People who struggle with anxiety suffer in a variety of ways and different types of prayers are needed for each unique situation. Here are some prayers for common types of struggles.
I Just Need Peace in General
“Heavenly Father, please wash me with your peace right now. From your perspective there is nothing to fear. Please let me see things through your eyes. Your word says, in Isaiah 26:3, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Lord, I trust you. Help me in my unbelief. Show me how powerful and amazing you are. Lift my eyes to see that you fear nothing and no one. There is nothing facing me that can stand against you. Soothe my spirit Oh, God. I don’t want to be pushed around by my emotions and I don’t want the enemy to have a foothold in my life. Bring down a cloud of peace in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ.”
The Panic Button (freaking out)
“Father, rescue me! I’m terrified and I need you so badly. I know you love me and I know you are more powerful than my fears. Please help me. Calm my racing heart and soothe my exposed nerves. I cry out to you because I know you hear me and that you can help me. Send your angels to shield me, to guard me. Speak to my heart words that only you know how to speak. Let me have your strength and peace like you had when you were asleep in the boat while the disciples cried out, ‘save us, Lord!’ That storm didn’t frighten you and the storm I’m living through right now doesn’t frighten you. God, bring my emotions in-line with your will and your heart. Take over God. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.”
Anxious and Stressed
“Heavenly Father, why do I worry so much? I know you are in control. I know that you already know how everything works out. I know that I don’t need to be afraid, but I can’t seem to help it. Lord, help me submit my emotions to your will and allow me to gain the proper perspective back. Allow me to align my heart with yours. So many of the things I’m freaking out about aren’t even that important, but for some reason they are trying to take over my mind. God, stop the advance of fear in my life. I want to be in control of my thoughts. I want to be the one to order my life in obedience to you. Your word says to ‘take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ,’ (2 Cor 10:5) help me to do that right now. Give me extra cushion for the things that are stressing me out. Please show me a more accurate picture of reality. I know that the way I’m thinking right now isn’t fully rational. Lead me to the safety of your arms. In the precious name of Jesus I pray, amen.”
A Literally Dangerous Situation
“Heavenly Father. You are good. My situation isn’t good. To be honest, Lord, I’m really scared. I don’t have the resources or ability to control this, but you do. Please look upon my situation and shape it for your glory and my best. I can’t do a thing about it and I’m so nervous. Nevertheless I refuse to let my faith shrink in the face of this terrible situation. Right now I declare that you are the mighty One that all should fear. You are the Great Deliverer. Protect me God and rescue me from everything that doesn’t line up with Your best for me. I pray this according to the will of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Nighttime Prayers
“Heavenly Father it’s time to go to bed and nighttime is when I tend to be the most anxious. I’m worried about all the things outside my control. I’m worried about what can happen to me while I sleep. But the truth is that You are in control and I have nothing to fear. I am just as safe when I sleep, perhaps even more so, than when I am awake. Please put the necessary angelic bodyguards to stand guard around my home if there is need. Please let my mind rest in your comfort. Teach me to direct my thoughts to you and not let them press into negativity or anxiety. Fill my bedroom with your presence and your peace. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.”
General Worry
“Heavenly Father my thoughts run away from me into worry. Please help me to regain them for your glory. Just as your son Jesus Christ taught us to be anxious about nothing but lift everything up in prayer, I want to lift of these concerns to you. I don’t even known if they are real concerns or not. I can’t tell any more. What I do know is that I am not experiencing the peace that your word talks about, nor that you promised. Therefore I’m not okay to leave it this way. Father, may it be in my life, in my head, like it is in heaven; in perfect peace. Help me to care about what you care about and to let everything else go. Help me to control what I put into my mind that would trigger these worrisome thoughts. Help me to put all my loved ones into your care for safekeeping. I know that I’m not the one who protects them, or myself. I realize that you are the great defender of your children. Let me rest in that alone.”
Nighttime Prayers
Heavenly Father, thank you. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for your care and compassion toward me and my family. You know that at nighttime I get worried. It’s foolish I know, but sometimes I can’t help it. I feel like things are out of my control. I start to think about all the things that can go wrong and review the day with an exhausted negative mindset. I lift all of that up to you. I want to fill my mind with you God. I want to think about all the wonderful things you do and how incredible you are. Please hear my prayers and be glorified in them.
I want to begin by telling you what I know of you and what I think about you. God, although you are beyond comprehension, there are a few things you have taught me about yourself and there are many things I’ve observed. I know you are the Creator and Sustainer of life. I know that there is nothing in this world that you didn’t touch with your bare hands. I know that you didn’t just create it and walk away, but you are continually shaping and creating every moment. Your word says that in you all things ‘hold together.’ You are glue of our universe Lord. Beneath the building blocks of existence, you are. But you don’t just sustain nature; you sustain me. In that I rest.
You are stronger than anything and anyone. There is no power on earth that can stand against you. Your voice shakes the mountains and makes the trees tremble. Your presence is too great for anyone to fully see and live. All enemies flee at the sound of your name. When you wage war, you win every time. There is nothing on earth or in heaven that can overcome you. In that I rest.
