How To Cure Depression Physically Series

I Kings 19:3-18

Depression: How to cure it Physically

Introduction

A. We are going to continue our study on depression

B. This week were going to talk about how to treat depression using physical methods

C. As I was studying this week what methods God used to treat Elijah depression I had came to a valid conclusion

D. Well we are talking about depression, what we will learn today can be applied to just about any illness we might have, You will soon realize why

E. You will also find it very interesting at the methods God used on Elijah

F. You will notice that it pretty much lines up with what doctors are telling us

G. The funny part is that this book was written 3000 years ago

H. Proving once again that God is smarter then humans

I. But as we study this I encourage you again to listen in either two ways

a. One as a person who is suffering from depression

b. Two as a person who is trying to help someone who is depressed

J. You will notice that every method we will talk about comes right from the text.

K. We will be looking at Verses 5 through 8 today, let us read them.

I. Sleep

A. Explanation

1. Last week we talk about everything that Elijah went through

2. The whole water on the Alter

3. Praying for rain

4. Running for his life

5. We said that he was exhausted by the time he got to the Broom tree

6. You know what if you were him you would be exhausted too

7. Notice the first thing he did after he got there

8. SLEEP

B. Application

1. It seems so basic sometimes but we often forget

2. Sleep is essential

3. I can not tell you the scientific reasons why but I do know that if you do not get proper sleep you can easily sink into depression

4. When you are depressed, you do not feel like sleeping

5. One of the most important things that you can do is make yourself get proper sleep

6. If that means taking a sleeping pill by all means take one. Sleeping pills are not sinful

7. A little word of caution find one that is not habit forming. You don’t want to take one forever

8. Sleep is so very important. A healthy sleep schedule will go a long way on the road to recovery

C. Illustration

1. Do you know who struggles the most in this area. It is the people that work night term. Mike you are an amazing person 25 years you have been working nights. Mike has figured out how to get his proper rest after work. However, when I was working night term one summer, I got to see a number of people who were down, depressed. No wonder they were not sleeping the way they should. Sure you can do it for a couple of months but after a while, without proper sleep you will wear down

2. Sleep. When suffering from depression, get proper rest.

3. By the way an ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure, protect yourself and get proper rest.

II. Touch

A. Explanation

1. So Elijah is sawing logs.

2. I imagine he is in a really deep sleep, you know the type that is just really nice

3. You are not dreaming, your not tossing, you wake up with sheet marks all over your body. You wake up saying, wow, that was a good night rest

4. Well Elijah is in the middle of doing that, when (Read 5) an angel TOCHED him

5. Did he give him a hug?

6. Did he pat him on the shoulder?

7. Shake him?

8. I don’t know, but I know he Touch Him

B. Application

1. Touching is one of the most amazing phenomons

2. Scientist and doctors are just figuring out what June has known for a long time 

3. Touching helps us

4. This point is mainly for those who are trying to help someone through depression

5. Touch is so important.

6. Give someone a hug, give someone a pat on the back, shake his or her hand. Rub their head. Just touch them

C. Illustration

1. I was at a conference a while back the speaker was telling a story about how before a service he was talking to people not thinking much of it, walked by a lady put his hand on her back and continued to walk and talk to other people, he touched her for about ½ of a second. She wrote a letter to him. It turned out she was facing surgery the next day and was scared. When the guy touched her she knew she would be ok.