Hi Pray.com family, this is Drew Brees.

May is mental health awareness month, so I'd like to share how we connect our faith to this. The Word of God is full of Scriptures that address emotional distress. We can be comforted knowing that we are not alone—even the strongest believers experience despair and chronic mental illness. The Bible does not avoid topics of depression, anxiety, or anger. Lamentations 3 is such a powerful chapter expressing how someone can go from despair to hope after claiming Biblical promises. “My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood, and the gall...But this I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not” Lamentations 3:18-22.

Hope is indeed an antidote to painful emotions. I have a collection of verses I turn to regain my hope when struggling. Praying these verses over my circumstances brings peace, and they improve relationships with my family, friends, and most importantly, God.

The Bible also calls us “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” So, as we recognize Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s also see how we can serve others and be a beacon of hope.

Lord, thank you for your mercies, kindness, and grace. You never leave us nor forsake us. Jesus, I pray for those listening that are experiencing chronic mental illness. I pray that they have freedom from this in Jesus’ name and that they can be a shining testimony to others who need healing. Amen.

– Drew Brees