Tag Archives: Despair

Gwyneth Paltrow Used Communication to Overcome Depression

Gwyneth Paltrow didn't understand why she felt so badly after the birth of her son Moses in 2008. "I expected to have another period of euphoria following his birth, much the way I had when my daughter was born two years earlier," she wrote. "Instead I was confronted with one of the darkest and most painfully debilitating chapters of my life. For about five months I had, what I can see in hindsight, as postnatal depression." Read More

If you have been feeling down or have battled a sense of helplessness, you may be depressed. It’s natural to feel down after something goes wrong, but if the feelings linger and nag at you for an extended time, you may need extra help to overcome it.

There are a variety of ways of dealing with depression.  Some people may try increased exercise or some form of meditation. Some people immediately turn to anti-depressants to help them.  They hope for a cure for depression, but in reality, medication only calms the symptoms, it does not deal with the cause.

Gwyneth Paltrow used communication to help her through her postnatal depression.  She listened to the counsel of friends and talked openly about her feelings.  This can really help with depression, but many times people do not have the strength to confide in people when they are feeling depressed.  What can that person do?

If you need depression help, there is someone you can talk to who will listen to you and offer a positive solution. His name is Jesus Christ.  Jesus already knows that you battle depression. He cares about you and is willing to help you take the next step forward.  He created you and understands what led you to the despair that you are feeling.

If you want Jesus’ help with your depression, talk to Him. If you do not know what to say, why not pray this prayer?  

"Dear Jesus, I am hurting today. I feel so depressed. I do not know how to overcome this sense of helplessness I am feeling. Please forgive me for the wrongs I have done and help me to experience Your love. Bring me out of my despair and help me to be joyful about living again. I ask You to become Lord and Savior of my life and to be my best friend. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

If you prayed that prayer, please click the button below and someone will contact you to help you take the next step

-Bill Hennessy

I Prayed the PrayerI have QuestionsPrayer Request
.
Posted in: Depression, Featured / Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Demi Lovato: Overcoming Despair

Disney star and singer Demi Lovato seemed like she had everything anyone would ever hope for, but the teen idol was battling a sense of despair and hopelessness so serious that she entered a three-month treatment program to find a way forward. She is not alone.  Many people reach a place where they feel “all hope is lost.”  

Desperation and hopelessness have reached pandemic proportions.  Lovato confessed that she felt plagued by depression since childhood.   She was so bullied during middle school that she opted out of public schools and completed her studies at home.  It left a scar on her life that fame could not erase. Fortunately, she found help before it was too late. Where can you go to get hope?

Jesus Christ came to give hope to the hopeless.  He understands that many people today are living in despair. He holds the key to finding lasting peace and joy. He was so committed to helping people find a way out of their discouragement that He bore our sins on his shoulders when He died on the cross. When we cry out to Jesus, He hears us and offers us a new life.

If you have lost hope, Jesus Christ can bring you out of despair. He will befriend you and guide you forward.  It all begins with a conversation, a prayer. If you are ready to make a change from hopelessness to hope, pray this prayer: “Dear Jesus, I am sorry for all the things I have done wrong. I have been so discouraged. I lost hope. Now, I know You can bring me new life. I ask You to become the Lord and Savior of my life. Please renew my hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

I Prayed the PrayerI have QuestionsPrayer Request

- Bill Hennessy

Posted in: Featured, Hopelessness / Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Finding Your Way Out of Depression

One thing that our ever-changing world hasn’t changed is the tendency people have toward feeling down.  Depression has become such a major issue that cities are now looking into ways to filter anti-depressants from the water supply. 

People who battle depression describe it as trying to paddle a canoe against the current.  No matter how much effort you pour into it, it seems everything is working against you.  If you have felt that kind of despair, you are not alone!

Depression help is available. Doctors can often prescribe medications that alleviate the symptoms, but not really repair the circumstances that created issues that made you depressed in the first place. So, counseling is also advisable.  Beyond that, is there a solution for someone who is feeling depressed? Yes!

If you feel down and need help with depression, do not overlook a spiritual answer.  Jesus Christ knows about your frustration and sense of helplessness. He is willing to step in and provide you with a cure for depression.  In order to take advantage of God’s solution you must be willing to surrender the problem to Him.

Think of depression as a video tape that plays in an endless loop. The problems that create your despair play over and over again, reminding you of the pain and frustration your situation created. Jesus desires you to surrender that tape over to Him so that He can speak truth into your life about your worth to Him. 

When you ask God for His help and ask for His forgiveness for whatever things you have done wrong, He is free to speak forgiveness into your life and change the message your mind sends your body.  He can replace your sense of helplessness with the truth that you have incredible value and worth to God. In Christ, you have a new beginning.  In other words, He can lift you out of the depression that has overwhelmed you and give you both hope and a future.  Why not ask Him today?

-Bill Hennessy
 

Posted in: Depression, Featured / Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Overcoming Hopelessness

Life is full of ups and downs.  That’s all well and good if you have more ups than downs.  Unfortunately, life isn’t that predictable. If you’ve been facing a season when everything seems to be falling apart, it doesn’t take much to lose hope. Lost hope often leads to despair.

Many people find themselves at a point when they believe all hope is lost. Life can take an unexpected turn and side track our dreams and ambitions. The hopelessness that follows can be a powerful emotion.  It often prevents people from moving on. They feel stuck, unable to take positive steps toward healing. If that sounds like your experience, how can you move out of despair and get hope?

