The Therapeutic Influence of Self-Disclosure in Prayer as Facilitated by the Augmented FACTS Prayer Template

Abstract Private prayer is increasingly recognized as a salutary mental health resource that associates positively with various measures of well-being. Specifically, prayer is associated with lower levels of depression (Wachholtz & Sambamthoori Journal of Religion and Health , 52 , 1356–1368, 2013) and higher levels of optimism and coping (Anderson & Nunnelley Postgraduate Medicine , 128 (7), 635–641, 2016). Yet, not all forms of prayer are equal in this regard. As emotional disclosure to God is a key mediator in the positive relationship between prayer and mental health (VandeCreek et al. The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion , 12 (1), 29–39, 2002), those types or genres of prayer that facilitate such disclosure are especially considered in this article. In this dissertation study, a mixed methods approach was taken to explore the influence of a template-based 7-day prayer intervention on anxiety levels of a sample of Christian college students ( N = 27). The FACTS prayer template used in this study is an adaptation of the classic ACTS model, modified to include designated space for the pray-er to disclose their feelings to God along with the normative elements of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. This prayer intervention had a positive impact on the mental health of the participants as a paired sample t -test showed a statistically significant decrease in scores on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item measure ( p < .001), with a large effect size of .973 ( d = .97).