How Prayer Strengthens Your Mental & Emotional Health

By Amy Jankowski, Master of Arts in Christian Counseling

The Time My Love Was Low and My Cortisol Was High

“Are you going to tell Cindy how you are behaving?” I pause, hearing my husband’s question. I am over here acting like a heathen with zero love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and we don’t even want to talk about self-control.

I stand there crowned in pride and clothed in cortisol-powered anger. Am I going to tell Cindy? Cindy, my prayer partner? The Baptist version of Mother Teresa?

Looking in her eyes and confessing this less than Christ-like (okay, this nowhere near Christ-like) display wasn’t what I wanted to do. I knew I would confess, though, so that I may be forgiven by God and healed. 

Confession, which is a humbling and healing part of prayer, is good for your soul. It is also good for your mental and emotional health. Prayer releases oxytocin and lowers harmful cortisol.

When we confess, we openly admit to God that we have violated His laws and desire to change our ways. Once we confess, the forgiveness and cleansing that comes next open up the doors for healing in our relationship with God, others, and ourselves, increasing our oxytocin levels.

Prayer frees us from cortisol-triggering emotions like fear, shame, and bitterness, and also gives us the peace we need to move towards healthy and loving relationships. 

Thanksgiving, like confession, is another mental and emotional healing tool of prayer. Thanksgiving allows us to reflect and be grateful for the blessings in our lives instead of living in worry and fear.

Expressing gratitude releases oxytocin, or the “love hormone,” which helps strengthen connections and bonds between us and God as well as others. Gratitude is powerful and improves your mood, mind, and mental health.

“Perfect LOVE (oxytocin) casts out fear (cortisol). We are wired for LOVE and PEACE. Don’t settle for less.” Amanda Casabella, Neuroscientist.