Jesus Christ came to earth that we might have life, abundant life. He understands how many people find themselves in hopeless situations.  He understands that many people live in despair. He saw firsthand how difficult life can be when He walked the streets of Israel. He understood how good people go through bad times and through His teaching and His miracles, he offered hope to those who lived with loss. When you follow Jesus, you trade despair for hope.

If you have been losing hope, if you feel a sense of despair, I have good news.  Jesus cares about your situation. He can forgive your failings and increase hope for your future.  He will walk with you when everyone else turns their backs.  All you need to do is go to Him and ask Him to be your Lord and Savior. He will forgive whatever wrongs you have done and give you a new beginning, full of hope and joy.

-Bill Hennessy
 

Posted in: Featured, Hopelessness / Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Feeling Depressed? There is Help!

When you are feeling down, encouragement can be nearly impossible to find.  Depression is a terrible companion.  People who battle depression know that emotions can bind someone more quickly than rope. 

If you are depressed, please see a doctor. Medical science hasn’t offered a reliable cure for depression, but effective treatments are available.  I have found that depression help works best when you involve hope too.

If you need help for depression, I have good news for you: God cares! In fact, Jesus Christ came to bring  you a message of hope and a new life.  No matter how depressed you are, He can lift you out of the despair you feel.  Better yet, He wants you to come and allow Him to help. 

I have heard it said that “depression is the mind telling the body it needs rest.”  Jesus promised rest when He said, “Come to me all of you who are weary and I will give you rest.”  That’s a great promise.  Imagine being able to lift depression off of your shoulders like it was dead weight.  You can begin by simply telling Jesus that you need help with depression.  He cares about you and desires what is best for your life. 

Why not ask Jesus into your life?  It is as simple as telling Him that you are sorry for whatever wrongs you have done and honestly telling Him that you need help with depression. He will answer your cry for help and begin a relationship with you that can change your life and offer you hope for the future.

Anyone can feel down, but it is Jesus who can lift that burden and restore your hope!

-Bill Hennessy

Posted in: Depression, Featured / Tagged: , , , , ,

Beating Despair


Despair can sometimes stop you in your tracks. In those moments, where can you go to get hope? If you are fighting a sense of hopelessness, and want to increase hope read on!

Losing hope is not a new experience. People throughout the ages have experienced hardships that caused them to battle despair. Yet, generations later, here we are.  Those who have lost hope lose sight of the fact that they are not alone in this world. Out of despair, they begin to believe they are alone in their pain, but there is hope in Jesus!

Many people are surprised to learn that God cares about them as a person, but the Psalmist, King David, wrote: “When I begin to lose hope, you already know what I am experiencing.” (Ps. 142:3) Although you are in despair now, you can take hope in God’s concern for you.

God specializes in giving hopeless people new beginnings. Whether your battle is with relationships, finances, addiction or other issues, God can change your circumstances. It all begins with a simple conversation between God and you.

Begin with a simple request: “Lord Jesus, I need You in my life, please be my friend and Savior. I am sorry for the wrongs I have done. You know I have lost hope. You know that I have been living in despair. Please help me find new life today, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

If you want a way out of despair, talk to Jesus. He is willing to give you a new beginning that will bring you great hope!

-          Bill Hennessy

Posted in: Hopelessness / Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Renewing Hope

 

What do we do when we feel hopeless? Feeling like we’ve lost hope is all too common these days. When the world seems to spin out of control, we can lose hope very quickly.

The world is full of people who have lost hope. How many people have tried and failed only to lose hope and so often they never try again. We find ourselves losing hope of ever being better than we are. 

Hopelessness can drag us down into despair so fast that it’s hard to find a way back up. When we feel hopeless we risk losing all of our dreams. It seems as if everything that we want is lost.

Our best laid plans fall through leaving us not knowing what to do. We are alive but not living life to the fullest. We are alive but living in despair. How do we find a way to carry on through life? 

But how can we increase hope when we are lost in despair? The only way to get out of despair is to increase hope. 

Often we place our hopes in things that seem to crumble right beneath us. Jesus, God's Son, us offers a way to move beyond despair and get hope. God sent his son to give us hope for a new life. Jesus is the only one who offers us genuine hope. He doesn’t promise an easy life but we never have to worry about hopelessness again because he is our ultimate hope. 

- James Hennessy
Posted in: Featured, Hopelessness / Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Overcoming Hopelessness

 

“Where can someone go to get hope?”  You may have asked that question if you battle with despair.  Feeling hopeless can begin for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you have more bills than money. Perhaps you have lost a relationship that you valued deeply.  Perhaps, you tried and failed at something very important to you. Hopelessness is a ruthless enemy.

There is no store that sells hope. There is no government program that offers hope for the hopeless. Losing hope happens to nearly all of us at one time or another. But, if you lost hope, don’t give up! Although you have lived in despair, you can discover hope and start anew!

Regardless of how you found yourself in despair, you can get hope again!  How?  The Apostle Paul taught us hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts. (Romans 5:5) When we understand God’s love, we can increase hope for a better life and for eternity. 

Out of despair, many people become desperate.  They feel alone, isolated, unloved.  Their plans seldom work out the way they imagined and they often end with much less than they hoped for.  

But, God brings hope to those who call out to Him. He understands your need and responds with fresh hope! Consider the words of the Bible: Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love. Psalm 33:18 ESV

 

If you are living in despair, if hope escapes you, cry out to God for help.  He will hear your cry and pour out His love on your life.  He provides hope for tomorrow and joy for our journey today.

-Bill Hennessy

Posted in: Featured, Hopelessness / Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,