As someone who battles anxiety and depression disorders, music is very powerful in helping me sort through all my thoughts and emotions. Sometimes the pit of disparity is too deep for anyone but myself to pull me out of. Sometimes music pulls me out. Sometimes music just lets me cry my soul out and helps me move on. People within our faith often say that Christian's aren't allowed to be depressed, but the fact of the matter is that more Christians struggle with mental illness than we let ourselves believe. We're taught to have smiles on our faces through the pain but sometimes you just need to allow yourself to be vulnerable with God, and lay out all your cares before Him. We're flawed, we're human, and that does not make God love us any less. As a Christian who suffers through these awful mental illnesses, sometimes you just need some time alone with God and some encouraging music that reminds you that He’s here for you. I've created this playlist to set the mood for vulnerability between yourself and God.
1. When life feels burdensome and you think you can’t make it through the storm:
Back To Life - Hillsong Young & Free
In the night
Through the struggle, through the trial
You have made my burden light
You have brought me back to life again
Your love it wipes every tear away
You calm the storms that surround me
You carry me
You carry me
2. When peace seems unattainable and you’ve got nothing to sing praise to Him about:
Reason To Sing - All Sons & Daughters
Will there be a victory?
Will You sing it over me now?
Your peace is the melody
Will You sing it over me now?
3. When your soul is broken and you feel powerless:
All The Poor and Powerless - All Sons & Daughters
And all the hearts who are content
And all who feel unworthy
And all who hurt with nothing left
Will know that You are holy
4. When you just need a reminder that God is always on your side:
God With Us - All Sons & Daughters
You've come to be hope
To this world
For Your honor and name
You've come to take sin
To bear shame
And to conquer the grave
5. When you still feel like your burdens have a deathgrip on you
(both bands’ versions are amazing):
No Longer Slaves - Bethel / I Am They
You split the sea
So I could walk right through it
My fears are drowned in perfect love
You rescued me
And I will stand and sing
I am a child of God.
6. When you need hope that God will right all of the wrongs and mend all of the heartaches:
Your Hands - JJ Heller
When you walked upon the earth
You healed the broken, lost and hurt
I know you hate to see me cry
One day you will set all things right
Yeah, one day you will set all things right
7. When your world is falling apart and just need to know that God has never, and will never leave you out to dry:
Not For A Moment [After All] - Meredith Andrews
And every step every breath you are there
Every tear every cry every prayer
In my hurt at my worst
When my world falls down
Not for a moment will You forsake me
8. When the darkness drowns out the light and you need a reminder that God knows what He’s doing:
Center Of It - Chris August
In the dark, in the light,
In the morning and night
In the good, in the hurt,
In the places I hide
When I rise, when I fall,
You'll be there through it all
At the start, at the end
In the center of, the center of it
9. When you’re feeling broken, emotionally or physically:
Healer - Kari Jobe
You hold my very moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease
I trust in You, Lord I trust in You
10. When you’re hurting in silence:
Even Me - I Am They
He knows my thoughts
The things that no one sees
He knows my heart
It’s every broken piece
11. When you think you don’t deserve His love:
Over & Over Again - I Am They
In my suffering and
In my weakness and
When from You I ran
You find me
In the dark of sin,
When I’m there again
You find me, You find me
12. When you need a reminder of where your worth lies:
Through Heaven’s Eyes (The Prince Of Egypt) - Brian Stokes Mitchell
So how can you see what your life is worth
or where your value lies ?
you can never see through the eyes of man
you must look at your life
look at your life through heaven's eyes
13. When it feels hard to trust Him:
Better Than I (Joseph: King of Dreams) - Dallyn Vail Bayles
If this has been a test
I cannot see the reason
But maybe knowing I don't know
Is part of getting through
I tried to do what's best
But faith has made it easy
To see the best thing I can do
Is to put my trust in You
14. When you just need a little faith:
Give Me Faith - Elevation Worship
Give me faith to trust what you say
That you're good and your love is great
I'm broken inside, I give you my life
15. When life is testing your faith:
Because He Lives (Amen) - Matt Maher
Because He lives
I can face tomorrow
Because He lives
Every fear is gone
I know He holds my life my future in His hands
16. When your weary soul needs rest:
Lord, I Need You - Matt Maher
So teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
When I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus, You're my hope and stay
17. When you feel alone at the top of the mountain or abandoned at the bottom of the valley:
Hills and Valleys (The Valleys Version) - Tauren Wells
Father, you give and take away
Every joy and every pain
Through it all you will remain
Over it all!
18. When you’ve got a void that you don’t know how to fill:
A Reason to Hide - Caves
After every struggle
I’ve tasted in sorrow,
Looking for the light
My burdens replaced with
Your mercy and grace,
It’s all because of Christ
19. When your thoughts tell you that you’re unworthy of love:
Before The Throne Of God Above - Selah
When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin
20. When you need a reminder of God’s faithfulness:
I Will Look Up - Elevation Worship
I will take You at Your word
For Jesus You have taken hold of me
All my life is in Your hands
You are my strength, You are my strength
Wherever you stand in your faith in God, just know that He hears your cries, and He knows of the things you need before you even ask for them. He is always on your side. Never allow your pain to cloud His love for you. With that, I leave you with the Spotify link to my playlist of “20 Songs for the Depressed Christian”.
https://open.spotify.com/user/1223334733/playlist/...
You are loved. You are valid. You are worthy.
Signed,
A Depressed Christian.
