The Dangerous Things Christians Say to Depressed People

For those of us who have a relative, friend, or church member suffering from mental illness, I pray we turn away from the dangerous belief that mental illness is something that can be prayed away. Keep praying, but stop telling us to pray in an effort to rid ourselves of mental illness because it gives more power to our shame. In addition to your prayers, take action that helps.

Read the Full Article

An image of the November 2026 issue of Sojourners, titled "Face to Face." It features George Lakey on the cover
To continue reading this article — and get full access to all our magazine content — subscribe now for as little as $5.95. Your subscription helps sustain our nonprofit journalism and allows us to pay authors for their terrific work! Thank you for your support.
Subscribe Now!