One of the biggest things I’ve struggled with in the past with regard to my mental and emotional health was prayer. 

Before I read the Bible and started attending church and Bible Study regularly, I’ll admit that I didn’t understand the correct posture for prayer. 

Whenever I felt I had a need, I would pray for that need to be met, and if it didn’t get met within the time frame I expected or wanted, I got upset and wondered if God was listening to me at all. And then I stopped praying altogether.

When my OCD started at age 15 with persistent intrusive thoughts, I asked God to take away my struggle and heal my mind.  I expected my brain to miraculously change because I didn’t understand the disorder and how my brain was processing thoughts. 

But now that I’m older, I realize that my prayer posture was fundamentally incorrect, and it actually stunted my spiritual growth and worsened my problem. 

Whether you struggle with OCD, PTSD, ADD, Depression, Bipolar disorder, Schizophrenia, Borderline Personality disorder, or something else, you must maintain the right posture for prayer.

Jesus laid out all the elements of adequate prayer when His disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray.  This is something my pastor continuously emphasizes, and as a believer, it makes complete sense to me to model my prayer life on Matthew 6: 7, 9-13:

“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do.  For they think that they will be heard for their many words…In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in  heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation.

But deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and

the power and the glory

forever. Amen

This is the prayer of the believer who knows that God is sovereign and all-powerful. 

It starts with a posture of emptying oneself and being completely submissive to God and His incomprehensible nature.

It then acknowledges and accepts that God’s will has been set forth on earth as it is in heaven. In acknowledging God’s will, you’re throwing your own will away because you understand that He’s in control and is all-knowing.

Sometimes it’s hard to disregard your will, but it’s a must when you realize that your thoughts don’t compare to God’s.

After you’ve done those two things, then you pray your prayers of supplication by asking God to give you your daily bread or spiritual guidance and help.

You then ask for forgiveness for sins as you acknowledge that you’ve forgiven others. God doesn’t honor your requests when you’re holding a grudge against others.

In the next part, you ask God to keep your path straight and lead you away from temptation to sin.

The end of the prayer echoes the submission expressed in the beginning: Yours is the kingdom, power, and glory. 

What’s important when going to God is understanding that He is not (in the words of a very helpful youth pastor I know) Santa Claus.  Nor is He a spiritual ATM dispensing your every want and desire on your timing.

He is the Creator of the galaxies seen and unseen, the Alpha and Omega, the Creator of all creatures, and everything in our natural world.

He’s conscious of you and your needs and He knows how to help you better than you do. 

He’s concerned with your soul and your character and wants you to draw closer to Him so you can be in alignment with His purpose for you.

 Now with regards to praying about your mental health:

Understand that God designed our bodies with intention, and we have to respect the design.

God designed our hearts, lungs, kidneys, and brains to function in a specific way, so we can’t expect to pray away deeply rooted mental issues and think God will give us immediate relief without us having to do anything.

I believe in miracles, but look at it this way: Would you attempt to pray away the 5 or 10 lbs you gained and expect to miraculously wake up thinner?  NO! You’d make plans to change your diet and exercise.

What you would pray for is the strength to continue with whatever weight loss program you started.

The same approach should be used when dealing with anxiety, depression, or any other mental illness. Mental health professionals and researchers have over time developed effective treatments for a range of issues.

They have come to know a great deal about our brains and what works & doesn’t work in the treatment of disorders. 

I used to pray for my intrusive thoughts to disappear completely. But it wasn’t until I read the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-based guide Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts by Sally M. Winston and Martin N. Seif that I was able to fully understand the mechanisms in my brain propelling the fear and keeping the unwanted thoughts stuck in my mind.

The authors of the book even said something very profound with regards to seeking God’s help with your issue:

When you do pray, ask God to help you to understand and believe in this book you have been led to, rather than ask for the thoughts to be taken away. He knows you have been struggling to be good. He wants you to take the leap of faith this book is advocating.

So when you pray, give honor to God by modeling The Lord’s prayer.

When you pray your prayers of supplication regarding your mental health, ask God to gird you with strength, courage, and wisdom. Ask Him to lead you to the right resources, books, and people to help you overcome your challenges so that you can live out the purpose He’s intended for you.

Have faith that the treatments that are available for you will work and that God will provide a way for you to heal.  It may take time, but that’s alright. 

Keeping moving and looking to God!

Let me know how you feel in the comments below!

Sincerely,

Alexia