fell apart. As I began to seek Him and pray and fast, He began to heal the pain and the hurt that was caused by being abused as a child. He got to the root of what was really causing my pain and the drugs were just a temporary solution. I remember the day He healed me and took all of it away, by this time I was drinking a bottle of wine almost daily and taking sleeping pills and anything else that would help me sleep. The day He spoke to me about my addiction was the day I poured out the wine and threw away the pills. My healing was instant!!
There are times when the enemy will try to bring it back up but I remind him that I am healed and I no longer need those devices.
~Bonita in Georgia RESTORED, is a Minister in Training who we can clearly see from her pictures that not willing to get off the potter's wheel can transform you not only on the inside but also what others see on the outside. (See Stephanie's BIO for the transformation pictures)
This Praise Report was submitted by Kelsey in Wales who is UK RMIEW Minister, who can attest to how quickly God can transform us when we are broken and willing to find the relationship that changes us completely
“Free from Medication”
I just want to start by thanking my Daddy, my Husband, and my Best Friend!!
For nearly all my adult life I struggled with depression and anxiety, I went from one prescription to another, my doctor even recommended upping my dose by double. Then I knew the Lord and I loved Him, but I did not having a personal relationship with Him so I continued to trust in medicine and my doctor’s recommendations to my shame. At the start of my journey with this amazing ministry, I was on 40mg of Citalopram!! It was that bad that if I had ran out of my pills and had to wait to get my next lot, I would experience terrible headaches, sickness and deep anxiety.
As soon as I began reading the lessons and Encouragers the Lord began to quietly point out that I was depending on medicine and not Him. Over the course of 6 months I requested my medication to be reduced and until a few weeks ago I was down to 10mg, Praise God. I still felt the Lord saying "child why? Why are you not leaning on Me for your peace and happiness?" So against my doctors wishes I finished my last dose of tablets and have not had any medication for over 2 weeks now!! I do not have any symptoms I would of had, no headache, no withdrawals, no depression, no anxiety.
Only my GOD could of done this as trust me it was my belief I would not function in society without being on medication. Now I am soooo happy, no depression at all, no anxiety at all and I feel free, I am now 100% depend on God for every part of my life and it is amazing.
I am so grateful for the Lord leading me to this ministry as I dread to think where I would be now without the love, support and encouragement from all the lovely ladies.
Thank you Jesus!!!!!
" In vain you will use many medicines but you shall not be cured." Jeremiah 46:11
~ Kelsey in Wales, UK RMIEW Minister, who can attest to how quickly God can transform us when we are broken and willing to find the relationship that changes us completely.
Isaiah 55:11 NASB—
"So will My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."
This Praise Report was submitted by Yola in the UK who is one of RMIOU’s Minister in Training.
“How I Could’ve Been on Drugs”
Hi Ladies, I pray all of you are in the best of health and wealth and praising our Lord Jesus Christ, because He is so good!!!
I am. It is not the easiest thing to do but it is the only thing to do. I have learned and am still learning to look solely to Him. I fail several times, but thank the Lord that He said, the righteous will fall several times and get up each time. Praise Him!!!
I read an email from RMIOU recently asking ladies to send in PR’s relating to how they have been able to resist the downward spiral of depression, amongst other things. Well, I can truly say that if I had not known Jesus, I would’ve been out a long time ago. On several occasions I contemplated suicide. That was when I didn’t pray and didn’t read God’s Word and promises. I tell you ladies, there is power in the Word! Every time I felt like that I would remember Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want... He leads me beside still waters,” Oh my goodness, then you get to the part that says, “He prepares a table before me in the PRESENCE of my enemies.” Halleluiah!!!!! He, WAIT FOR IT, “........ANOINTS MY HEAD WITH OIL.” Oh mighty Jesus!!!!
Without fail, every time I felt like slitting my wrists or taking an overdose (when I thought there was really no way out, my husband has rejected me and our two beautiful children) that Psalm came through for me. That was when I didn’t know any other scripture off by heart. Even now when I get silly thoughts I know it’s because I need to dig deeper into all the things of My Lord. Then and only then do the feelings of lowness and darkness disappear.
