31 Days of Prayer for Mental Health

For those that do not know, May is mental health awareness and one of the best ways we can bring about awareness within ourselves is through our dedication in prayer. I want to give you a list of things to pray for over the next 31 days with regards to mental health. Give 2-3 minutes of time of prayer on the topic, meditating how it may be impacting your community and how you can be a advocate to this population. If you need more to pray about it, seek out a mental health professional, pay for their coffee, and ask them what further areas you could pray about.

1. For those with hopelessness, helplessness, and suicidality and need hope.
2. For those suffering grief from the loss of a loved one, the loss of a marriage, loss of a job, and all other loses.
3. For those stressed and where anxiety damages goals and dreams, relationships, and hope.
4. For those who have experienced trauma for children, women, military veteran, and even vicarious trauma that they can reclaim their story.
5. For those diagnosed with schizophrenia and those who lose touch with reality through paranoia and psychosis to remove the confusion and find a sense of self.
6. For those who seek peace, joy, and love when the world feels chaotic, emotions are dysregulated, chemicals imbalanced in the brain, and thoughts fragmented.
7. For stigma to end and the disconnect people feel with regards to their mental health as they feel ashamed, misunderstood, and forgotten.
8. To the churches where they are further stigmatizing mental illness, that professionals or others with an awareness can come to show an understanding and lead a healthy conversation so that less barriers are up for those who need help to find it.
9. For those who experience homelessness and lack of access to food stability due to mental illness.
10. For those with substance misuse and addiction that comes from and also leads to mental health.
11. For those who experience unhealthy and inappropriate anger due to mental illness, that they can find contentment and rest.
12. For those who struggle with their relationship with God because mental illness is not managed or resolved.
13. For the youth and adults who struggle with education due to ADHD, trauma, and Developmental disabilities that they can reach their academic goals, find inclusion, and not become overwhelmed.
14. For those who are still trying to figure out their story as they discover who they are.
15. For your own self, that you may find your place in advocating or supporting God’s kingdom through evangelism, discipleship, and care and that a portion of your people are those who struggle with mental illness.
16. For the domestic violence that leads to trauma symptoms that God can offer safety when it feels unsafe and the community can come around them.
17. For the children who experience child abuse and neglect even once, but for those who are currently not in a safe home.
18. For the children who are in foster care because someone made their hom unsafe, that the children can return to their family or find their new home without more incidents.
19. For those with financial problems and employment insecurity because their mental illness interferes with their ability to work.
20. For family systems that may be broken due to the impact of mental health and substance misuse.
21. For those who care for ones who struggle with mental illness, that need care themselves though may feel guilty for asking, and yet may feel selfless.
22. For the marriages of those who have a family member with mental illness, that selflessness and God’s grace and mercy is present and shown to each other as well as to those they care for.
23. For those whose culture is not understanding of mental illness and finding understanding requires numerous conversations of advocacy and education.
24. For the siblings/children who grow up with family that struggle with mental illness. Many times you feel invisible, under cared for, and ashamed for your anger and not getting the same care or attention that your family member genuinely needs.
25. The professionals who work day in and day out for those who struggle with mental illness, whether the peer supporter, counselor, or psychiatrist, that they seek God’s wisdom and open their ears and hearts to their clients.
26. For those who take medication, that it can be a part of the solution but not a hindrance to counseling and not experiencing negative side effects or withdrawals.
27. For the counseling centers to be diligent in managing their staff and resources as they serve this population with passion and resolve.
28. For those going to school to become professionals or deciding to switch to this career, that your decision is informed and firm as the path is not easy to stay in this career.
29. To the community leaders that can be the barriers to restoration or the biggest source of progress for recovery. That change comes not to just one person, but whole communities as we surround and serve these who are hurting and broken.
30. For the pastors and church leaders who continue to serve all people, including those who may have very little to give, that they may see God in each individual and point them towards salvation and Discipleship within the body of Christ.
31. For the congregation that not only integrates and includes those with mental illness, substance misuse disorders, and developmental delays, but also to promote general good mental health that builds up the Church and resiliency to our broken world.