When Faith Fights for You: A Testimony of Intercession, Obedience, and Mental Endurance

Jesus + Therapy Series

There’s a unique kind of strength required to hope when you’ve been disappointed repeatedly. And for many of us, that strength is found not in ourselves—but in our faith.

Recently, I shared a personal testimony during a 40-day challenge that radically transformed my understanding of intercession, obedience, and the impact of mental and emotional strain through prolonged seasons of waiting. My husband’s journey to becoming a physician has been nothing short of miraculous—but it has also taken a deep toll on both of us, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

This isn’t just a story about passing a medical exam. It’s a story about what happens when intercession meets agreement—and how God responds when faith stays rooted despite exhaustion.

The Mental Toll of Delays, Detours, and Denial

My husband’s path through medical school and residency was riddled with setbacks: multiple MCAT attempts, years spent re-taking critical board exams, remediation during residency, and the looming threat of dismissal from his program if he didn’t pass his STEP 3 exam. While he wrestled with performance anxiety and test trauma, I silently battled something just as heavy—mental burnout, frustration with God, and emotional fatigue from years of holding it all together.

As a therapist and a believer, I wholeheartedly believe in the intersection of mental health and faith. The way God uses our mental struggles to build spiritual resilience should be studied, if it has not been already. I could diagnose the mental patterns: the anxious rumination, the depressive thoughts creeping in, the resentment building from unmet expectations. But the deeper I pressed into God, the more I realized—He was using all of it. Every delay. Every disappointment. Every "almost."

Trauma, even when it’s not the kind you find in textbooks, can show up in the form of prolonged stress, chronic uncertainty, and the pain of watching someone you love struggle over and over again. And yet—God was present in every piece of it.

Intercession is Mental Work Too

When I entered this most recent 40-day challenge, I made up my mind: I would go to war in prayer for my husband’s breakthrough. I didn’t ask him to fast. I didn’t weigh him down with my worries. I needed him focused. So while he studied, I prayed. While he reviewed, I fasted. While he prepared for his final attempt at STEP 3, I circled the testing center— like literally walked around the outside and inside of the building and prayed.

I did all of this without him knowing. Not because I was hiding anything—but because sometimes, intercession is the mental health support people don’t know they need. I believed that prayer wasn’t a last resort; it was my strategic intervention.

Mental health isn’t always about therapy rooms and coping tools—it’s about the spiritual discipline of staying present, staying hopeful, and staying anchored when every part of your flesh wants to give up.

Agreement is Where the Healing Multiplies

Something incredible happened during those 40 days: People started agreeing with me in prayer—without me asking. Friends fasted with me. Sisters texted to check in. My community surrounded me and reminded me that I didn’t have to stand in the gap alone.

Agreement is a powerful force for mental wellness. When people show up and say, “I’m with you,” it calms the nervous system. It reduces emotional overwhelm. It shifts the weight of the burden just enough for you to breathe again.

We weren’t meant to battle in isolation. When heaven hears unified voices, breakthrough isn’t just possible—it’s accelerated.

When God Passes You By Just Enough

When my husband’s test results finally came, he passed—with the minimum score required. And in that moment, I felt both celebration and surrender. I had asked God for exceeding and abundant. But God whispered: "I’m still getting the glory."

I realized then—mental health is as much about managing expectations as it is about celebrating outcomes. Sometimes God shows up in the margin so we never forget Who carried us there.

Faith-Based Mental Health Practices That Sustained Me

Here are the practices that held me together during this stretch:

1. Faith-Focused Intercession: I didn’t just pray—I strategized my prayer life like a plan of care. Specific, intentional, and scheduled.

2. Fasting with Purpose: I aligned my physical sacrifice with my spiritual demands. Fasting gave me clarity and stamina.

3. Community Accountability: I told trusted people my goals. They checked in, supported me, and helped me stay obedient.

4. Scriptural Anchoring: I leaned heavily on verses like Mark 9:24 (“Help my unbelief”) and Daniel 9:19 (“Do not delay!”) to shape my declarations and regulate my emotions.

5. Mental Surrender: When anxiety tried to creep in, I prayed harder and repeated, “God, this is Your battle.” Letting go helped me mentally survive.

Intercession is Emotional Labor—but it’s Worth It

If you’re praying for someone and feeling tired, know this: God sees your heart. Your labor is not in vain. If you’re in a waiting season, remember that God is working—especially in the delays. And if you’re carrying emotional weight that no one sees, understand this:

• You’re not alone.

• Your prayers matter.

• And God will respond.

  
  

Your faith doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be present.

So today, I challenge all those who believe to take your mental load to the altar. Partner your therapy with prayer. Match your fasting with faith. And invite others to agree with you.

Because when agreement meets intercession—heaven responds.