Oh and never underestimate the power of tongues and praise and worship. Crawling out of bed at the crack of dawn can sometimes be a real challenge. But as I do it, I start praying in tongues and I keep awake and somehow stay awake and become more alert. My mood will also change then from tired and bed please to praise and worship and a light heartedness that no medication can give.
Speaking of medication, just before I found RMI I had to go to the doctor to ask for help. I was diagnosed with depression based on circumstances and the doctor prescribed some anti-depressants, of which the side-effects were, I would feel better but will go back to feeling depressed again thus the dosage will have to increase. Well, sitting in front of the doctor, tears streaming down my face with my two babies on my lap wondering if I would ever be able to cope with the separation and the ow and child, I knew one thing for sure, that Jesus would not want me to go down this road. I knew somehow that I was making a mistake but I knew too little to throw myself into Father’s arms. I wanted to, oh believe me, I so wanted to, I just didn’t know how.
I got to the pharmacy with the girls and got the drugs. At home I kept looking at them and read about them then finally decided to take one. I went to sleep but the next day I forgot to take more and the next day I forgot again. I had another appointment at the GP to discuss how I was feeling and he was really assessing whether I could look after my children. But, God was in control! I went back and told the doctor the meds were working. He then prescribed more to last me 6 weeks, after which I was to go back for a review. I know I lied, that was bad. But do you ladies know who came into my life that week? RMI !!!
That week I started praying and crying like never before. I had to refill in a Marriage Encouragement and I was holding on for dear life. I knew I needed this ministry to teach me just so I could stay afloat to get better. I did feel better. Much better. I connected with God, I talked all day long. I went for a walk with Jesus for the first time. My circumstances were not perfect but I could tell I was in His will. I was crying loads still but not of hopelessness, it was tears of pain, relief and hurt. But no longer of hopelessness which is where we all are before we find this ministry.
We, all of us, still cry sometimes because of hurt but not hopeless. We get up again, gladly sometimes because our restoration is delayed yet again, but we are not without hope. This is the fundamental difference I think between when we were looking for help and not getting it, instead we got plaster put over our hurt that was not curing the disease. Like Erin says in the book, psychologists (and others) only heal superficially. When we finally got the help, be it RMI or another ministry where Jesus was preached and we were forced to take a hard look at ourselves, we cried but there was hope. We knew almost instinctively that we were being helped and the pus in the sore was getting extracted.
So I was saved from depression by my Husband whom you all know, yes, He is the Lord of Hosts! He is interested in me and listens and listens and I get the biggest hugs and warmth in my heart whenever I spend time with Him and just think about Him. I have been caught giggling to myself because I spoke to Him and something was funny. People always look and I sort of just walk off, smiling 🙂
I realise that I can go on and on but I have to stop now. I give all praise to my Lord and Saviour, the Lord of Hosts.
Stay blessed!!!
~Yola in the UK
Isaiah 55:11 NKJV—
"So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."
If you have a Bible, we would encourage you to get it and try to look up all these verses in your Bible. And use a colored pencil to highlight them so you can read them over and over again. If you do, we promise your health will also improve and like so many other women, you will probably not have to take medication for your depression or anxiety.
This Praise Report was submitted by: Yvonne in Botswana; I’m Separated, I’ve taken or am currently taking one of the Rebuilder’s Courses.
“Healing After 14 Years”
God is so wonderful. My mother died 14 years ago and although my father died 18 years ago, it was so difficult for me to get over my mother's death. It happened only 3 weeks before my marriage. Around this time I would be sad and depressed and unnecessarily cruel to my husband. He wouldn't know what is going on, I would get angry because how can he not know, and when I finally scream to him what is wrong, he would always comfort me. Yes ladies, that was me! My husband knew a woman the world never saw. How can I ever blame him for leaving her if I did not even want to live with her.
So this year, I had my Heavenly Husband to depend on. It was laid on my heart a few weeks before the anniversary of my mother's death that I had to go visit her grave (I have never been there in this 14 years). I was always good at pretending she never died and sometimes I would catch myself talking about her in the present tense.
