“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed.” -Jer 17:14
Do you feel empty or lack a sense of peace inside?
Or maybe you feel a constant commotion or disturbance within?
Some people feel despair and even helpless about their situation, their life, and themselves.
Perhaps you’ve been searching for inner healing but wonder whether it’ll ever come to you. Will you feel like this forever?
Don’t give up. Psalm 118 says, “Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble” (Ps 119:165). Stay focused on loving the Lord and being faithful to him. Pray, and trust that God will fill your heart with peace. It will come.
##Pray
###Prayer in the morning or at night:
Lord, thank you for the gift of my life and especially for the gifts of thinking and feeling. You know that I struggle with [enter your struggle]. I offer this pain and suffering up to you, and I ask you to please [enter intention]. Lord, I know that you love me and want me to be happy. I love you, and I ask you to please grant that I will be filled with peace and joy inside. Please grant that I will be healed of [enter intention]. Thank you, Lord. Please be with me and grant me peace and happiness, Lord, that I may be healed. Amen.
###Scripture passages to repeat for comfort and hope:
“I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security.” -Jer 33:6
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” -Rom 15:13
“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed.” -Jer 17:14
“Nothing can be impossible with God.” -Lk 1:37
“It is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” -Rom 8:16-18
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” -1 Cor 10:13
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior…he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him.” -Lk 1:46-47,49-50
###Who to pray to for intercession: St. Dymphna
We recommend praying to St. Dymphna because she is the patron saint of mental health issues and people have received miraculous cures for their mental health issues through her intercession.
Novena:
St. Dymphna, I know that you have helped many people who are in need of mental and emotional healing. I too am in need of this healing. I have been struggling with [enter your struggle] for a long time. I want to get better so I can experience peace and happiness and not feel consumed by pain and suffering. I offer my pain and suffering up to the Lord, and I ask you, St. Dymphna, to please pray and intercede that [enter intention]. I ask you to help me with this so I may glorify God with joy, like Mary, with the words, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” Thank you, St. Dymphna, for all you will do to help me with this. Please pray and intercede for me. Thank you. Amen.
###Cooperate with God
Sometimes God’s answer to our prayers comes when he works through practical means to help us. Here are some steps you can take to keep the door open to working with any practical means God might use to help you:
- If you feel like a counselor might help and don’t have one already, schedule an appointment with a counselor.
- Read at least one book on the issue you are struggling with. Learning what the fields of psychology and psychiatry say about the issue can help you to better understand what you are going through and identify steps you can take to improve.
- Set a prayer plan, and stick with it. Pray every day. When you pray, open your heart to God. Tell him how you are feeling, and ask him to help. Keep your heart open to God so he can work to heal you. If you have the opportunity to attend Eucharistic Adoration, spend at least a half hour there. Be sure part of the time is spent listening to God in silence after you finish telling him how you feel and asking him for help.
- Receive the sacrament of Confession often. Many people experience a sense of peace after receiving this sacrament. Going to Confession is especially important if your struggles stem from sin.