It’s the second half of the year. How far gone are you with the dreams and visions that Jesus gave you at the start of the year?
Oh, you know what I’m talking about.
You had a journal for 2025. You jotted stuff down and started mind-mapping. You are not a quitter, so you kept showing up day after day to do something about those dreams in your hands; I know it.
But now, with the year halfway through, you’re possibly vetting your impact and judging yourself. Have you really DONE something about this?
I know what that can feel like. Whenever you are so pumped with ideas, you scribble them down, creating a long list of life-changing, God-given, and world-transforming ideas.
But faith without works is dead.
Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. – James 2:26
Here’s what I think is happening:
Mind paralysis, a word I like to think I brilliantly coined, refers to a state of being mentally and emotionally overwhelmed, where an individual experiences a brain crash or freeze response, making it difficult to process information, organize thoughts, or take action.
It’s not a word we talk about every day, but it’s a stark reality living among us. Or else, tell me why an able-bodied youth can’t execute their own transformative ideas.
The problem isn’t that they can’t; they just don’t.
The spirit is willing, but the body is weak. — Matthew 21:46
Mind paralysis finds a way to steal your time. You will think you’re having a creative block, but the truth is your mind can’t seem to decide what to do next. Should it start at number 1 on the list, or should it begin with the simplest task? How long will it take? What if…
The more you think about it, drafting pages upon pages of plans, the more you somehow never seem to get the work done. I’ve been there, so I can tell you this is an actual problem.
How Often Do People Experience “Mind Paralysis”?
While “mind paralysis” isn’t a clinical term you’d find directly in medical or psychological diagnostic manuals, it perfectly encapsulates several well-researched psychological phenomena that lead to inaction and feeling stuck. These include:
- Analysis Paralysis: Overthinking a decision to the point where no decision is made. It’s stated that 85% of people suffer from decision-making distress, which can lead directly to analysis paralysis. This suggests a very high prevalence of feeling stuck in the mud as overthinking and complexity take over. This often stems from a fear of failure, the desire to be a “maximizer” (seeking the absolute best outcome) rather than a “satisficer” (seeking a good enough outcome), and even anxiety.
- Procrastination: The voluntary delay of an intended course of action despite expecting negative consequences. A 2007 meta-analysis by University of Calgary psychologist Piers Steel, PhD, reported that 80% to 95% of college students procrastinate, particularly with coursework. [Check]
- Executive Dysfunction: Difficulties with planning, organizing, task initiation, and self-regulation. While often associated with conditions like ADHD, executive dysfunction can affect anyone experiencing high stress, anxiety, depression, or sleep deprivation. These are very common experiences for young adults.
When we look at the data and research surrounding these related concepts, it becomes clear that the experience of “mind paralysis” is incredibly common.
How Can You Tell You’re Experiencing Mind Paralysis?
Well, that’s easy. Have you done anything about the goals you planned? Do you spend more time talking about what you want to do than actually doing it? Let’s do a full diagnosis:
You suffer uncertainty:
- You’ve got amazing ideas, but the “what ifs” are louder than the “let’s do its.”
- Every potential step forward feels like walking into a fog. No clear path.
- You constantly ask for more opinions but never feel truly ready to decide.
There’s a morbid fear always rolling in your head:
- That pit in your stomach when you think about actually starting? Yeah, that.
- You’re more afraid of trying and failing than of never trying at all.
- The “What will people say, think, or do?” question is your most frequent thought.
Learn how to help your child overcome fear.
You are the king/queen of excuses:
- “I’ll start tomorrow.” (Tomorrow never comes.)
- Your to-do list is a masterpiece, but your “done” list? Not so much.
- You’ve got a perfectly logical reason for why right now is NOT the right time. Always.
You’ll rather sleep and get to it later:
- Your bed feels like a safe haven from your ambitious “dreams”.
- A little sleep, a little slumber, a little turning on the bed spans into hours of lost productivity.
- The snooze button is your best friend when faced with a daunting task.
You’ve absolutely lost your zeal:
- You can’t find the spark that got you interested in the first place.
