Wisdom for Mental HealthSample

Lighthouse 3: Prayer

Does God hear me? Does He see my pain? And … will He help me? These are common questions, especially for those of us wrestling with our mental health.

Verses like this one that we just saw today offer hope:

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 NIV

This tells us that we can step into prayer with the assurance that God sees, hears, and loves us. But while we know this is true, it doesn’t always feel so simple.

Maybe you’ve been asking God for help, but it doesn’t feel like things have gotten better. And it makes you wonder if this verse truly applies to you.

Fortunately, the Apostle Paul wondered the same thing in 2 Corinthians 12. What was he facing? We don’t really know. Paul simply calls it “a thorn in the flesh.”

Plenty of people speculate about what it could have been, but there’s no clear answer. Paul might have preferred it that way. Why? Because the point of the passage isn’t Paul’s thorn—it’s how we respond when God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we hope.

Paul prayed for his thorn to go away three times, but it didn’t. He might have felt sad, frustrated, or betrayed; we don’t know for sure. But we do know his response.

Paul didn’t give up on God or on prayer. Instead, he discovered wisdom that helped him find peace. His thorn might have been painful, but it was part of God’s plan for his life. And through his thorn, he found a deeper and more personal relationship with God.

In a nutshell: Prayer for healing is a good thing and is often a source of peace and comfort. So keep praying, even when God doesn’t answer the way you hope.

You’re invited to pray. Ask God for peace, and perhaps healing, too. As you pray, remember to spend time listening. It may be that God wants to encourage you or teach you something new. Maybe this season of pain has a purpose, and only prayer can unlock its potential.

God is present, and He wants connection. He has invited us to approach Him confidently and ask for anything. Sometimes we receive what we ask for. Other times we don’t. But when God doesn’t respond in the way we expect, it’s always an invitation to listen, learn, and experience God’s love in a new way.

Pray: God, thank You for being close and consistent. Please help me to remember You when I feel broken, so I can pray and find peace. In Jesus’ name, amen.