A Prayer for Students of Psychology and Behavioral Health

praying your way through university #5

I’ve been tasked with helping to integrate faith into the programs of the College of Online Learning at Evangel University, and I’m going to do it with prayer. You can read the full introduction to these prayers here.

Students will be invited to pray along with their professors as they study.

The prayers are modeled on a medieval art form called a florilegium which means “flower-gathering.” Each phrase of the prayer comes from a passage of Scripture (I’ve footnoted them). Each Scripture is like a flower from a different plant that, when brought together, creates a new and uniquely beautiful “bouquet.” They have a trinitarian structure, and (generally) follow the timeline of the Scriptures, moving from Creation and the OT, to Jesus, to the Spirit and the life of the world to come. The hope is that students will learn to pray in trinitarian fashion, and that they’ll get some biblical literacy while they do.

If you share this prayer, please link this page for the Scripture references.

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God, our Father,

You are merciful and gracious,

Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.¹

Your people are anxious and troubled about many things.²

Keep count of their tossings, and put their tears in your bottle.³

May you hear those who in distress call to you.⁴

Jesus Christ, Our Good Shepherd who leads us through the valley of the shadow of death.⁵

On the night you were betrayed your sweat became like great drops of blood.⁶

You asked our Father on the cross why he abandoned you.⁷

Do not abandon our souls to Sheol, we ask.⁸

Say to us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled!”⁹

And, “Fear not!”¹⁰

And, “I am with you always.”¹¹

Holy Spirit, our helper,

Keep in perfect peace those whose minds are stayed on you.¹²

May we who study behavioral health and who care for the needy be given gracious words to speak:

Like honeycomb—sweetness to the soul and health to the body.¹³

And may you heal as we anoint with oil and pray over the afflicted.¹⁴

To the One who will wipe away every tear—¹⁵

Amen.

1. Psalm 86:15

2. Luke 10:41

3. Psalm 56:8

4. Psalm 18:6

5. Psalm 23:1, 4

6. Luke 22:44

7. Mark 15:34

8. Psalm 16:10

9. John 14:27

10. Luke 12:7

11. Matthew 28:20

12. Isaiah 26:3

13. Proverbs 16:24

14. James 5:14

15. Revelation 21:4