A Prayer for Courage to Ask for Help

Father, I know I cannot keep doing this alone, and yet the words stick in my throat. To tell someone would mean admitting how bad it has gotten, and the fear of their face when they hear it has kept me silent for too long.

I confess my pride has been a kind of prison. I have called my secrecy strength when it was really just shame wearing a disguise.

So before I lose my nerve, I bring this fear to You and ask You to move me past it.

Give me the courage to say the true thing out loud, to a friend, a meeting, a counselor, a hotline, a hand reaching back. Soften the person who hears it so I am met with help and not judgment. Remind me that reaching for support is not weakness but the first real act of strength I have made in a long time, and that You designed me to be carried by others.

We are meant to bear one another's burdens, and in doing so we fulfill Your way of love. Let me be brave enough to let mine be shared.

I give You my pride and my fear of being seen. Open my mouth. Send me the person who will help, and the courage to accept them. Amen.