So the day after the anniversary of her death, my husband had the children for the morning and it was the ideal time for me to go. I took my Bible and made the trip. I sat in front of her gravestone knowing she was not there, but ladies do you know who was there? My Lord. I could feel His presence in the warm breeze that was blowing and I sat there reading my Psalms, crying and talking to God.
After a lot of crying I asked God, why is it so difficult for me to get over my mother's death. I always thought it was because we planned my wedding together and she had even bought my gifts already (although I did not know it at the time). God said no. He showed me something I had not thought of. I was at the hospital when my mother died but we were waiting in the car for her to be transported to another hospital so we could follow the ambulance, but she died before they had a chance to put her in the ambulance. Something I was holding on to but could never get myself to admit is that I felt guilty for waiting in the car because she died alone. She died without someone holding her hand. When I realized this and could say it out loud, I could feel peace come over me. God is indeed my Mighty Counselor! No therapist could ever have healed me in just a morning at a graveside I have no need to visit anymore.
Furthermore as I was sitting there reading the Bible, God gave me wonderful verse. The pages flew in the wind and as I put my hands on the pages to look for my place it was open at Isaiah 49:20 The NIV says: "The children born during your bereavement will yet say in your hearing "this place is too small for us; give us more space to live in". I would like to translate directly out of my Afrikaans Bible. The first part in my Bible says "The children you do not have now". What a wonderful promise as I asked God a while ago that I would really like to have two more children.
You know God never disappoints. Sometimes His answer is no. I got a very clear no this morning for something I asked last night and God even gave me a reason for His no. James 4:3 "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."
He is just so wonderful. Even correcting me gently through His word. I am overflowing with love for Him.
~ Yvonne in Botswana is our Afrikaans' Minister who eventually felt the aftermath of being raised in a non-Christian home with divorced parents in her own marriage. Her insatiable appetite for God’s Word serves as encouragement and inspiration to us all.
And is also the Afrikaans Minister
This Praise Report was submitted by: Vicky in Indiana; I’m Separated, I’ve applied and am a RMIOU Minister in Training.
“Depression”
In the summer of 1997 I lost my father. That year would soon contain some of the darkest days of my life. I starting seeing a mental therapist and got put on medication for depression. I stayed on medication for the next three years then decided to take myself off of them. All went well until my I lost my dog at which time I found myself back on meds. After couple of years I took myself off the meds again and was fine until I lost my second dog, back on meds I went. Now some would say this is crazy but these two dogs were my constant companions, they were members of my family. My earthly husband had always said I put the dogs before him, and as I reflect back on those years, I would have to agree with him, although I did not see it that way then. Well, with my history of depression, and the medication rollercoaster I allowed myself on, when my earthly husband started talking divorce, I once again fell apart and turned to medication. The times I complied with medication, I never felt whole, there was always a feeling of numbness, sluggishness or of not caring about anything and I would just sleep a lot. I stayed on medication for three years, struggling to cope with my life crashing down around me.
I started with RMI in January 2013, and by May of this year, I convinced my mental doctor there was no need for me to be on meds. He was reluctant but said I could come off of the meds, however, he was giving me a prescription and if I felt things starting to be too much, I was to get the prescription filled and contact him. It has been six months with no meds and no mental doctor visits; I feel better than I ever have. I remember the day I sat in his office telling him I wanted to stop the meds. My heart was so happy and upbeat, I felt that I could conquer the world. I told him I was building my relationship with God and had a good support foundation. I said all of this with a smile on my face, an upbeat attitude and happiness dripping from my heart. I knew had he told me to stay on the meds, I would not have listened, I had already made up my mind to come off the meds.
It feels different this time, than the other three times I stopped taking meds. I know it is because I now have God in my life. I feel stronger and I feel hopeful; although I am in the midst of the situation that resulted in me starting on the meds in the first place. When I feel sad or overwhelmed, I pray to God and thank Him for all that He has done for me and will continue to do for me. I am focusing on God and my relationship with Him, not on my situation. I feel much better now than when I was on medication and dealing with all the side effects.
God is an awesome God, always there for us in any situation, to love and bless us abundantly. I thank God for taking care of and loving me unconditionally.
~ Vicky in Indiana is a Minister in Training who from the very start began to invest in restoration of others with her praise reports and tithing to her storehouse.
