To halt the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) infections citizens
globally have been asked to self-quarantine or isolate at home and practice social
distancing outdoors. This policy may be keeping us healthy and alive but it is
also taking a toll on people’s mental health. Mood swings, panic attacks, depression, stress, anxiety,
fear and substance abuse are on the rise, even more
so for persons with a previous diagnosis.
Believers, know that your heavenly Father feels your pain.
Know also that His divine will for you is the shalom of life: peace,
harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility. GOD wants you to be especially renewed in the spirit of your mind
(Ephesians 4:20.) To this end, He expects you to use all legitimate resources
that will help you to feel better mentally and spiritually, so that you may
enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is
getting along well. (1 John 3:2.)
Both paid and free mental health help is available but you have to
reach out. Call your personal health care provider, or local public
health service offices, and set up an appointment
to discuss your symptoms. You may not have to visit in person as most healthcare
and doctors’ offices now offer remote care services via Skype or FaceTime. If none
of these are an option seek out trusted public health institutions that offer free online resources. You may do
this in addition to contacting a healthcare provider. The ones listed below offer
useful, practical, easy-to-understand online resources to print or save on
your computer. They also list hotline services** where you can talk with someone if you think your symptoms are becoming extreme:
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Coronavirus “Daily Life And Coping” web page.
- U. S. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) also produced an excellent COVID-19 resource guide.
- U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has links to a variety of Health Topics right on its home page.
Your spiritual health also needs attention now but you may find it hard to focus on praying and meditating on Scripture until you’re healthier emotionally. GOD has you covered here also. Children of GOD are
part of the family of GOD – the Church. If you’re unable to pray and read your Bible ask for help. Call a minister, bible study
leader, prayer partner, anyone that’s mature enough in the faith that you can trust with
your struggle. Share openly about what you’re experiencing and ask that person
to pray with you daily. This is critical if you live alone.
Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of
the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the
Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make
you well… The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces
wonderful results. James 5:14-15, 16b NLT.
If you don’t feel you can talk to someone and the only words
you can get out of your mouth are, JESUS, help me, that will do. You have just
appealed to your Great
High Priest and Intercessor
who will honor your heart-cry and pray to the Father for you. the Spirit
helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the
Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans…the Spirit intercedes
for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Romans 8:26-27.
Isolation is unnatural for us. Our Creator did not
design humanity to live apart from each other and we are all at odds in our spirits
to some extent. But this is what we need to do for the common good, so let’s
pray to the One who knows all things to keep us in sound mind for the
duration. He alone knows what that's going to be.
Ask GOD to do what He’s promised in His own WORDS! Psalms
3;3, 23:3-4, 34:18, 43-5, 44:5; Isaiah
40:29-31; Matthew
11:28-30; Philippians
4:8
My Father and my GOD, you are my hope during this time of darkness
and despair. Abba, my soul is downcast and overwhelmed, my heart is sad and my
spirit is weary but I look to your light and your truth to guide me back to joy.
I am trusting you, Father, to walk with me through this dark valley and bring
me to a place of peace and soul rest. You stay close to the brokenhearted
and rescue those whose spirits are crushed; you alone are able to protect me from
the enemy of depression, give me new strength and power for my weakness and lift
up my head again. I stand on your promises, my GOD and my helper. Father, I
want so much to be able to walk again in the joy of your salvation, to praise
and glorify your holy name. You have done so much for me. Please revive me again by your power and your love.
I pray in JESUS name, Amen!
**National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline
Toll-Free (English):
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Toll-Free (español): 1-888-628-9454
TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (4889)
No comments:
Post a Comment