Prayers for Anxiety and Fear to Give Your Worry to God
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Whether it is a small, slow build of anxious thoughts over time or a sudden event that causes panic, everyone faces moments of anxiety. Yet, we do not all experience anxiety the same. You may be struggling with invading thoughts of worry that distract you from everyday activities, you may experience sudden and rapid breathing, or you may be finding it difficult to have a reason to get of bed.
No matter what you feel overwhelmed or stressed about - God provides a way of escape. You are not alone. 1 Peter 5:6 and 10 tell us "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you...he will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."
When the world feels out of control, you can turn to prayer to focus and calm our thoughts on God's promises. Praying is an effective way to surrender your worries and fears to God and replace them with His peace.
If you are struggling to find the words to pray in moments of worry and depression, we want to provide you with these guiding prayers. Feel free to personalize these and make them your own. The good news is you don't need to be eloquent with words, God knows your heart! Just share your struggles with Him and ask for help.
One of the best ways to defeat anxiety is with thanksgiving and praise. While you open up to God about your worries, spend some time verbalizing what you are grateful for. Watch the powerful way that God is able to comfort you and give you peace for your anxious thoughts as you lean on him.
Short Prayers to Overcome Worry and Fear
Here are some quick, short prayers you can use in the moment when you feel your thoughts begin to spin with worry and fear.
Prayer for Heavy Heart
Lord, I want to lay before you all that weighs heavy on my heart. Reveal even the sin I am not aware of, Lord. I lay these at your feet and pray your forgiveness on me. I believe you when you say that you wash us whiter than snow. Thank you Lord for your unending love for me! Help me start fresh right now to make choices that honor you. In Jesus' Name, Amen. - Rick Warren
Prayer for Patience
Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things.Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices. - St. Teresa of Ávila
Calmness Prayer
Father God, my mind and heart are racing. My thoughts feel so overwhelming and I cannot seem to see the end. I can't stop thinking about these problems and I feel trapped. Calm me, Lord. Give my mind peace and my body physical rest. Help me to trust in You.
Prayer to Release Stress
Lord God, I try so hard to take control of my problems and it only creates more stress. Help me try remember that when I am weak, you are strong. I need to remember that my "what if's" are an opportunity to release my worries to you and let your strength and comfort restore my soul.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you" - John 14:27
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7
Scripture is a powerful tool for fighting anxious thoughts and depression. Read more Bible verses for anxiety and replace worry and fear with mediating on God's promises.
A Prayer for Anxiousness
Lord Jesus, the stresses in my life often reach a dangerous proportion—or so it seems. My body, mind, and spirit struggle to keep up physically, mentally, and yes, spiritually. Some days anxiety stalks me like a deceitful predator, and the temptation to worry draws me in. In those moments of apprehension, help me remember that I belong to You, and that You are not the author of fear or anxiety, but the giver of love and a sound mind. Teach me Your ways to respond to problems by giving thanks in them. Your Word assures me that You are always there with me.
You are the Blessed Controller of all things, and nothing escapes Your attention in my life. You have given me every tool and spiritual blessing to fight against those things that try to steal my peace. You’ve promised that when I’m stressed and burdens are trying to weigh me down, I can come to You. You will give me sweet rest! (Rebecca Barlow Jordan)
A Prayer to Battle Depression
Help me to see if there is something physical that is causing my depression. Help me to sift through my circumstances to see if there is a need for change in some way. If I am experiencing depression as a result of a spiritual battle, please bring that to light and show me the best way to fight that battle. Today I surrender my depression to you and ask that you give me power and peace to win this battle once and for all. When my thoughts begin to spiral, may your promises and blessings bring healing. Amen
Praying Over Anxiety
Father God, whether the anxiety stems from work, parenting, finances, physical issues, or even world conditions, You are there, Lord, to shoulder the weight. Teach me to recognize the stressful trials as tools for you to shape me and rearrange me. Through those difficult times, You will teach me patience, enlarge my faith, and help me see things I couldn't see earlier—if I will only let You. When I'm clueless as to what to do, Lord, I want to turn to you first, not last.
Forgive me for trying to handle things on my own, Lord. The need to be in control sometimes gets a stronghold on my life. That only makes things worse. I want to trust You more and see things from Your perspective, not my own. No one makes me feel uptight, angry, or stressed, and no one forces me to react negatively. I choose to respond according to my beliefs. Do I believe You are in control? Do I believe You created all things and hold all things in Your Hand? Do I believe You are truly good? When an anxious thought creeps in, help me to stop and relax, to take that thought captive, and to turn apprehension into a calm prayer for deliverance. Revamp my belief system, Lord. Show me a new way to handle life according to Your Way.
