Prayer To Cope With Mental Health Issues During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Tuesday April 21, 2020
In our topsy-turvy world of new information and change by the day and more often by the hour, we need to hold on to the things that are constant, that don’t change, and that will be there ongoing no matter what restrictions we face in the future or even the economic fallout and financial implications we might face as individuals, families, and as a society. Let's pray and ask God's help for that.
Mental health issues are very much on the minds of health officials these days with all the disruptions to our daily lives and with those who encourage us and help us stay grounded from day to day. One of the key considerations to how and when to relax restrictions is the impact on mental health of
people cooped up in small spaces with too many people around them and the monotony of unemployment and time on ones hands. Too many of us eat too much when we are bored or stressed. Alcohol consumption is way up. I’m sure other substances are getting more than their fair share of use as well. Calls to crisis lines are significantly increased.
Many of you who know me – particularly those who knew me when I was in my teens and twenties - know there have been times I’ve had my own mental health issues – periods of time in my life where upheaval and troubles seemed to have the upper hand. After some years of struggle and then some time of looking for answers – and still struggling because I didn’t get the answers I wanted in the way that I came to a very low point where I thought there was no way forward.
I remember at that time telling my friend that it was like everyone
with answers and a positive life was living on the mainland and I was on an island. They were all happy and inviting me to come and join them but there was one problem – I didn’t know how to swim.
With the help and infinite patience of some lovely friends at that time and their wise counsel I was able to break out of the bondage of painful events from the past, one by one let go of my resentments and fears, and become willing to give up my flawed understanding of the world and my place in it.
The way out for me was affirming things that were true when all of my emotions and the memories seemed to say something different.
I took words from the Bible where God made promises and I learned them and I made them my own. I told myself to listen up and to receive the living truth these words were. Jesus said:
At some point in the future I wrote a short summary of the principles and called them “Life Affirmations” – There are three areas they address that were significant challenges for me – 1. Knowing I was loveable and love; 2. Believing that my life had meaning and purpose; and 3. Knowing that I didn’t have to face my problems alone.
Here they are.
Over the next days I’ll be happy to share with you what’s behind each of these little summaries and affirmation and have us pray together to let them settle deep into our hearts and ground us during these times of challenge to our mental health.
For now, let’s thank God that His plan for us today and is stability of heart and mind in His love and allow His love to shore up our mental health for this day and become a solid foundation going forward.
Thank You God for creating us in love and for having a wonderful plan for each of our days. You’ve told us that You don’t give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but one of power, and love, and self-discipline. That’s not always our experience but it is Your continuing offer to us. This acceptance and peace and confidence is ours for the asking today.
So right now in this moment God, we reach out to You from this vulnerable place where we find ourselves. We reject everything that isn’t from Your loving hand and since Your word says that means fear and uncertainty aren’t from You we hold them up to You and give them over to You. Come and fill the fearful places of our heart with the peace and security of Your abiding presence.
The Bible tells us that where the Spirit of the Lord is there is there is freedom and so I speak this healing truth to our hearts today. We speak to our emotions and say: God is with me. God is for me. God is filling me right now with power, love and self-disciple. I make space for what God is giving and I receive His strong and powerful love until I am filled up to overflowing.
I receive the peace of Christ that settles me down, not because I understand it all but simply because God You give me peace so I can be at peace. You are trustworthy. You understand what I can’t today and I trust Your good heart at work on my behalf. You are guarding my heart and my mind and I rest in that. You are my peace, Jesus. You are my peace.
God, When You are in us we can be confident of a way forward because You are the God who saves everyone who looks to You for help, no matter the set of circumstances they find themselves in. We can be confident in the middle of today’s turmoil because we know Your promise that we will see Your goodness in the situation where we find ourselves. Amen
Mental health issues are very much on the minds of health officials these days with all the disruptions to our daily lives and with those who encourage us and help us stay grounded from day to day. One of the key considerations to how and when to relax restrictions is the impact on mental health of
Many of you who know me – particularly those who knew me when I was in my teens and twenties - know there have been times I’ve had my own mental health issues – periods of time in my life where upheaval and troubles seemed to have the upper hand. After some years of struggle and then some time of looking for answers – and still struggling because I didn’t get the answers I wanted in the way that I came to a very low point where I thought there was no way forward.
I remember at that time telling my friend that it was like everyone
With the help and infinite patience of some lovely friends at that time and their wise counsel I was able to break out of the bondage of painful events from the past, one by one let go of my resentments and fears, and become willing to give up my flawed understanding of the world and my place in it.
The way out for me was affirming things that were true when all of my emotions and the memories seemed to say something different.
I took words from the Bible where God made promises and I learned them and I made them my own. I told myself to listen up and to receive the living truth these words were. Jesus said:
At some point in the future I wrote a short summary of the principles and called them “Life Affirmations” – There are three areas they address that were significant challenges for me – 1. Knowing I was loveable and love; 2. Believing that my life had meaning and purpose; and 3. Knowing that I didn’t have to face my problems alone.
Here they are.
Over the next days I’ll be happy to share with you what’s behind each of these little summaries and affirmation and have us pray together to let them settle deep into our hearts and ground us during these times of challenge to our mental health.
For now, let’s thank God that His plan for us today and is stability of heart and mind in His love and allow His love to shore up our mental health for this day and become a solid foundation going forward.
Thank You God for creating us in love and for having a wonderful plan for each of our days. You’ve told us that You don’t give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but one of power, and love, and self-discipline. That’s not always our experience but it is Your continuing offer to us. This acceptance and peace and confidence is ours for the asking today.
So right now in this moment God, we reach out to You from this vulnerable place where we find ourselves. We reject everything that isn’t from Your loving hand and since Your word says that means fear and uncertainty aren’t from You we hold them up to You and give them over to You. Come and fill the fearful places of our heart with the peace and security of Your abiding presence.
The Bible tells us that where the Spirit of the Lord is there is there is freedom and so I speak this healing truth to our hearts today. We speak to our emotions and say: God is with me. God is for me. God is filling me right now with power, love and self-disciple. I make space for what God is giving and I receive His strong and powerful love until I am filled up to overflowing.
I receive the peace of Christ that settles me down, not because I understand it all but simply because God You give me peace so I can be at peace. You are trustworthy. You understand what I can’t today and I trust Your good heart at work on my behalf. You are guarding my heart and my mind and I rest in that. You are my peace, Jesus. You are my peace.
God, When You are in us we can be confident of a way forward because You are the God who saves everyone who looks to You for help, no matter the set of circumstances they find themselves in. We can be confident in the middle of today’s turmoil because we know Your promise that we will see Your goodness in the situation where we find ourselves. Amen
Recent Hope For Today
Giving Hope
Partners in Hope is supported wholly by our friends and community. We are thankful to everyone who partners with us to help bring hope to the discouraged, hurting, and hopeless.