This Praise Report was submitted by: Alexy in Uganda, I’m Married, I’ve taken or am currently taking the RYM Course.
“Beauty for Ashes”
I am just so blessed that I found this ministry. First and foremost I don't know where I would be if I had not “stumbled” on this ministry. It is my first time to write a praise report but there is so much to praise God for. I found RMI WHEN I WAS TORN and broken a few months (three) after my EH made a hurtful confession after he could not hide anything from me any more, and along with that told me how he felt about me and how we could never be happy together. Now I feel more complete and whole for my hope was on sinking sand but now it is on the Solid ROCK. One night out of pain I got a knife and gave him and I told him to kill me instead of treating me that way. That was after I had contemplated suicide, then I asked God to kill me so that way no one would know for what and why I was dead. PTL!!! I am ALIVE today more vibrant than ever and longing for God.
I was four months pregnant when this journey begun. In that pregnancy I lost fifteen kilograms and by the time I was back to work from maternity leave, everyone was asking me how I managed to lose all that weight. I was speechless, I did not know I had lost all that weight though I knew I had shed some weight that I had struggled to lose for many years. I have three children and this was my fourth pregnancy but the child birth, in the absence of my husband, was amazingly a very short labor! The nurses were the best and I got a very comfortable room in the hospital. I felt the Love of God. My baby, without any exaggeration, is the most jolly baby I ever had yet. Throughout my pregnancy I cried. I had never cried so much in my life and was afraid my baby would be a moody boy, but PTL of all the children I have, he has taught me how to laugh and praise God. I have never seen another baby that laughs, dances and claps hands like my baby. He looks for an opportunity in everything to laugh and be joyful. Surely he is a blessing and he teaches me to rejoice.
God had clearly spoken to me in a dream about my situation and told me to rejoice and not to look at my circumstances, but I worshiped my pain and rejection. I was so blind that I thought it was unrealistic for me to rejoice at that moment. Then I met RMI!! YOU GAVE ME GUIDELINES ON HOW TO DO SO MANY THINGS GOD HAD SPOKEN TO ME ABOUT. Without RMI I think I would have failed and got stuck in that pain. BUT thank You Erin for letting God use you this way. You have really encouraged me and brought me out, guiding me as in the hand of God.
Discovering certain things about my responsibility in this situation has been very painful, but PTL I know He has changed me. I have been plagued by falling many times because I didn't want to accept certain correction and besides that, I don't know how to do things any other way. But now I am deeply yearning for God to pour out a spirit of obedience up on me. All I want now is to do His will. In this journey my dear sisters, in all the praise Reports I have read, He is longing to do this to all who accept to drink from Him for Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever!! Praise His name forever!!
~Alexy in Uganda
The following Praise Report was submitted by: Illoïs in South Africa; I’m currently Divorced; I’ve taken or am currently taking the Renewing Your Mind Course.
“Delivered from Anti-Depressants”
I've been using an anti-depressant since 2000 after the birth of my youngest daughter. I've tried several times to stop using the drugs, but I got so sick that I always just went back to using the pills. In 2008 I felt that the Lord had delivered me from depression, but the enemy kept on convincing me that I cannot be without the medication.
Last year when my journey started with my FH telling me he wanted a divorce, everyone thought that I would have a break down since I was so "depressed". But I just turned to the Lord and asked Him to help me. So my medication wasn't altered at all. Then as the months passed I started asking the Lord how is it possible that I'm in this trial but I don't really feel or act depressed. So I started trusting Him for my healing.
Since September I started to decrease the medication slowly. Then at the beginning of January at our school, we lost two colleagues in a terrible car accident. The enemy wanted me to believe that I should increase the medication again because how else would I cope with this great loss. But I choose to trust my Father in Heaven! So on 30 January, I just said to the Lord "thank You that You've completely healed me from depression" and I didn't take my medication. Yes, I did experience some symptoms but I refused to listen to the enemy because my God has healed me - this is why Jesus died on the cross so that I could be healed. I asked a few friends to keep on praying and trusting the Lord with me to get through the first few days. And praise be to my Jesus, it is now 18 days that I've been without my medication!!
