{"id":385250,"date":"2026-04-18T04:02:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T04:02:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/385250\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T04:02:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T04:02:32","slug":"be-honest-with-god-about-your-mental-health-the-crosswalk-devotional-april-12-daily-devotional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/385250\/","title":{"rendered":"Be Honest with God about Your Mental Health – The Crosswalk Devotional – April 12 – Daily Devotional"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Be Honest with God about Your Mental Health
By: Whitney Hopler<\/p>\n

Bible Reading:
\u201cAnswer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.\u201d – Psalm 143:7-8<\/a>, NIV<\/p>\n

At\u00a0<\/a>George Mason University\u2019s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being<\/a>, I work on university-wide well-being initiatives \u2013 including programs designed to break down the stigma of struggling with mental health. We believe that talking openly about mental health struggles can help all people strengthen their well-being. In Psalm 143:7-8<\/a>, King David<\/a> is completely honest about how much he\u2019s struggling with his mental health. He prays about it without holding back, and he tells God that he trusts him to help.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re also struggling with your mental health, you might feel like you have to try to fix your mood before you can talk to God. You might think you need to present a polished prayer<\/a> to God that makes it seem like you\u2019re not really suffering much. But\u00a0<\/a>the Psalms can help you develop a deeper relationship with God<\/a> by showing you how to communicate honestly with him. Many of the Psalms describe the reality of people suffering in this fallen world. In Psalm 143:7-8<\/a>, David shows that it\u2019s okay to not be okay.\u00a0<\/p>\n

David starts his prayer with a desperate plea: \u201cAnswer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails.\u201d If you feel like your spirit is failing today, you\u2019re in good company. Many people feel that way sometimes when going through challenging circumstances. Admitting that your mental health is struggling isn\u2019t a sign of weak faith; it\u2019s actually a sign of healthy faith, because it shows that you trust God enough to be honest with him and reach out for help. God already knows what you\u2019re going through, and he\u2019s strong enough to help you with whatever it is \u2013 burnout, anxiety<\/a>, depression, or any other mental health concern.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re honest with God about the \u201cpit\u201d you feel you\u2019re falling into, you can stop wasting energy trying to hide. Whether you\u2019re overwhelmed by your responsibilities, worried about a problem you don\u2019t know how to solve, or feeling lonely because of a broken relationship, God wants to help you. You can come to God just as you are. God wants the real you, not the \u201cInstagram-worthy\u201d version of you. Remember that God is the one who designed your mind and your emotions. Your loving Creator can help you with whatever you\u2019re going through.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As he struggles, David reaches for a lifeline by praying: \u201cLet the morning bring me word of your unfailing love.\u201d When you\u2019re struggling mentally, your thoughts can run on a loop of worries and self-criticism. You need a different word \u2013 a word of\u00a0<\/a>God\u2019s unfailing love<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When you seek God\u2019s love, you\u2019re placing your mental health in the hands of the Great Physician. Just pray honestly, from your heart, about your mental health struggles. Then listen for\u00a0<\/a>God\u2019s guidance to make the best decisions<\/a> about caring for your mental health. God may lead you to a counselor, a doctor, a support group, or supportive friends. Just as David prayed for God to \u201cshow me the way I should go\u201d, God will show you the way you should go to get the help you need.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, if you\u2019re struggling with a mental health challenge, remember that you can trust God to love you no matter what and to help you with whatever you need. God is not hiding his face from you;\u00a0<\/a>he\u2019s right there with you<\/a>, waiting for you to reach out and take his hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Intersecting Faith & Life:<\/p>\n

As you consider why it\u2019s important to be honest with God about your mental health, reflect on these questions:\u00a0<\/p>\n

When you feel your spirit failing, is your first instinct to hide from God or to pray to God, as David did?\u00a0What are some of the words of unfailing love (God\u2019s promises in the Bible) that you can hold onto when your mental health feels shaky?\u00a0How can being honest with God about your mental health struggles strengthen your relationship with him?\u00a0Who are the people in your life that God might be using to show you the way to the mental health care you need?\u00a0What\u2019s one way you can entrust your soul to God today and let him lead you toward better mental health?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Further Reading:
Psalm 34:18<\/a>
Matthew 11:28<\/a>
Philippians 4:6-7<\/a>
1 Peter 5:7<\/a>
2 Timothy 1:7<\/a><\/p>\n

Join the conversation<\/a>! Share how today\u2019s devotional encouraged or challenged you in your walk with Christ.<\/p>\n

Photo Credit: \u00a9GettyImages\/Natali_Mis\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"headshotWhitney Hopler helps people discover God’s wonder and experience awe. She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books\u00a0Wake Up to Wonder<\/a> and\u00a0Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year<\/a>, and the young adult novel\u00a0Dream Factory<\/a>. Whitney has served as an editor at leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA\u2019s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She currently leads the communications work at\u00a0George Mason University\u2019s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being<\/a>. Connect with Whitney on her website at\u00a0www.whitneyhopler.com<\/a> and\u00a0on her\u00a0Facebook author page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Check out fantastic resources on Faith<\/a>, Family<\/a>, and Fun<\/a> at Crosswalk.com<\/a>!\u00a0<\/p>\n

Listen to the Jesus Calling Podcast!<\/p>\n

Welcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast<\/a>, inspired by the topical themes from Sarah Young\u2019s seasonal prayer devotional Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season. Today, we are featuring guests who speak to themes that all of us might be experiencing in this season of winter. As the days grow shorter and the night longer, we are offered a rare gift: permission to stop. This season can be a challenging time for many, and if you are struggling with low spirits, please know you are not alone, and help is available. This episode is an opportunity to honor your weariness, to resist the urge to rush, and to discover the profound healing that happens when we simply let ourselves rest in the stillness. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling<\/a> on Apple<\/a> or Spotify<\/a> so you never miss an episode!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Be Honest with God about Your Mental HealthBy: Whitney Hopler Bible Reading:\u201cAnswer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":385251,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[134,554,555,111,139,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-385250","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mental-health","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-mental-health","10":"tag-mentalhealth","11":"tag-new-zealand","12":"tag-newzealand","13":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=385250"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385250\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/385251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=385250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=385250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=385250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}