No matter what issues I am dealing with; no matter how big the problems or situations, I'm laying them all at Your feet today. Turn these potentials for stress into lessons for growth and trust. When I can't see any possible solutions, I choose to believe that You are working things out for my good—in Your own time, as you have in the past. Show me what to do, or what not to do. As I focus on You, remembering Your promises and Your words, I believe You will fill me with a peace that is beyond all understanding. Amen. (Rebecca Barlow Jordan)
A Prayer to Reduce Fear
You know that we live in a crazy and chaotic world. You also know my struggles in my daily life. When life gets to be too much, please help me come to you. Calm my thoughts and emotions and open my heart to your peace, comfort, and wisdom. Help me not to live in fear. Please reduce the feelings of fear and anxiety that plague me. Help me rest in You and trust You as I navigate through this broken world. In Your name I pray, Jesus. Amen. (Carrie Lowrance)
A Prayer for Stress
Lord, thank you that you want us to cast our cares on you. Thank you that there is nowhere I can go that you are not there with me. Thank you for having a hold of my life, even as I feel like everything is crumbling around me.
Lord, I confess that I have let stress take a hold of my life, rather than You. I have let stress control my mood, my attitudes and my actions. Lord, I repent of this! Please Father, help me see what is stressful in my life and hand it over to You. Help me not let the stress win out. Help me actively think on Your goodness to me.
I am so hopeful for my eternity with you, Lord, where there will be NO more stress! Help me look back on all the ways You have rescued me from my stressful moments, and look in hope to the future where You will one day rid all stress, forever. Help me live boldly in the truth of Your goodness and power today. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Praying Through An Anxiety Attack
Lord, Help me! I am so frightened and afraid. Be near to me and help me feel your presence. Surround me with protection. Holy Spirit, settle my racing heart and mind. Help me breathe out - Abba Father -- and breathe in -- I belong to you. Your peace surpasses all understanding, this I know. Please give me this peace now. Abba Father - I belong to you. Abba Father - I belong to you.
Lord, thank you that no matter what my mind or body tell me, the truth is I am your child, forever loved, forever protected, forever held fast by you. I love you Jesus. Thank you Jesus. Amen. (Emily Massey)
A Prayer for When the World Makes You Anxious
Dear God, I am prone to worry. I let the happenings of the world, the elections and the economy sit heavy on me. I need to find your peace. I invite you to restructure my thinking. May my hope be you. May my peace be you. May you help love flow out from me. Give me clarity. May I change what I am able to change and release what I can't. May I know that the greatest joy is staying where you are. God, thank you that you have the whole world in your hands. I need not fear because you are the best manager, orchestrator and caretaker. You made it all. I believe in your plan. Amen. (Kelly Balarie)
A Prayer to Stop Worrying and Calm Your Mind
“Dear Father, I admit that I often forget that you are with me. I often forget what you’re like. Would you please forgive me for that? I need to get to know you better. I need to get to know your Word and your promises better. Help me to put you first in every area of my life. Help me to live one day at a time. Help me to not worry about tomorrow but instead focus on what you’re doing in my life right now. I want to trust in your promise to take care of every one of my needs — financial, relational, physical, social, spiritual, and emotional. Help me to trust you more and worry less. I pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.” (Rick Warren)
Prayer to Cast Cares and Trust God
Dear Father in Heaven, so much in my life is broken. I have so many concerns and cares, and they weigh me down. While I desire to cast my cares upon You, I find I usually pick them back up again, and they only add more anxiety and stress. Please help me learn to cast my cares on You as I learn what it means to rest and trust in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. (Chrystal Evans Hurst)
A Prayer to Focus on God
Lord, you are a good God with good intentions behind all the works of your hands. Help me see the areas where I’ve allowed lies to be sewn into my life. Once they are revealed, help me to hand them over to you and allow you to remove them from my life completely. I ask that once they are removed you would then fill the newly freed spaces with the truths of your word. In the midst of anxiety, help me always look to you. In Jesus' name, amen. (Chelsey DeMatteis)
When You Feel Alone
Dear God, Thank you that you see us right where we are, in the midst of our pain and struggle, in the middle of our desert land. Thank you that you have not forgotten us and never will. Forgive us for not trusting you, for doubting your goodness, or not believing you’re really there. We choose to set our eyes on you today. We choose joy and peace when the whispered lies come and say that we should have no joy or peace.