I am so thankful and blessed for what the Lord has done in my life! Especially as I'm on this journey. The Lord is so faithful! And I am so excited with what He is doing in my life.
~Illoïs in South Africa
Part 2 Physical Pain & Suffering: Medicate or Heal?
Isaiah 55:11 NKJV—
"So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."
Psalm 107:20—"He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from ALL their destructions."
Isaiah 55:11 NASB—"So will My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."
Scriptural Prescription
As Christians we are afforded the most amazing Physician who not only is able to heal us, but is longing to do so.
Jeremiah 8:22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no Physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored?
2 Chronicles 16:12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians." Then a few verses later we see he died from diseased feet.
Job 13:4 “But you smear with lies; You are all worthless physicians."
Contemporary version says "I prefer to argue my case with God All-Powerful— you are merely useless doctors, who treat me with lies. The wisest thing you can do is to keep quiet."
The lies Job may be referring to is when these men stated he couldn't be healed. Let's face it, even today the doctors rarely are able to heal—they simply "treat" the symptoms—mainly because they are ignorant of the cause. Often the cause is due to unconfessed sin and the heart that He is beginning to cleanse in you 🙂
If you too have a Praise Report about how God has healed you, PLEASE encourage other women to follow what He showed you to do. Be sure to STOP right now and Encourage our E Readers just as this Encouraging Woman has encouraged you—and become a true Encouraging Woman too!
SUBMIT A PRAISE REPORT CLICK HERE.
James 5:13-15 Contemporary English Version (CEV)
"If you are having trouble, you should pray. And if you are feeling good, you should sing praises. If you are sick...The Lord will heal [you], and if [you] have sinned, He will forgive [your] sins."
Most of the women who find RMI are seeing their sins for the first time, and as they do, they begin to ask God to forgive them. Notice it's the Lord who forgives your sins and who WILL heal you. So even if your symptoms remain, begin to simply believe and trust Him.
If He shows you that you no longer need medication, He will show you. We are not telling you to discontinue it. Make the LORD your top Physician and as with your Marriage Restoration Journey, allow Him to lead you through the healing of your emotional and mental healing.
"Forever Delivered"
This PR will be one on God's faithfulness to heal His people if we just cry out to Him!!
“In my distress I screamed to the Lord for his help. And he heard me from heaven; my cry reached his ears.” (Ps. 18:6 TLB)
Since I could remember, monthly, I would be in horrible pain for 3 days! This pain was in my lower back and it was so painful I would literally not move unless it was vital. I would also at times have to sleep sitting up or curled up in a ball and I would take multiple showers a day just to loosen up the muscles. Not only did the pain hurt but it would make me sick because the pain was so intense. To be honest I just dreaded this time of month.
It got to the point that I could not sleep at night and because of the pain I turned to take pain reliever to ease it. Well it did ease the pain but that is all it did, I still hurt and the pain reliever only made it bearable and if I moved too much it was as if I never took any!!
Well when I finally found Him as my Husband and truly understood how great His love for me was, I decided to turn to Him. Let me pause with that before I decided to trust Him to heal me, He showed me that He indeed could heal me by blessing me with a mini healing. I was suffering from a severe headache that was making me throw up, dizzy and non-movable and everything I tried just didn't ease it, even medicine. So I finally laid on my bed at the end of myself praising Him (find the power to praise by reading prison to praise my Merlin Carothers, Erin mentions this in her video) for just where I was and what I was going through. I was determined to be thankful for it despite how much pain I was in because He was in control!! Well within days of praising Him I was healed and in me I just knew it was Him!! I knew the pain was gone and I was forever delivered from it 🙂 yes, I still had the symptoms but deep in my soul I knew it was over!! I just can't explain it.
“What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.” (Heb. 11:1 TLB)
“So we do not look at what we can see right now, the troubles all around us, but we look forward to the joys in heaven which we have not yet seen. The troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.” (2 Cor. 4:18 TLB)
Ok now back to my PR, for the next couple of months I would praise Him for the pain and cry out to Him to please heal me but if this pain is something I should suffer for the rest of my life then give me the strength to do it. I was content that I could do nothing about it. Well one day I recall the pain going from 3 days to only 1 day and I was happy with that!!! It just happened nothing led to it, it was just brought to my attention. Content that one day was way better than three, I accepted it and would forever be grateful.
