Lord,
You know my amygdala—
my emotional danger detector, 
my fear sensor,
my fight-or-flight first responder—
is overactive.

Perhaps this happened naturally,
and I was just born with it.
Perhaps it happened over time
as difficult life experiences accumulated.
More likely it is
some mysterious blending of both.

But I believe You made me moldable, malleable, neuroplastic.
I believe I have the capacity to change through the power of the Spirit.
I believe I can be transformed by the renewing of my mind.
I have seen it happen so many times in my life.

So today
I pray the peace of Christ
over my amygdala.
[place fingers on temples/ears, approximately parallel to amygdala]

Father,
Wrap my limbic system
in the all-surpassing love of Christ.
[wrap fingers around thumbs to simulate God’s love wrapping around the emotional midbrain]

Holy Spirit,
Give me a new heart
and a new mind.
[open hands to God as a symbol of opening heart and mind to His power]

Amen.

//

With gratitude to Dr. Dan Siegel for his hand model of the brain and to the prayer minister at our church, who taught us the power of laying hands on places that need healing, whether in our own bodies or others’ (with permission of course).

Scriptural inspiration: Ezekiel 36:26; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Ephesians 3:14-20; 2 Timothy 1:7