Vital Signs for Mental Depression

It is a wonderful privilege that we are invited to come directly to God and make all our wants and wishes known, believing that He delights to give good things to those who ask Him Matthew 7:11. You are specifically instructed to ask God for wisdom, spiritual discernment, help in daily life, strength for Christian service, and the full assurance of pardon through repentance16LtMs, Ms 4, 1901, par. 23+3.

Here is a detailed outline of the essential things we are instructed to ask or seek from our Heavenly Father:

1. Seeking Wisdom, Guidance, and Counsel

The most crucial things to seek from God are wisdom and divine direction, especially since human help is inherently feeble17LtMs, Ms 52, 1902, par. 19+1.

• Divine Wisdom: If any person lacks wisdom, they should ask God, who gives to all men liberally and upbraids not James 1:518MR 151.2+3. This gift of wisdom is the strength and knowledge imparted for the present emergency, as God does not bestow all directions for our life journey at onceDA 313.4.

• Spiritual Discernment: We must pray for clear spiritual discernment so that we may distinguish between the theories of men and the actual Word of the living God17LtMs, Ms 52, 1902, par. 19.

• Holy Spirit: We should plead for the guidance and impartation of the Holy Spirit, remembering that Christ promised to send the Comforter to teach all things1MR 267.1+2.

• Guidance in Duty: It is essential to seek counsel of God at every step, asking Him what He would have us do, rather than following mere human impulseAH 331.1+3. This includes seeking divine guidance when contemplating new institutions, using seasons of intercessory prayer to plead for divine wisdom17LtMs, Ms 144, 1902, par. 5.

• Light in Perplexity: When uncertain as to the course to pursue, believers should unite in prayer, asking the Lord to let His light shine upon them and impart special gracePC 28.1+1.

2. Confession, Repentance, and Forgiveness

We must come to the Lord just as we are—sinful, helpless, and dependent—and immediately claim His blessing1SM 353.1+1.

• Pardon and Forgiveness: We must arise quickly to confess our sins and seek the forgiveness of those sins6LtMs, Lt 24a, 1890, par. 5+1. We must humble our hearts greatly before God and repent of sins and unchristian acts, asking God for Christ’s sake to cancel the pastT28 136.2+1.

• Repentance: We are called to turn meetings into times of earnest repentance and confession, seeking God so that confessions will be made that uncover things He hatesGCDB February 24, 1899, page 74.32+1. We need to repent that we have so poorly glorified Him18LtMs, Ms 10, 1903, par. 44.

• A Sense of Sinfulness: We should pray most earnestly that we may have a sense of sin's exceeding sinfulness9LtMs, Ms 1, 1894, par. 12.

• Restoration: Those who truly repent are to be forgiven and welcomed back to the fold, and their brethren are to encourage them in the right wayCCh 257.6. Repentance is tied directly to the blotting out of sins when the times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord Acts 3:19-2113LtMs, Ms 11, 1898, par. 17.

3. Help in Service and Mission

We must seek assistance for the mission God has entrusted to us on earth4T 339.3.

• Salvation of Souls: We must plead for the salvation of our own soul and the salvation of those around us16LtMs, Ms 4, 1901, par. 23.

• Instrument of God: We should ask God to help us to be His instrument in saving souls, and ask for wisdom and grace to know how to approach our fellow men16LtMs, Ms 4, 1901, par. 23.

• Strength for Labor: In our labor, we must seek the Lord most earnestly for help, especially as the powers of darkness demonstrate their strength25LtMs, Ms 55, 1911, par. 18.

• Cooperation: We are to seek help from above with determined effort to subdue self, so that God may be able to answer our prayers and cooperate with us4T 339.3+1.

• General Needs: We are encouraged to ask for the very things we need, believing He gives them to us, which builds our faith5MR 425.1+1.

4. Faith and Assurance in Trials

In seasons of distress and grief, prayer is the resource at the command of the Christian when other forms of prayer may be impossiblePr 47.2+1.

• Strength and Support: We must cry out for help in times of sudden difficulty or peril, seeking assurance, support, and succor when weighed down with grief and care, or fiercely assailed by temptationPr 47.2.

• Help in Temptation: We should ask God for help when we are tempted to indulge appetite or forget our duties, trusting Him to make a way of escape10LtMs, Lt 97, 1895, par. 30.

• Trust and Refuge: We are invited to pour our griefs into our heavenly Father's bosom, leaving our weighty burden of cares with HimARSH June 30, 1863, page 33.9. We should make God our refuge and strengthST April 21, 1890, par. 7.

• Peace and Quiet: When struggling with internal strife, we should seek the help of God for peace and quiet instead of contention4T 139.2.

Essential Manner of Asking

When approaching God, the manner in which we present our petitions is crucial16LtMs, Ms 4, 1901, par. 23.

