This prayer comes from my own struggles with loving and caring for myself. It is one of the hardest elements of my battle with mental illness, to learn to see and love myself as God does. I pray that this prayer can be useful to others too!
From the pain of self-hatred, Deliver me, Jesus.
From a negative view of my body and self, Deliver me, Jesus.
From disbelief in Your love for me, Deliver me, Jesus.
From doubting that I was created good, Deliver me, Jesus.
From believing I am a burden, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire to be completely self-reliant, Deliver me, Jesus.
From negative self-talk and internal dialogue, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the demands of perfectionism, Deliver me, Jesus.
From my own unattainable expectations, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the pull to neglect my bodily needs, Deliver me, Jesus.
From excessive ascetic practices that You are not asking of me, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the denial of comforts that would draw me closer to You, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the temptation to harm my self: bodily, emotionally, or spiritually, Deliver me, Jesus.
From the temptation to work without rest, Deliver me, Jesus.
When I doubt Your love for me, Be with me, Jesus.
When I want to hide from Your love, Be with me, Jesus.
When I doubt that You want my good, Be with me, Jesus.
When I despise myself, Be with me, Jesus.
When I engage in intentional self-harm, Be with me, Jesus.
When I cannot escape my own self-criticism, Be with me, Jesus.
When I get disconnected from my own self and lost in dissociation, Be with me, Jesus.
When I numb my pain in unhealthy ways, Be with me, Jesus.
When I avoid healthy self-care, Be with me, Jesus.
When I neglect my own needs, Be with me, Jesus.
That I am your beloved daughter/son, Jesus, I trust in You.
That I was created in Your image and likeness, Jesus, I trust in You.
That You are wildly in love with me, Jesus, I trust in You.
That You desire my good, Jesus, I trust in You.
That You will fulfill my good desires, Jesus, I trust in You.
That I am worthy of care and attention, Jesus, I trust in You!
That I am worthy of rest, Jesus, I trust in You!
That I am worthy of food and nourishment, Jesus, I trust in You!
That I am worthy of the care & love I extend to others, Jesus, I trust in You!
That You want me to will my own good, Jesus, I trust in You!
(Printed copies are available at our store. Please credit The Face of Mercy if sharing this prayer. We are delighted to share it as much as we can, but ask that it not be printed for anything more than personal use. You can contact us about bulk discounts or a digital download coming soon for bulk use.)