O Lord, penetrate those murky corners where we hide memories and tendencies on which we do not care to look, but which we will not disinter and yield freely up to you, that you may purify and transmute them: the persistent buried grudge, the half-acknowledged enmity which is still smouldering; the bitterness of that loss we have not turned into sacrifice; the private comfort we cling to; the secret fear of failure which saps our initiative and is really inverted pride; the pessimism which is an insult to your joy, Lord; we bring all these to you, and we review them with shame and penitence in your steadfast light.
– Evelyn Underhill, The Church of England
Heavenly Father, giver of life and health: Comfort and relieve those challenged by serious and chronic mental and emotional illnesses. Give your power of healing to those who minister to their needs, that they may be strengthened in their weakness and have confidence in your loving care; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
– National Alliance on Mental Illness
Restless with grief and fear, the abandoned turn to you: in every hour of trial, good Lord, deliver us, O God most holy, God most strong, whose wisdom is the cross of Christ.
Free us, God of mercy, from all that keeps us from you; relieve the misery of the anxious and the ashamed and fill us with the hope of peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Open our ears, glorious Lord Christ, to hear the music of your voice above the chaos of this world; open our eyes to see the vision of your glory, for you are our King, now and for ever.
Lord Jesus Christ, when scorn and shame besiege us and hope is veiled in grief, hold us in your wounded hands and make your face shine on us again, for you are our Lord and God.
– The Church of England
God of the empty tomb and the Emmaus road, awaken us and open our lives to your presence. We long to step fully into new life and to recognize you in all whom we meet. As we come into your presence, remove from us all that separates us from our neighbors. Show us how to be your people, a people of radical hospitality, a people welcoming all human differences knowing that in you we are all made perfect. We come before you ready to leave behind darkness and emptiness, willing to have our eyes opened to seeing you in the faces around us. Meet us here as we worship you that we may experience the transforming power of Jesus Christ.
– The Rev. Dr. Rachael Keefe
O God of light and knowledge — we pray that darkness, fear and ignorance about serious mental illnesses might be dispelled by the light of knowledge.
We pray for peace and wholeness – for those with troubled minds and hearts, that broken lives and relationships might be mended.
We ask for understanding — that the walls of stigma, labels, exclusion and marginalization might be broken down through education and advocacy
We pray for healing — for men, women and children living with mental illness, for better treatment, for steadier recovery, for greater opportunity to work and serve.
We ask for faith and hope – for those who feel no one cares. Dispel their despair through a cup of cold water, an outstretched arm, a listening ear, a committed advocate.
We offer our thanks – for new discoveries in medical research, for faithful caregivers, for dedicated mental health professionals and persistent researchers.
Most of all, O God of steadfast love, we thank you for your love — that sustains the weary, that defends the weak, that sets the lonely in families, that brings beauty out of ashes, that brings a song in the night; that inspires courage to hope, to watch, to work for a new and brighter day.
– National Alliance on Mental Illness
