7 Prayers for Those Caught in a Cycle of Doomscrolling
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Sometimes all it takes is one article, one hint of curiosity about a recent event, one suggested area of interest when you are already online. Once you’re hooked with that article or podcast or news clip, it is a downward spiral into endless hours spent scrolling for any new updates and not feeling any better for doing it.
The term “doomscrolling” gained a presence in our lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people stuck at home and concerned about the pandemic would spend several hours of their time looking up news article after news article about what was happening in the world. They would primarily be negative pieces of information from the news, prompting anxiety, fear, doubt, and sadness from those on the receiving end.
In this ever-changing world, we can all get caught up in a cycle of doomscrolling, even if we as Christians know this is not our home. Technology that allows us to see all that is happening in the world at just one swipe can bring both good and bad results.
If you find that you are drifting into a doomscrolling cycle, try saying one (or all) of these seven prayers to break the cycle and re-establish connection with God. Allow Him to be your resource instead of the news.
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1. Prayer of Freedom
Heavenly Father,
We come to You asking for Your strength to break us from this cycle of doomscrolling we are stuck in at the moment. We need freedom from this unhealthy pattern, so we ask that You provide a way for us to separate ourselves from this harmful habit and realign our focus on what God says in the Bible about our future. Thank you, Lord. We say this all in Jesus’s name,
Amen.
2. Prayer of Discernment
Heavenly Father,
At this moment, we ask of You to bring forth discernment of what we should know about the news, rather than falling into doomscrolling. Reveal to us how we should engage with the news and remember what You share in Your Word, not go down rabbit holes of information that won’t benefit us or anyone else. Thank you for Your discernment, Lord, and for being with us in this uncertain time. In Jesus’s name,
Amen.
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3. Prayer over Anxiety
Lord God,
We come before You asking that You provide release from the anxiety we feel when we find ourselves in cycles of doomscrolling. What could seem harmless at first in looking up articles could actually heighten our anxiety and make us doubt the future You have for us. We pray that our anxiety levels are not heightened when we read the news, and that we are able to stay level-headed and clear-minded, able to discern what You are telling us of the news we see, hear, and read. We bring all of this to You in Jesus’s name,
Amen.
4. Prayer Disarming Doubt
Heavenly Father,
It can be hard to watch or read the news and not doubt the plan You have ahead for us and those around us. Some people in the news want to project fear into our lives, sharing information that may not be accurate, only to sway us to believe something that is not in line with Your will. We pray that any doubt that arises after we are in contact with news like this, especially if it could lead to doomscrolling, is brought down with the Word of God. We pray that doubt is minimized, and faith is strengthened in knowing You will take care of us. We say this in Jesus’s name,
Amen.
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5. Prayer of Restraint
Heavenly Father,
We bring to You today the desire to be restrained in our habits of spending too much time scrolling through negative news. It can be so easy to pick up our smart phones or log on with our computers and become negatively affected by what we see. So, we ask that You strengthen our restraint on any news outlets that tempt us to fall into a cycle of doomscrolling. Let us instead focus on reading Your Word and staying encouraged with what Your plan is for our future, not for what is happening in the world. Thank you, in Jesus’s name,
Amen.
6. Prayer for Others
Lord God,
When we read the news today, we pray that instead of going into a negative state of mind with doomscrolling, that the opposite will happen. We pray that we will be filled with a need to encourage and pray for others in these challenging times, for countries, leaders, and people we may not even know. We ask that our desire to pray will bloom in these challenging times, and we thank You for the opportunity to hope and pray for these negative events to be made positive and exemplify Your glory. We thank You, love You, and pray all of this in Jesus’s precious name.
Amen.
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7. Prayer of Hope for What’s Ahead
Heavenly Father,
We ask that when we notice we are falling into a cycle of doomscrolling, that we would walk away from our devices and remind ourselves that what we see is not all that You have planned for us. We ask that a sense of hope for the future be brought forth in this time, so we are reminded that this world is not our home and a more beautiful world in heaven awaits. We want hope to fill every moment in our lives right now, to where we lose the desire to stay fixated on the news because we know our hope can’t be found on what’s online or on television. Thank you, Lord, for being with us in these times, and we pray all of this in Your Son Jesus’s name,
Amen.
Doomscrolling is a harmful habit that is becoming more commonplace in our lives today thanks to the ready availability of technology and an unhealthy interest in knowing what’s going on. However, if we keep our focus on the news and not God, we can find ourselves locked in fear, with doubt taking over our lives.
Next time you feel like your mind is being locked into a vicious web of doomscrolling, take a moment to pray one of these prayers to get your mind and heart refocused on God and His Word. Remember God’s Word says to “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10).
God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are the only ones who know what is ahead, what each moment will bring. So don’t trust in the fickle news that jumps from one extreme to the other. Believe in the one who created the heavens and the earth and each one of us!
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