- The thought of tackling your goals now feels like a chore.
- You feel dispirited before you even lift a finger.
If this is so you, then Jesus wants to heal you. He wants to help you get your life back on track, set your feet to leap like the deer’s, and help you crush those visions and dreams He gave you a long time ago. He wants to help you do something about everything right now if you let Him.
How to Overcome Mind Paralysis With Scriptures
God’s Word is the living, breathing weapon that cuts through mental fog and infuses your spirit with divine clarity and courage. When you are overwhelmed and can’t seem to get anything done, pray the Psalms.
The book of Psalms is an amazing compendium for all sorts of challenges. They are filled with raw human vulnerability and God’s unwavering mercy and power to help. When you pray the Psalms, you echo the cries of ancient saints, aligning your heart with God’s truth and inviting His Spirit to reform your mind.
Would you like some Psalms to conquer mind paralysis? Great!
Psalm 25:4-5 (NIV)
Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
How to Pray It: This is a prayer of humble submission and desperate longing for direction. When you’re overwhelmed by options or frozen by indecision, speak these words aloud. Ask God to literally show you the way, to teach you the next step, and to guide you. Confess that your hope isn’t in your own understanding, but in Him as your Savior. Repeat it until you feel a shift from confusion to a quiet knowing that help is on the way.
Psalm 32:8 (NIV)
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
How to Pray It: This is God’s promise. When mind paralysis stems from a lack of clear direction, pray this verse as a declaration over your life. Thank God that He will instruct you. Visualize His loving eye on you, guiding you gently without judgment. This helps to quiet the noise of self-doubt and anxious thoughts in your head, trusting that the perfect path will be revealed.
Psalm 27:1 (NIV)
The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
How to Pray It: This Psalm confronts fear head-on. When that morbid fear rolls in, stand firm and declare these truths. Remind yourself (and the enemy of your soul) that God is your light (revealing the path, banishing darkness), your salvation (rescuer), and your stronghold (safe, impenetrable fortress). Personalize it: “The Lord is my light, my salvation.” Let the question “Whom shall I fear?” echo in your spirit until fear loses its grip.
Psalm 56:3-4 (NIV)
When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
How to Pray It: This Psalm gives you a direct action: when fear strikes, declare your trust in God. It’s an active choice. Repeat “In God I trust and am not afraid” until it begins to replace the fear. The repetition reprograms your mind. The rhetorical question, “What can mere mortals do to me?” reminds you that your greatest fear (often of others’ criticism) is insignificant compared to God’s power.
Psalm 73:26 (NIV)
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
How to Pray It: This Psalm acknowledges human weakness, perfectly addressing feelings of inadequacy or the fatigue that leads to excuses. But it doesn’t stop there. It then declares God as the strength. When you feel weak, pray this Psalm, emphasizing God as the strength of your heart. Lean into His power, knowing that your ability doesn’t depend on your failing strength but on His never-failing might.
Psalm 143:8 (NIV)
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.
How to Pray It: This is a morning prayer for clarity and direction, directly countering procrastination. Begin your day with it. Ask for God’s unfailing love to inspire you and specifically for Him to show you the way you should go. You release the burden of needing to figure it all out alone when you entrust your life to Him, allowing His divine guidance to motivate your actionable steps.
Psalm 90:17 (NIV)
May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.
How to Pray It: This is a powerful prayer for divine enablement and fruitfulness, especially when you struggle to get work done. Pray for the favor of the Lord to rest on you and His divine anointing and blessing on your efforts. The repetition “establish the work of our hands” is a fervent plea for God to bring stability, effectiveness, and successful completion to what you put your hand to. This is a prayer for supernatural momentum.
Praying the Psalms is a spiritual exercise that can literally rewire your brain and break the chains of mind paralysis. It’s the power that can get your mind moving again until you can bring those dreams to reality. I want you to be truly free.
Download our FREE “Psalms for Mental Breakthrough Pamphlet” to pray Psalms that will transform your mind. And if you need an extra boost, get this customized gift box for only a few dollars.
So, what’s the first Psalm you will be praying this month?
