Marcus Hart (00:00.706)
Before we start a quick note, this episode is for inspiration and education, not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a healthcare professional for mental health concerns. Now let's dive in. So struggling with anxiety, depression, or just feeling stuff. What if the key to your mental health breakthrough isn't just therapy or meds, but something that's
hinting in your spiritual life. I'm Marcus Hart, a veteran who's been through the trenches of PTSD and I found peace through faith. Today, I'm gonna be revealing the surprising spiritual practice that science says can transform your mental health. Stick around for the Transform You Live show because by the end, you will have three actionable steps.
to start doing breakthrough now. And trust me, you won't believe how simple this is. I mean, I thought breakthrough meant breaking through a wall over my head. Turns out it's a lot less painful than what I thought.
Now let's get down to business. Mental health is a global crisis. In 2025, one in five Americans reported anxiety or depression. And veterans like me, well, we face even higher rates. Public health experts are scrambling for solutions, but here's the thing. Science is catching up.
catching up to what the faith means have known for centuries. Spiritual practices can be a game, a game changer at least for mental health. Today, I will share three faith-based steps to unlock your breakthrough, draw you from out the woods and draw you into my journey. Scripture and cutting eggs.
Marcus Hart (02:19.13)
Research we're talking practical not preachy so let's get started and Kick things off. I want to mention that you can grab my free three-minute prayer guide which would be in the link description below and This will absolutely boost your daily peace. So check that out So step one, let's get into it Prayer as a stress reset
Philippians 4, 6 through 7 says, not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition. With Thanksgiving, present your request to God. Science backs this up. Studies show prayer reduces cortisone levels up to 25%. When I was a soldier, stress was my constant companion. So after leaving the military, PTSD, well, it made it worse. But daily prayer became
my absolute reset button. Now, I see myself sitting in the trucks as I think back. And I remember praying for five minutes before work. At first, like, you know, it felt kind of silly. I was kind of weary of who was looking at me. But soon I found that my heart rate is starting to slow down. And then I could think clearly. It was like God was like
hitting that refresh on my brain and for me. Now, let's get into some practical steps. start with five minutes of prayer daily. And you can use my three minute prayer guide to focus on gratitude and relief stress. Find a quiet spot, breathe deeply and talk to God like a friend.
Now, my prayer routine is usually in the morning. Now that I'm not out in the desert anymore, I find myself praying as early as 430 or if I sleep in, which I don't sleep in very long, about 630, I get up. And that's usually the first thing I do. One of the first things I usually do, I stretch and then I pray. Now, if I don't have anything in particular to pray about,
Marcus Hart (04:42.126)
I usually lean over to like just a simple acknowledgement of just the things that are right in my life and the things I can be grateful for. And then I end with a simple thank you and amen. Now, I do this also too at night. And before night, I also got the afternoon prayer too, which is a part of my lunch break. So I made sure I
I do a prayer right at lunch too. And it's usually a pretty quick one. And then at night it's pretty quick too. And that's just to acknowledge that the day has passed and also to think about all of the good things that happened during the day and how things could be rectified or made better for tomorrow. When I acknowledge that like, yeah, this could have been better.
I like this encounter with this person, so I put all the rules that he said to me. The evening prayer. Now, and no, you know, you don't need no fancy prayer. As I mentioned, know, God's not great in how eloquent you can be in your prayer. Now, step two, you know, we can get to step two now. Community as a human force. Galatians 6 and 2 says, carry each other's burdens.
And in this way, we'll fulfill the law of Christ. Research from the CDC shows social support cuts depression risk by 30%. As a veteran, I know that isolation can absolutely be deadly. After my service, I felt very alone until my church community stepped in, until I found other veterans to be around and to draw strength from.
And my small group didn't just pray for me. They bought meals for me. They listened and reminded me I wasn't alone in my substance. That connection absolutely saved me. Community people. So join a faith-based group or a veteran support network if you're a veteran. Share one struggle with a trusted friend this week. That's your challenge for the week. If you're in
Marcus Hart (07:07.49)
The Philippines check out local churches like the shameless faith or community events. Okay. Now a particular community moment I can draw back from is I remember joining a mass group at my last church and I didn't want to share initially, but I was encouraged to share.
And once I was encouraged to share, I felt that like that was an open invitation, but to just start connecting, you sometimes you can sit in the group and people won't call on you at all or won't acknowledge you at all, but that simple announcement, it was powerful for me because then I wasn't saying to open up and assist others with my stories, respond to other people's stories and validate whatever they was feeling.
and it really did something different for me. I lost a lot of that lack of empathy for people and I became more open to being more empath rather than not empath. So but if you want some guidance on building a community
My book Transform You on Amazon as a practical tip for you, you know, so you can also find that book on our website, Marcus-Hart.com, forward slash shop. So step three, let's know now that we moving on. Scripture has a mind renewer. Romans 12 and two says, do not conform to the pattern in this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Studies show.
that meditating on positive texts can boost your mood and resilience. For me, scripture was like a lifeline during those dark nights. I would read all the time Psalm 23 over and over and over again, picturing God as my shepherd. It was rewired into my thoughts from fear onto trust is where I led myself to.
Marcus Hart (09:32.92)
So, for you, pick one verse, you know? Pick one verse or you can, you know, use something like Psalm 23 or for Lenten's four, six through seven and read it daily for a week. Write it down, reflect on it, let it sink in and try to memorize it, okay? Well, once again, like I said, I mean, Psalm 23 really, really helped me.
that particular scripture is extra special to me because it was recommended to me by my grandmother, my late grandmother who was just was my shepherd on earth. So when you can create a connection with the scripture and you got something that you can add into the mix of that, that's something that's real to you.
you can better utilize that scripture to get through those hard times. It's like that emergency go-through thing to go to and get some instant comfort. Now, I'm not saying you're gonna glow like Moses or anything like that, but your mind might feel a little brighter. So if you need any guidance where...
a prayer and versus to start your journey. You can find that in my three minute prayer guide at Marcus-heart.com. So make sure you check that out. Now let's get to the big picture. There is a big picture in all of this. Public health experts says that mental health is a crisis with only 2 % of global health budgets for us all over the world. Crazy. So veterans, they face long wait times and the stigma.
keeps many from seeking help. As a Christian and knowing of other Christians, I think we should be the ones to advocate better and encourage better assets and support faith-based programs that work. not just something that we borrowed out of our isolation from the world. I think...
Marcus Hart (11:53.97)
things that are practical, that help, simple things like prayer, community, scriptures that help, they aren't just personal, they are a movement for healing. And I think people should really consider this. So there's your hidden spiritual key, prayer, community, and scripture. Start today and you will see breakthroughs.
Download our three-minute prayer guide at office-heart.com to begin Grab trend thing you on amazon You can also find at all my website at market there's heart.com for slash shop You can gain more deeper insights like comment is described to the transformative live show for more and By the way, what's the number one mental health breakthrough that you are seeking?
I would love for you to share with me. You can share below if you are able to or email me, send me a direct email. Press at Marcus-Hart.com. So that's P-R-E-S-S at Marcus-Hart.com. And let's transform together people, you know, and if you don't subscribe, I might pray for you extra hard. Kid, but seriously at the same time. So won't you join us. Many blessings.
Peace and lots of love. I'm out.