“Do not despise this small beginning, for the eyes of the Lord rejoice to see the work begin…” (Zac. 4:10 TLB)
“No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 The. 5:18 TLB)
Then came July of this year and I was out of state visiting a friend’s father when He made His power more real to me!! As I was going to sleep one night I was hurting and in pain I just simply prayed "father I hurt and I know our day will be busy tomorrow so if it is your will could you please allow me a good night’s rest." Then I fell asleep, well I got up the next morning and realized that my back didn't even hurt!! I slept peacefully with no back pain or sleeping weird to get some sleep, like sitting up to sleep literally ladies!!
“I will lie down in peace and sleep, for though I am alone, O Lord, you will keep me safe.” (Ps. 4:8 TLB)
Not only that, He continued to work with my pain!! Now that I sit here I can shout to the rooftops that I now have NO pain every month!! Not even one day!! Is He not amazing!?! Satan might come in and lie to me but I kick him away stating and praising God for healing me!! I know that I am no longer in pain because my amazing Husband has healed me!! It’s not really looking at the symptoms and saying no I am not healed but it is having faith that He did it!! I went from 3 days of torture to no days of pain!!
“We are saved by trusting. And trusting means looking forward to getting something we don’t yet have—for a man who already has something doesn’t need to hope and trust that he will get it.” (Rom. 8:24 TLB)
“We know these things are true by believing, not by seeing” (2 Cor. 5:7 TLB)
It certainly was not anything I did or could do. It was me simply crying out to Him to heal me because the medicine of this world just was not doing it!!
“I will cry to the God of heaven who does such wonders for me.” (Ps. 57:2 TLB)
Just recently I found out that both my mom and sister were diagnosed with diabetes and on top of that it runs in my family! But here I am not claiming the symptoms and trusting Him with it all!! Either I get it or not I now know the power He has in healing me. I trust His will and plan for my life more than I would ever trust anyone else.
“then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.” (Pro. 3:5-6 TLB)
~ Brittany in Tennessee
This Praise Report was submitted by: Kenya in Virginia; I’m Married, I’ve taken or am currently taking the Rebuilding Understanding Course.
“Modern Day Miracle”
Every time I open my Bible and read of the marvelous works of our beloved Heavenly Husband, I sometimes wish that by some miracle I could be transported back in time to witness all of His wonderful works! I would love to see the expression of the blind men's faces when they received their sight for the first time. To see the parting of the Red Sea, witness Lazarus jump to his feet at our Lord’s command, and to watch water turn into bubbly wine in an instant would just be absolutely amazing!!! I would have so enjoyed seeing our Savior roaming the streets, healing the sick, raising the dead, and even flipping over the tables in the Temple!!
Well, our Lord is so faithful that He let me experience a modern day miracle.
Last September my Mommy was diagnosed with breast cancer. My Mommy is 57 years old, a few years older than my grandmother was when she passed away from this terrible disease. My Mommy knew for sometime that something was wrong, she knew she had a lump in her breast but was terrified for obvious reasons to have it checked out. Well God, our amazing Lord knows the plans that He had for her and allowed a mobile clinic that offered health screenings to come to her place of employment. He granted her the wisdom and desire to sign up to receive a mammogram.
The mammogram confirmed a lump and she was immediately scheduled to meet with an oncologist and surgeon. She began the daunting process of countless appointments, blood work, ultrasounds, and biopsies and was officially diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. When she told me the news, I didn't feel scared, I didn't cry, I just had faith that God would heal her.
The Lord blessed me to be able to fly home to accompany her to several of her appointments, and each time her prognosis got better and better. My Mommy was most afraid of having to go through chemo, radiation, a mastectomy, and reconstructive surgery. But, let me tell you of His marvelous works. Not only has she not had to have chemo, but 4 months after the initial diagnosis there is no sign of the tumor, Mommy has not had to take chemo AND her breast is starting to reshape and reform itself. PTL!!! Isn’t our Savior GOOD!!!!!