Your love is vast; too vast for me to explore fully. Wherever there is sin in your children, your grace abounds more and covers it higher than the heavens cover the earth. When you told Moses what you were like you said that although you were just, you described yourself as merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. You said that you loyally love all of your children and willingly forgive their sin. You demonstrated that there are no limits to your love and nothing you would not do to prove your love when you sent your son, Jesus Christ to die for our sins. In that extraordinary love I rest.
God, bring your kingdom here to earth. Make is here like it is in heaven, where everything is right and good. Order again the chaos of this world into something beautiful and pleasing to you like you did at the dawn of creation. Order my thoughts to where they submit to your Word and to the thoughts and intentions of your heart. Remind me afresh of how your way is best and that nothing can shut down your redemption of this world, or your protection of your children. Teach me to rest.
Help me to want what you want; to see what you see. Help me to live like you want me to live and to surrender to your will. The more I focus on trying to make my life all about me the more I stress out. The more I allow you to take control the more I seem to be okay with things. Even as I sleep Lord, whisper to me truth and direction that would lead me toward living a life for you. In my selfishness I have been spending too much time building my own kingdom and not enough building your. Forgive me God and turn my heart toward you more and more each day. Help me to take from today only what was good and pleasing to you and let the rest go. And thank you Lord, for your Word says that new mercies await me in the morning. In that I rest.
God you are the great provider. Your word says that you know what I need before I do and that you already know my prayers before they are on my tongue. So, God I acknowledge that I don’t have to keep a running list of things that I need but I can trust in you to take care of me in all the ways that matter. You know what bills are necessary and need to get paid. You know what money you’ve given me and where it needs to go. You know how to stretch the smallest amount, the furthest way. You have the resources of a thousand worlds at your disposal. Prepare tomorrow for me while I sleep. You always work upstream in my life so that the perfect blessings are waiting for me at the perfect time. In your brilliance all my needs will be taken care of. In that I rest.
Father, I release in my heart in my heart all of those who have hurt me. I don’t want to spend too much time reflecting on my pain, but only enough to forgive them. Right now I want to confess that I was hurt and I’m angry because of it. But I also know that I have hurt others and that I too need forgiveness from you. You have infinitely forgiven me from my sins, so who am I to hold them accountable? So, I pray that you would bless those who I have harbored ill will toward. I pray that you would turn their hearts toward you and that one day soon you will be able to bless them to the glory of your name. I don’t want to hold on to anything that anyone has done to me any more. I let them go into your hands, because you are better at handling them than I am. Teach me how to live in forgiveness and with healthy boundaries so that I may be free. In that freedom I rest.
Forgive me Lord. I know that it is your heart to do so and I know that your word promises that if we confess our sins, you are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God I have sin to confess. I have not been living like I should. My heart runs after other things and I have not been a good steward of what you’ve given me. I am so thankful that your grace is greater than my sin. I rest in the fact that you desire to forgive and to restore our relationship time and time again. I love that you are continually working on ways to connect us and keep us close even when I am. Your word says that even when we are faithless, you never stop being faithful. I can sleep tonight knowing that you are actively pursuing me in love and that you will not allow my sin to define me or conquer me. Your word says that ‘there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’ and that ‘in all things we are more than conquerors.’ I release my spirit to you to cleanse me afresh with the precious blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross for my sin.
Lead me Father to better pathways. Guard and guide me tomorrow as you have today. I commit my ways into your hands that you might re-sort them and purify them according to your will. I know that the enemy wants nothing more than to harm me and get me off your perfect path. Expose his traps, Lord and help me to avoid the pitfalls of life. Highlight the right way and give me the strength to follow it. As I lay down my head on my pillow I acknowledge that your way is right and best and that tomorrow you will illuminate my way. Keep away the bad guys and surround me with your presence and shield me with your angels. Even as I sleep keep watch over me and set a perimeter of safety about my house. With your powerful voice declare the territory of my life, ‘off limits’ to the wicked and shove evil back. Eliminate me from their radar so they can’t even track where I am. Keep my heart close to you so that I don’t give them any footholds or indicators on how to re-enter my life. Spread out your wings over me and let me rest in their shadow.
God you are so powerful, there is nothing that I need to fear. You command the heavens, you dominate the earth. You raise up nations and shut them down. At your word angels are dispatched and the enemy is defeated. There are no clouds that shield anything from your eyes. When you enter the room, your brilliance dispels the darkness and it’s as bright as day. Even as I rest you are about your kingdom business. You are making things stronger, more powerful and increasingly mighty. Walls are being fortified around my life while barriers to you are being brought down. Tomorrow I will be stronger than today because of the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. Tomorrow will have special gifts waiting just for me. Tomorrow will have new energy and fresh perspective. Tomorrow I am going to be transformed from my current glory to greater glory because you dwell within me. Oh God, I rest in you because you make all things better.
Good Night Lord, and thank you for watching over me. We’ll talk in the morning. I love you.
