by Mes (Bakersfield)
Lord I thank you for all your blessings. I often worry about things that are not true and what might happen. Please give me the strength to fight and remove fear and worry from my thoughts. I want to thank you for my wonderful family and help me to often recognize and appreciate them.
I thank you for this beautiful life which i constantly neglect to see. Thank you for always watching over me and my loved ones. I pray that i will always remember all the good things that you have given us. Please help me forgive my enemies, forgive my past and more inportantly, forgive myself. I now recognize that only my faith in you can heal everything.
Thank you again for giving me this life and all the second chances. Amen
www.praywithme.com
The feeling of anxiety can be vicious in its attack. While at times, it gradually builds from circumstances, other times, it appears suddenly, out of nowhere.
Though I personally have only experienced bouts of anxiety and not more serious seasons of continual anxiousness, I believe prayer has been the critical element in overcoming any battles I have faced with anxiety. Today I wanted to share this simple prayer to overcome anxiety.
A Prayer to Overcome Anxiety
Dear Father,
In this space of total anxiety,
I’m praying to you, the God of all.
Jesus, I need you so much.
The weight of this world consumes my heart
And my spirit is confused.
I know you are not the god of confusion;
You are the God of order, love and peace.
I pray you would restore order right now in me.
May my mind perceive
that you make me sound.
May my soul receive
that you give me strength.
May my heart believe
that you show me love.
Thank you for the relief of an unburdened heart.
Amen.
For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. I Corinthians 14:33
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7
For more Scripture to calm an anxious spirit, check out these free printable cards.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Rachel
rachelwojo.com
There have been a few dreams during my 20-something years that have left me frightened. But one dream in particular left me speechless, dizzy, and nauseous from fear. In fact, I don’t think it was a dream, but instead was a night terror – the kind of dream where you cannot fall back asleep because it felt so real.
At that moment, I felt anything but peaceful. Since then, I’ve had to fight for peace to invade the anxiety.
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I’m here to tell you that if you suffer from anxiety, I know what it feels like. And I’m also here to tell you that if you suffer from downright fear, I know what that feels like too.
The truth is that God did not create us to be a fear-filled people – an anxious people. Instead, He created us for peace, goodness, love, and lasting purpose – free from the chains of fear. It’s difficult to focus on the good things from God when your mind is stuck on the bad, right? When you can’t stop thinking about the dream you had, the unknown future, the weight of making big decisions or the pit that won’t leave your stomach?
We need prayer. We need a solid foundation on which to stand. And we need to be a people who cry out to Jesus when we’re tempted to fall into deep fear and anxiety.
Cry out to Jesus with these 10 prayers for #anxiety & fear! #prayer Click To Tweet
1. A Prayer for a Quiet Mind
“Lord, quiet my mind in this moment. Make fear disappear. In its place, plant truth. You are a God who saves, who loves, who comforts, who protects. Quiet my mind so that I can focus on you and your power. Make all thoughts that are not of you disappear. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
2. A Prayer for a Peaceful Heart
“Heavenly Father, my heart feels anything but peaceful in this moment. I feel afraid. But you promise in John 14 that you have given us peace in the form of the Holy Spirit. I know I can trust your promises, and I know you are not a God who lies (Numbers 23:19). So, please provide that peace to me now. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
3. A Prayer for the Unknown
“God, I am afraid of the things I do not know. I want to be excited for the future, but I find myself scared and overwhelmed. Please give me wisdom to move forward when needed, and the knowledge to know when to stand back and wait. Just as Solomon asked for wisdom in 1 Kings 3, I ask you for wisdom now, Lord. I surrender the future into your almighty hands. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
4. A Prayer for the Absence of Fear
“Lord, I ask for peace to enter & fear to leave! I ask for the absence of fear in my mind, my heart, my soul, my thoughts, and my words. I ask for deep faith to flood the fearful places – that I would remember your power and faithfulness in moments of fear. Keep the evil one away. Draw near as you promise in James 4:8. As I draw near to you, Lord, please draw near to me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
5. A Prayer for the Presence of Faith
“God, I believe in you and your power. I believe in your gift of salvation. I believe in grace and mercy. Thank you for making it possible for me to spend eternity with you! What a gift! Lord, I believe. Please help my unbelief in moments of fear and anxiety. I ask for more faith, for more opportunities to grow and become like Christ. Strengthen my faith, especially in moments when I find it hard to believe. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
6. A Prayer for Strength
“Heavenly Father, in Joshua 1 you tell your people to ‘be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’ Lord, I want to be strong. Please supply me with strength and power, wisdom and knowledge. Make me obedient to your ways, able to fight fear, and victorious over anxiety. I trust that you are with me wherever I go, Father. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
7. A Prayer for Understanding Community
“God, please surround me with people who understand the pain of anxiety. Provide a community of people who can uplift and encourage, reminding me of truth when I need to be reminded. I ask for people who are gentle and kind, yet bold and honest. You created us to live in authentic community. Lord, give me courage to be vulnerable with those I can trust. In Jesus Name, Amen.”