Thank you that you care for us and your love over us is so great. We confess our need for you. Fill us fresh with your Spirit, renew our hearts and minds in your truth. We ask for your hope and comfort to continue to heal our hearts where they’ve been broken. Give us the courage to face another day, knowing that with you before us and behind us, we have nothing to fear. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. (Debbie McDaniel)
Prayer to Stop Overwhelming Worry
Lord, it’s so easy to fall into worry. When my fears are reverberating in my mind, help me stop trying to fix everything myself. Teach me to turn to You in prayer, trust You to be in charge and let Your peace reign over me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. (Francine Rivers)
To Trust in Difficult Circumstances
Lord God, I know You are here. I trust in Your presence, Your power, Your goodness, and Your complete control over everything I’m facing. Help me walk through the questions, assured of Your answers, even though they’re still unclear to me. I know one day King Jesus will appear as the “Faithful and True” (Revelation 19:11), riding a powerful horse and fully revealing His authority. And I know that even now, when I don’t understand all the answers, I have You with me, and that is all that matters. Please give me increasing eyes of faith to trust what You are doing, even—and especially—when I don’t understand. I love You and I trust You, and I pray these things in Jesus’ Worthy Name, Amen.
Prayer for Peace in Uncertainties
Father, we live in a world where peace is almost a foreign word. But in reading Your Word we find the peace that passes understanding and we can rely on You to see us through whatever our days may hold. Thank You for being our Peace in all the uncertainties. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. (Paris Renae)
Prayer for Relief
Lord, Today I pray that You would help me exchange my attempts at escape and relief for Your perfect peace. I pray that You would give me wisdom in my decisions, and use them to bring harvest of righteousness in my life. Today Lord, I choose to trust You and Your peace as my guard. Teach me to cast all my anxiety on You, because I know You care for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. (Grace Mills)
To Sleep Worry Free
Lord, I’ve shouldered my cares as if I’m the one in control. Help me become like a child, handing all my stresses, worries and responsibilities to You, my faithful Father. I trust You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. (Amy Carol)
When You Don't Know What to Do
Dear Lord, I praise You for being a sovereign God. You are in control. I don't have to be. When I don't know what to do, Lord, thank You that I can ask You for wisdom and guidance. You are my Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6). I put in Your hands each of the concerns weighing on my heart and mind. Thank You that I can entrust them into Your loving care. I set my eyes on You, confident You will come to my rescue. In Jesus' Name, Amen. (Melanie Chitwood)
A Prayer for Others Who Are Hurting and Troubled
Dear God, Our world is hurting and broken. We pray for those who have lost loved ones this week, please comfort them in their grief and loss, cover them with your peace and presence, as only your Spirit can do.
We know that in whatever we face, you are our Peace and Refuge, a very present help in times of trouble. Thank you that you remind us throughout your Word, we do not face the storms alone, but you are always with us. Whispering calm. Speaking peace. Bringing rest to our souls.
We confess our need for you. We ask you to forgive us for trying to figure everything out on our own, for not trusting that you are more than able and powerful to work on our behalf. Forgive us for picking back up what we already determined to lay down at your feet. Give us the ability to trust you more, give us a heart that finds rest in your presence, give us the wisdom to seek peace and pursue it, remembering it’s only to be found in you alone.
Thank you that your yoke is easy and your burden is light. Thank you that you care for us. Thank you that the peace of your loving and strong presence guards and protects our hearts and minds in you. Thank you that we do not have to walk in fear or live in overwhelmed cycles of worry and stress.
Thank you for your voice that breaks through the greatest wind and storm swirling around us, and whispers “Peace, be still.” Thank you that you sent your One and Only Son to set us free. In the Mighty Name of Jesus, Amen. (Debbie McDaniel)
A Prayer for Peace to Surround Us at Night
We ask for your huge peace to surround us tonight, all of us who feel restless and worried right now, those who have been carrying big burdens and shouldering stress. Help us to lay it down before you, again, even though we’re struggling to really let go. Remind us that you can carry it so much better than we ever could. May your power and your rest fill us fresh. May the presence of your Spirit breathe hope deep into our souls, even as we sleep.
We ask that you would provide for our needs, even as we sleep. We pray for your huge grace and favor. We thank you that you never sleep or slumber, that you’re always at work, even in the dark of night, even behind the scenes where we can’t fully see. We pray for your blessings to cover us, that you would make every plan you’ve birthed in our hearts to succeed at just the right time. We pray that you’d be opening doors, clearing pathways, closing the wrong roads, and setting up our way for tomorrow.
Thank you for your goodness, thank you that you know the way we take and that you have a plan. We love you Lord, we need you, and we thank you we can rest in your perfect care. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. (Debbie McDaniel)
God has a lot to teach us about anxiety and fear in Scripture. These Bible verses can offer you hope and healing over anxiousness. Read these Scriptures throughout the day to meditate on God's promises to exchange your worry for peace.
1. "Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." -Isaiah 41:10
2. "Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
3. "But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you." -Psalm 56:3
4. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." -2 Timothy 1:7
5. "So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you." -Deuteronomy 31:6
6. "I prayed to the Lord and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears." -Psalm 34:4
7. "So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God for he cares for you."-1 Peter 5:6-7
8. "This is my command-be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." -Joshua 1:9
9. "Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for the fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love." -1 John 4:18
10. "I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." -Romans 15:13
11. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7