I just thank Him so much because my restoration journey has allowed me to hide His Word deep in my heart and I was able to share and minister to my Mommy and I have seen her faith and relationship with God grow exponentially as a result. Mommy is even tithing and sowing into the lives of others. One of her church members is in hospice due to her breast cancer that has spread into other areas of her body. Her daughter has gone on leave to take care of her and has exhausted all of her paid and sick leave as a result. Mommy asked her church to help out and they donated $200.00 and Mommy donated $100.00 of her own money. I am just so thankful that God blesses us to be a blessing to others, and it is so wonderful have a Mommy who loves and fears the Lord.
I am most thankful, that even though we have to endure fiery trials that He is with us, comforting us, and even giving us the desires of our heart. How can we not totally lean, depend, and fully surrender to Him.
THANK YOU LORD FOR HEALING MY MOMMY AND LETTING ME EXPERIENCE A MODERN DAY MIRACLE!!
~Kenya in Virginia
Submitted by: Jasmine in China.
“Healing God”
Praise the Lord. My Lord is a Healing God!!
When I continue to worship my Lord, seek His face and soak in His presence, He began to bring healing to me, not only to my heart, but also to my body. HE healed my heart by replacing my pains and my tears with joy and shouting. HE also performed miracles to my body. There have been “rash spots” on my arms and my thighs since I was small. I really didn’t like them on my skin. In the past I have tried many ways, both the Western and Chinese medication, peeling, etc., to remove the “rash spots” but all in vain. I had no idea what they were or how to remove them. Though it did not affect my health, it made my skin look very “rough.”
Today I must shout “Hallelujah” to my Lord as when I was looking at my skin, I found that all the “rash spots” have already gone!! Those spots which have been with me for so many years have gone away so suddenly. Though I don’t know when it happened, I know that it is the healing from God. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah!!!! 🙂
Ladies, our Lord is a Healing God. Praise Him for everything HE has done for you. The more you seek Him and worship Him, you will find the more healing HE will do to your heart, body and your family.
~Jasmine in China
Submitted by: Tonia in Texas; I’m Currently Divorced; I've taken or am currently taking Course 3: Rebuilding Wisdom.
“Another Answered Prayer”
Throughout my childhood I have had difficulty with my skin. Around the age of 10 I had a terrible rash that was worse than the chicken pox. I also began to have depression at that age. I was told as a child that I was allergic to gluten and was put on a gluten free diet. I used to pray to God all the time as a child that I would be able to eat gluten again without getting a rash. After 2 years of a gluten free diet, I was able to eat gluten again. My family and I thought that I had grew out of the allergy. I continued to have sensitive skin and acne and depression throughout my life. I also developed health problems during my pregnancies. I developed a rash on my face all last year when my EH and I separated and were divorced. I prayed that God would heal me as I stated in my previous praise report, "God Answers Prayer", which He did in several ways. I went to the Celiac specialist and my blood work tested positive for the Celiac gene. The specialist performed a biopsy of my small intestine because Celiac can destroy this organ. My biopsy came back negative for active Celiac. Praise The Lord! I will continue to seek Him first before making a decision to see any other specialist.
~Tonia in Texas
Previous praise report:
“God Answers Prayer!”
I have been suffering from muscle pain, fatigue, depression, peripheral neuropathy, and a rash on my face all last year. I began fasting and praying asking God to show me why I had these things and to heal me. My Doctor gave me a book that talked about how different foods cause different problems such as eating too much from the bread/cereal group. I felt like I should ask my mom to bring me the piece of paper that gave my diagnosis from age 10. It said I had gluten enteropathy which is Celiac disease. I stopped eating gluten and I felt better and my rash went away in a week. I am now seeing a Celiac specialist.
~Tonia in Texas
Psalm 107:20—
"He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from ALL their destructions."
Isaiah 5:11 NASB—
"So will My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."
Isaiah 55:11 NKJV—
"So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void,
but it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."
If you have a Bible, we would encourage you to get it and try to look up all these verses in your Bible. And use a colored pencil to highlight them so you can read them over and over again. If you do, we promise your health will also improve like so many other women.
“...and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." —John 8:32
Now it's time to CLICK HERE and pour out your heart to the Lord and Journal "What I Learned."