Today is World Mental Health Day---October 10

Prayer: Margaret Ann Holt, UMC

O, God, we gather here together today, as people from many different faith communities. We come before You, remembering all those persons whose lives have been touched by mental illnesses. We give thanks for those persons here who have given of their time and talents to do what they are able to help persons who are dealing with mental illnesses in their lives and in the lives of their families and friends. We give thanks for the improvement in medication and treatment programs that have enabled persons with mental illnesses to live productive lives. We pray that our society would do everything possible to make early diagnosis and treatment a standard operating procedure. We pray and ask that stigma be removed, so that persons and their families would get the appropriate help as soon as symptoms appear. Guide each one of us, and help us, as we endeavor to bring help and hope to those families and individuals. Amen

Read in unison:

The faith community says to those people who suffer from the symptoms of mental illness, and to their family members:

We will walk with you. And God walks with you. You will not go through this alone.

Pray in unison:

O Lord, you have searched us and known us

You know when we sit down and when we rise up,

and know our innermost thoughts.

You search out our paths and know all our ways.

Before we speak, you know our words.

When we were knit together in our mother's womb

You knew us as woman, as child, as man.

Wherever we go, Your hand will lead us.

So guide us along the pathways to hope,

that night becomes bright as day.

So lead us on our walk together,

that darkness is lifted from our hearts.

So encourage us that our sisters and brothers

Who have mental illness shall know that

they never walk alone.

Amen

Thank you so much. My sis Katherine suffers from very severe depression, and sometimes I just feel helpless, yet I know there is always hope in Jesus. I myself struggled with clinical depression, and overcame it, through the blood of the Lamb. Yes satan is a liar and he would have you believe that you can't. But that is not so. All things are possible in Him who strengthens us.

I'm crying (from joy)as I read your comment. Praise God for you. I haven't blogged for awhile and isn't it interesting that my first post would be on World Mental Health Day. Praise God.

God bless you for commenting on my post.

Thank you for such uplifting words of encouragement. Thanks be to God!

Andrea, I am not surprised, but delighted to hear from you on this wonderful day. Hope to hear more from you. Blessings

I've battled depression my whole life. And I really BATTLED it. Not just in trying to not be depressed, but in not acknowledging the problem. I couldn't stand the thought that I wasn't strong enough. And, especially with all the 'motivational preaching' these days, ("You have to THINK positive thoughts in order to have positive things, blessings, in your life"), I felt that I was letting God down . . . not believing enough . . . not giving my problems to him . . .

Only when my problems began to affect me physically and I was FORCED to deal with them did I weep in my Doctor's office and beg for help.

Now, taking medication to balance out the chemicals that had been going haywire for so long, I can look back and realize that I fought this for no reason. I wasn't weak, I was sick. And it wasn't a lack of faith, nor was it a lack of 'blessings' . . . it was the price of being born into a sinful world where illness and imperfections can bring challenges to our lives. But God IS merciful and full of blessings. It may require medical help, but I CAN be healthy . . . physically and mentally. To me, my situation is proof that Satan can create the problem . . . but God can provide the solution.

I pray daily for Christians . . . and for ALL who battle depression. But I feel especially for those that battle the same question of faith that I went through because of this illness.

I'm so thankful that the adjusted medication is helping you. Praise God!!! Thanks for sharing ~