Monday, September 14, 2015

Mental Illness in Montgomery AL


Psalm 147:3 
"He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds".


There are thousands of people in the Greater Montgomery area who live with mental illness and "1 in 4 Alabamians have a mental illness". (NAMI Alabama)

We are to care for those who are sick. Jesus never said, "only care for the standard illnesses" in Matthew 25, he just said "I was sick and you stopped to visit..." 

So, in light of our call to "visit the sick", have you visited someone lately who lives with a mental illness? Have you offered some resources for them to have a more productive life?
    The church IS responsible,according to scripture, to care for the sick and brokenhearted. 

What can you pray for today in light of scripture?
1. Pray for the Lord to show you who to minister to today. There may be a situation you know about or have known about for a long time. PRAY for guidance and direction and He will show you which way to go. Many people are not just living with mental illness but struggling deeply and feel hopeless in their daily life.
2. Pray for Montgomery area churches to get educated about mental illnesses and become advocates for those in Montgomery who live with these illnesses. I have heard MANY people decide to leave church because no one took their illness seriously. That shouldn't be the case.
3. Find out resources for help. I will leave you with one resource you can start with and pass on to friends and family in Alabama who live with mental illness.
4. Accept mental illness as an illness that is real. It is not all made up. It is not dramatic. It is painful and many people feel that there is no way out. Be your friend or family members BIGGEST FAN and ADVOCATE.

Wings Across Alabama is a non profit support and advocacy group that helps people with Mental Illnesses to find hope and healing. They have a Warm Line that is peer led. Each peer counselor is trained extensively and it is free and very confidential.



Pray for all of us, as followers of Christ, to be supportive and loving to those who live with mental illnesses. 
It IS the Jesus Way!

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