Empathy For All: Prayers for Mental Health by Rev. Lizzy Diop

Mental Health Blessing

May the Holy Spirit be within you,
When you are
Irritable
Anxious
Depressed
Manic
Suicidal
Or even just unsure of what you are feeling or where to go from here.

May Christ Jesus be a comfort to you.
May He encourage you
To rest when your body and spirit need rest
May He empower you
To seek the mental health care you deserve
May He enable you
To respond with empathy and compassion to yourself
and the people around you

Might you always remember that the God who created you
is the God who is with you always.
May you see the light of that God within yourself and within all.

Prayer Based on Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus,

Thank you for being present with us as we begin this time of worship.

Some of us are carrying burdens that are too heavy for us to bear, burdens of mood disorders, thought disorders, anxiety, and addiction. Some of us are suffering right now, Lord.

Thank you for bearing witness to our pain, for easing our suffering, and helping us carry our burdens. Thank you for being a source of support, empathy, compassion, and hope.

Please help us to be a community that is yoked with you, joining in the sacred work of having empathy and compassion for each other.

May this time of worship be a time of rest and rejuvenation, and a reminder of our sacred call to truly see and support each other and our communities.

In your holy name we pray,

Amen.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” –Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

Mental Health Prayer

Holy God,

You are the creator of each one of us.
From the time when we were just a couple of cells to this exact moment,
You have been within us and with us.

You know that some of us are struggling, Lord.

Some of us are struggling with our mood, Lord.
We aren’t sure why we feel so low.
So sad.
So hopeless.
We are weary and burdened, Lord,
And you said to come to you, when we feel this way. (Matthew 11:28-30)
Here we are.

Some of us are struggling with our thoughts, Lord.
Our brains feel like they are moving too slow or too fast.
Sometimes we just can’t focus on what we want to focus on.
Sometimes we can’t figure out what is real and what is not.
We know you know our thoughts, Lord.
We know you know how hard it is to struggle like this. (Psalm 139:1-4)

Some of us are anxious, Lord.
Sometimes, our anxiety tells us something bad will happen
If we do or don’t do the wrong thing.
Some of us must count or check.
Some of us have to not eat or eat just the right thing.
Our anxiety is wearing us out.
It is like waves, crashing our boat. We are afraid we will go overboard! (Mark 4:35-41)

Some of us can’t imagine being happy, Lord.
Some of us aren’t sure we want to be here anymore.
We are feeling suicidal.
We want to be free.

Help us to remember that you have empathy in your heart for us.
You understand where we have been.
What we have been through.
What we are going through this exact moment.

Help us have compassion for ourselves and compassion for each other.
Help that compassion move us to act in ways that support our spiritual and emotional wellbeing, now and always.

Amen

Rev. Lizzy Diop, BCC is ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).  She currently serves as Staff Chaplain II at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, most often providing spiritual care for children with mental illness and their families and hospital staff.  She is also a proud wife and mom.  She believes strongly that all people are created in God’s image and that all people deserve support that enables them to live full and meaningful lives.