When You’re Weary: Finding Hope in Depression and Faith with Jacob Coyne
It’s a Sunday morning, but nothing about the sun peeking through the clouds feels joyful. You went to bed early, but sleep never came. Your thoughts spiral, and your mind is fuzzy. You want to go to church, but you feel too heavy. No one seems to understand, and if you mention anxiety or depression, you’re told to “pray and read your Bible more.” Frustrated, you pull the covers over your head and hope for rest.
Can you relate? According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, you’re not alone. 1 in 5 U.S. adults experiences mental illness each year. 50% of all lifetime mental illnesses begin by age 14, and 75% by age 24. In 2023, 20% of high school students seriously considered suicide, and Christians aren’t exempt. Lifeway Research found that 64% of evangelical Christians and 54% of all Americans believe churches should do more to prevent suicide.
Faith communities are often the first place people turn for help, and that’s a good thing. But only 15% of pastors feel “very” equipped to help someone in their congregation who’s dealing with trauma (Barna). The number of congregants who feel prepared to handle mental health issues is even lower.
Churches can fill important gaps in mental health care, yet research shows there’s still a great need for practical, lasting support. While many people of faith turn to clergy and professionals, some avoid therapy altogether due to misunderstanding, misinformation, or lack of trust. It’s time for faith and mental health communities to work together. That’s where Jacob Coyne and Glorify’s new course, When You’re Weary, offers a fresh response.
The Story Behind Stay Here
Jacob knows this tension well: the space between light and darkness, surrender and shame, seeking help or hiding away. As a believer, Jacob had no grasp on suicide until tragedy struck close to home.
“I lost my Uncle Gregg to suicide in 2015,” Jacob shared. “Three years later, my stepbrother died from a drug overdose, followed by two of my students, and then my friend Jarrid Wilson in 2019. By that time, it was the last straw. After Jarrid died on World Suicide Prevention Day, I decided I was going to learn why people do it, and if we can actually stop and prevent it.”
Determined to turn pain into purpose, Jacob launched Stay Here in 2020—a non-profit mental health movement dedicated to creating a suicide-free generation. Its mission: To stop suicide in every generation until suicide no longer exists. Since then, Stay Here has trained nearly 100,000 people in suicide prevention. Their goal is to reach 10,000 schools and churches, as well as 1 million individuals.
The Heart Behind: When You’re Weary
Five years into ministry, Jacob met Henry Costa, CEO of Glorify—the #1 Christian daily devotional app designed to help people connect with God in a modern, accessible way. Offering devotionals, meditations, and Scripture readings, Glorify bridges mental health with daily spiritual practices. After meeting Costa, Jacob was struck by one detail: Glorify is one of the only apps that’s human-created. “It’s not an AI sloth,” he laughed. "Humans write the content. So, when I had the opportunity to partner with them, I knew it would be a blessing both ways.”
Through their collaboration, Glorify users gain 24/7 mental health support rooted in biblical truth, while those in the Stay Here community gain daily encouragement to spiritually sustain them. Together, they launched When You’re Weary: What the Bible Says About Healing, Hope, and Depression, a five-part series offering Scripture-based guidance for those struggling with depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts.
“Most people with mental health struggles are weary and searching for help,” Jacob said. “When you’re chronically online, it’s often because you’re longing for real spiritual food. This course doesn’t just offer a Band-Aid for your wounds, but [practical, biblical tools for] healing.”
And it’s working. 86% of users say Glorify has reduced their stress and anxiety. 92% say it’s improved their overall well-being, and 90% feel more equipped to handle life’s challenges. These aren’t just statistics; they’re faces and names of those searching for hope and finding it.
Scripture Is Honest about Suffering—and Hopeful about Healing
Coyne’s course seamlessly blends biblical truth and mental health principles, reminding us that Scripture is honest about suffering and hopeful about healing.
“Many people fear that if they say the word [suicide], they’ll plant the idea in someone’s mind and be responsible,” Jacob shared. “I used to think I’d wash my hands of it and hope that people would deal with it on their own. But looking back, that’s an awful belief many in the Church still have today.” Silence doesn’t save people; it isolates them.
When individuals don’t feel safe to confess struggles with trauma, depression, anxiety, suicide, or self-hatred, they’ll keep silent. “People in the church still battle these things, but they’re afraid to ask for help because it’s rarely addressed from the pulpit or online,” he said.
This must change. Jesus modeled this compassion perfectly in John 5, when He met the man at the pool of Bethesda. For 38 years, the man had suffered without relief. Yet Jesus noticed his pain and asked, “Do you want to be well?”
Jacob believes Jesus asks the same question of us today: “Who does that? Who offers healing to someone who’s been sick for so long?” Jacob reflected. “Jesus sees, hears, and heals because He loves you too much to leave you broken forever. Death is not our Savior. You don’t have to wait until you get to Heaven to experience freedom. Freedom is here and now.”
Spiritual Habits That Support Mental Health
While the course dives deeper into practical tools, Jacob shared two key habits that help him sustain hope: meditating on Scripture and contemplative prayer.
“Start your morning by reciting Scripture out loud and then reflect on it until it moves from your head to your heart,” Jacob said. “Don’t rush. Sit in it. Digest it like a meal that will sustain you throughout your day.”
Romans 12:2 reminds us that we can be transformed by the renewal of our minds, a truth that mirrors what neuroscience now confirms: with God’s help, our thought patterns can be rewired. “We can actually break the cycles of ruminating and stinking thinking,” Jacob added.
He also emphasized balance between work and play, grief and joy. “Running Stay Here is beautiful, but also heartbreaking,” he admitted. “Just last week, we were fundraising for an eleven-year-old girl named Sydney who attempted suicide after being bullied. She passed away five days later. That sits more with you than all the cancelled suicides. How do I go from that to keeping joy? I keep work at work, and I play with my kids. I watch our Boston terrier run after them. It keeps me young.”
Why Hope Has the Final Say
I don’t know what mental battles you’re facing today, but I know this: hope still has the final word. Even in your lowest pit, God’s love is stronger than death. When Jacob walked through his darkest season, he reminded himself that one more day mattered.
“Even in small increments,” he said, “I knew I’d look back and thank myself for not giving up. One day at a time. I invited God into my pain, and I encourage you to do the same. You will come out of this healed and better each and every day.”
If you’re struggling, don’t face it alone. Invite God into your pain, reach out for help, and take the next small step toward healing. You can also take Stay Here’s free 45-minute suicide prevention training here to learn how to communicate with those who are hurting. This course isn’t just for those who are suicidal, but for friends with anxiety and depression, too. Because it’s okay to not be okay, but it’s not okay to stay there without hope.
Resources for When You’re Weary
If you or someone you know is struggling, you’re not alone. For immediate help, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Learn more at stayhere.live or follow @stayhereorg on Instagram. Download the Glorify app to explore Jacob Coyne’s When You’re Weary series.
Where do you need God’s rest to meet your weariness today? Who in your life needs to hear a message of hope? Learning to talk to someone could save their life, and every life matters.
Let's Pray:
Dear Jesus, when I’m weary, remind me that you never grow tired of caring for me. When I feel alone, remind me that you’re with me, always. When I’m tempted to throw in the towel, remind me to stay here. Show me how to rest in your love and the comfort you provide. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/yourstockbank
Originally published October 28, 2025.