• Faith and Steadfastness: We must ask in faith, earnestly and humbly, with nothing wavering James 1:63LtMs, Ms 1, 1880, par. 86. He who wavers is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed James 1:619LtMs, Ms 158, 1904, par. 22. We need to have firm, determined faithRH May 16, 1899, par. 6.

• Urgency and Brevity: Our prayers should be short and right to the point21MR 43.2. We should come right to the point, making known our great need in a voice of urgent entreaty, being as earnest as a child asking its parents for something it deeply desires16LtMs, Ms 4, 1901, par. 23.

• Sincere Gratitude: We must mingle joyous thanksgiving with our requests, always maintaining sincere gratitude for God’s greatest gift—His only begotten Son16LtMs, Ms 4, 1901, par. 23. Our requests should be mingled with praise and thanksgivingSpTB09 15.3.

• Unreserved Trust: Do not dishonor your Redeemer by turning from Him to seek help from human beings, but show firm confidence in God's promises16LtMs, Ms 5, 1901, par. 6. We must not hide or excuse our sins6LtMs, Lt 24a, 1890, par. 5.

• Holy Hands: We are to pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting 1 Timothy 2:818LtMs, Ms 34, 1903, par. 14.

Mental depression is a terrible affliction that deeply impacts both the mind and body, manifesting through a series of severe emotional, cognitive, and physical symptomsMM 106.4+1. A person suffering from mental depression will exhibit clear indicators ranging from severe psychological distress to debilitating somatic effectsBHY 264.1.

Here are the definitive signs and symptoms associated with mental depression:

1. Emotional and Mental Indicators

Mental depression is primarily characterized by overwhelming negative feelings and thoughts that directly impact the life forcesCH 344.1.

• Profound Emotional Distress: The condition is marked by intense gloominess, sadness, and general depression of spirits2MCP 482.1+2.

• Internal Anguish: Key signs include feelings of grief, anxiety, distrust, remorse, and guiltCH 344.1.

• Cognitive Breakdown: The depressed state makes it impossible to think or work healthfully4LtMs, Lt 1, 1883, par. 15. The brain itself can become diseased, sometimes undergoing a process described as 'softening,' limiting the ability to perform mental laborBHY 264.1.

• Distorted Imagination: The mind is subject to a diseased imagination, where the individual takes baseless impressions as reality, leading to wrong conclusions4LtMs, Lt 1, 1883, par. 15.

• Existential and Spiritual Confusion: A person may feel disconsolate and attribute their mental depression to the power of the Devil or to their own sins, even when they cannot identify specific great crimesHBH 120.2. Some experience spiritual depression and mental darkness, similar to the suffering endured by Christ, or feel the manifest absence of the LordARSH May 10, 1860, page 195.17+1.

2. Physical and Somatic Effects

The intimate connection between the mind and the body ensures that when the mind is affected, the body sympathizes, leading to significant physical declineCH 344.1.

• Digestive and Organ Function: Sadness deadens circulation in the blood vessels and nerves and retards the action of the liver3MR 337.3+1. It hinders the processes of digestion and nutrition, often causing dyspepsia, which then aggravates the existing mental disorder3MR 337.3+2.

• Severe Dyspepsia: Dyspepsia, frequently caused by mental depression, can result in a physical sensation in the stomach as though a living creature were actively devouring it3MR 337.3+1.

• Circulatory and Vital Weakness: The entire system becomes weak and unhealthy, partly because circulation is depressed and the blood moves sluggishly, as it is not purified by invigorating air2MCP 483.2. Mental depression has a tendency to dry up the marrow of the whole system3MR 337.3.

• General Ailments: The condition leads to vague headaches, other aches and pains, and general discomfortGCB May 31, 1909, page 233.7. There is often a very great prostration of general strength without any apparent reason, rendering the individual a heavy burden to themselves and othersBHY 264.1.

• Risk of Disease: Nothing is so fruitful a cause of disease as depression, gloominess, and sadness, and the enervated system is liable to generate fevers and other acute diseases2MCP 483.2+1.

3. Behavioral and Spiritual Manifestations

The suffering individual’s actions and spiritual focus are often displaced or misdirected due to their internal statePaM 69.2.

• Nervousness and Impulse: Sufferers are often nervous and prone to moving much from impulsePaM 69.2+1.

• Misdirected Aggression: When feeling a want of freedom, individuals sometimes mistakenly conclude that others are in darkness or wrong, or that external factors are the problemPaM 69.2+1. This misdiagnosis of the trouble can lead them to "make a drive somewhere and upon somebody," which is highly liable to cause great harmPaM 69.2+1. If they would simply quiet themselves and rest, they could inquire if the trouble is not truly within themselvesPaM 69.2.

• Spiritual Response: A sign of religious depression is when people lament after Jehovah, showing that their feelings lead them toward the Lord 1 Samuel 7:2-3BHOTV4 32.1. The individual needs to be induced to turn away from their complaints through change of some kind4LtMs, Lt 1, 1883, par. 15.