Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you [uncompromisingly] righteous [you who are upright and in right standing with Him]; shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Ps. 32:11)

Several years ago a laundry product named "Shout" was advertised on television with the slogan, "Shout out tough stains!" That message prompted me to preach a message entitled, "Shout It Out!"

In this message, I want to encouraged believers that when Satan comes around harassing and disturbing you, that you should shout him out of your life!

Scream Or Shout?
In my own life I used to be a screamer, but never a shouter. There is a difference. Finally the Lord came to me and said, "Joyce either you will learn to start shouting or else you will end up screaming. Which do you want?"

So now when things start to go wrong in my life, instead of yelling and screaming at the top of my voice, I have learned to shout praise and glory to God. I "shout it out." You should try it - it beats screaming in anger and frustration.

Singing and shouting can tear down walls and strongholds! We read in Joshua 6:20 an account of the Lord directing the people to shout and bring down a wall:

So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. When the people heard the sound of the trumpet they raised a great shout, and [Jericho's] wall fell down in its place, so that the [Israelites] went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

Now that does not mean that you and I are to go running all over town shouting at the top of our lungs wherever we may be! But at home there is nothing to prevent us from getting up in the morning with a song on our lips and praise in our mouth to the Lord God as a means to dispel depression.

I used to like the atmosphere to be as quiet as possible - especially in the mornings. I wanted to think! Actually, though, instead of thinking productively, I ended up worrying and reasoning excessively about things for which I could have never figured out a solution. What I needed to be doing was praying and trusting God about those things.

Finally God spoke very clearly to me in my heart and told me that I did not listen to enough music. I had to develop a habit of doing it. At first, I did it in obedience. I was so used to quiet, I wanted it that way even though it wasn't always the best way to get my day started.

I don't mean to say that we don't need quiet because we do. God speaks in the still quiet times, and they are precious. But I was out of balance. I needed to start my days happy, and the music helped me do that.

We Have To Confess It And Do It
When I am feeling down, I often go through the Psalms and read them out loud, because I know that the promises in the Word of God will come to pass - as long as we don't just read it and confess it, but also do it, despite how we may feel at the time.

In other words, we should do what the Word of God tells us to do, and not just what we feel like doing. In Galatians 6:8 Paul warned that:

…he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

That is why we must learn to do as David did and speak to our soul, our inner self; otherwise, it will take control over us and lead us to decay, ruin and destruction. We need to take control and sing and shout for our deliverance!

Excerpted from the book Help Me I'm Depressed
by Joyce Meyer (Tulsa: Harrison House, 1998)
All rights reserved. Used by permission.