As we search for different resources to help deal with strains on our mental health, here’s one we don’t want to overlook

3 min read

Philippians 4:6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 

As another Mental Health Awareness Month draws to a close, we offer this post in a spirit of concern, compassion, and hopefulness. For those feeling stuck in a state of mental unhealth, this one’s for you.

A Discovery is Under Way

Researchers and mental healthcare professionals are beginning to recognize how powerful and therapeutic prayer is for people of faith who happen to be struggling with issues like, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. More and more studies lend support to the finding that by praying to God in the most conversational and genuine manner that you can, you will enjoy the therapeutic benefit of doing so.

In simple terms, prayer is goood for you at every level – mind, spirit, and body.

But the key is to include what you are feeling in your prayer, even if what your feeling is not good. To realize the full psychological benefit of prayer, you need to be as honest and expressive as possible.

One of Many Biblical Examples

The well-known Bible personality, Jonah, was not having a good day. In fact, he was upside down emotionally. He had finally come around and delivered the message to Nineveh, as God instructed, but he was angry that God was extending his mercy to the Ninevites. He appreciated that God had given him a second chance, but he didn’t want Nineveh to have the same.

But notice how Jonah did not try to hide these feelings from God. In an ancient form of prayer known as lament, Jonah put his emotions on the table before God:

 ²And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. ³ Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:2-3)

Rather than try to contain and hide his dark thoughts and feelings from God, Jonah shared them. And the Lord, the ultimate Counselor, gently met him right there in his dysphoria.

This is what you could call emotive prayer. It is the legitimate expression of all that you are thinking and feeling in the moment, even when those thoughts and feelings are quite unpleasant.

The bottom line is that God can handle this form of prayer, he is not offended by it, and it is good for your mental health. Chances are, by disclosing to God what he already knows is going on in your head, you will gradually find yourself in a more hopeful state of mind.

So, as you scan for resources to optimize your life and improve your mental health, don’t overlook prayer. Add it to your list of of things that help you with the ongoing challenges of emotion management.

Not only is prayer the right thing to do and an essential part of the Christian’s life; it also happens to be quite good for you.

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.