8. A Prayer for Demolished Strongholds
“God, your word says that we should ‘demolish strongholds and every pretense that sets itself up against the knowledge of God…” (2 Corinthians 10:5) I know there are lies about fear and anxiety that I have believed. I ask that you would bring those false strongholds to light, that I would be able to defeat them with your truth. Anything that is of the world – meant to frighten me and cause anxiety – I ask that you would wipe it away. Help me to focus on you and your truth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
9. A Prayer for Captive Thoughts
“Lord, 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, ‘…take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.’ When I am tempted to fear and give in to anxiety, I ask that you would stop me, causing me to take every thought captive. Fill my mind with truth so that I can easily remember what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy (Phil. 4:8). Take away the evil, frightening, anxious thoughts and replace them with your powerful, living truth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
10. A Prayer for Protection
“Almighty God, some of my fear comes from feeling alone, unsafe, or unprotected. I know that you are the faithful protector. You say ‘don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.’ (Matthew 10:31) I ask that you would show me your faithful protection, and help me to believe in your powerful authority over my life. You are sovereign. I know I can trust in you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Bonus! A Prayer for Light to Invade Darkness
“Father, in John 1:5 you tell me that, ‘light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’ What a promise! I ask for your light – the light that has victory over all darkness – to invade my heart. When my mind feels dark and my heart feels heavy, fill me with your promise of light. You make all things new, Lord. Even my fear & anxiety! Thank you for your light – for the promise that darkness will not win. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Prayer is powerful. God promises to hear our prayers, and when we don’t know what to prayer, Jesus is faithful to intercede on our behalf.
I encourage you to let these prayers be a starting ground for fierce time on your knees. Write them down. Repeat them often. Make these prayers the song of your heart – especially in moments of intense fear & anxiety.
Anxiety does not have control over you or me – no matter how frightening the dreams or rampant the fear. The Lord does have control. And our best way to communicate with Him is through earnest, honest prayer.
Grab the printable version of these 10 prayers below!
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alisontiemeyer.com
Recently, I was feeling particularly anxious about a situation in my life. It was one of those situations where, if it went well – then great! But if it went poorly, life as we know it, could change dramatically. My heart was beating faster, I had that anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach, I was generally agitated. My anxiety was on the rise and I could feel my body going into “fight or flight” mode. I also knew that these are not the feelings I’m supposed to be living in, as a child of the Lord, so I determined to find ways to pray that would help me overcome anxiety.
Table of contents
3 Prayers to Overcome Anxiety
There is nothing special about these 3 prayers, except that I have seen God work as a result of each prayer. I offer them knowing that when I am anxious, sometimes it helps to have a place to start. These simple prayers are that place to start – and see where God takes you as you trust Him.
1. The 4-word prayer that helped me overcome anxiety
The short prayer that I prayed was simply this: “Jesus, mercy and grace.”
This one has been my prayer for when there are no other words. My anxiety has risen to levels that make it almost impossible to function at times. The words “paralyzed by fear” are words I’ve lived. And in those times, these four words came to mind: “Jesus, mercy and grace.” I was begging for His mercy and grace in those moments. In my heart, I was asking Him to work in ways that I could not – opening eyes to see, and hearts to understand.
In those moments of my soul being utterly bare before the Lord, He answered. Grace and mercy were poured out in abundance, and while the prayer may not have been answered completely to my liking, they were answered according to God’s best plan. And in the end, isn’t that what we really want? God’s best?
2. Pray for every aspect of the situation that is causing you anxiety
Personally, a lot of my anxiety stems from wrong choices that someone made, and the consequences that have come as a result. When the situation grows tense again, I pray for the person. I pray that God gives grace where needed, and mercy even though it’s not deserved. I pray protection for the person’s job situation, and protection for the family involved.
I pray that God would show Himself faithful, that He would provide peace and comfort in ways that only He can. If there are more specifics of which I am aware, I pray for those – maybe health, relationships, mental clarity, general well-being. I ask the Lord for His hand to be at work in, around, and through the struggles.
This book has been a tremendous help in my journey.
3. Pray for myself.
Those anxious feelings – the anxious feeling in the pit of your stomach, the rapid heart rate, the agitation – those aren’t the feelings God wants us to have. He is the author of peace, the giver of every good gift. In Him there is hope, redemption and rest. And so as I pray for mercy and grace, as I pray for the situation at hand, I also pray for myself.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. – James 1:17
I acknowledge my feelings. “Lord, you know the anxiety that is rising up within me,” or, “Lord, you know the anger and grief that this is causing, the shame that the enemy wants to heap upon me.” Name your feelings – tell the Lord what it is, exactly, that you feel. He already knows it; He wants you to communicate with Him about it.
Then I start praying for my own heart: “Lord, would you fill me with peace? Where I feel shame, would you replace that with your love and keep my eyes fixed on you? Help me to walk away from these feelings of inadequacy, fear and frustration. In the name of Jesus, the enemy (Satan) MUST leave. He is no longer allowed to wreak havoc with my emotions. He authors confusion, but You, Lord, offer peace and hope, and I am your child.”
Those don’t have to be your exact words, any words will do – whatever is appropriate to your situation.
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23,24
These prayers can serve as your starting point when you are facing anxiety.
They are not the be-all, end-all of anxiety prayers. In fact, they’re probably quite simplistic, which is a reflection of the way I talk to Jesus. I don’t use big words, I pray what I feel and talk to my heavenly Father in much the same way that I talk to my earthly Father.
God’s not looking for “the right prayer” – just for communication with us. It is hard to remember that in the times of high anxiety.
I mentioned that these are 3 prayers to overcome anxiety.
You see, when I have prayed these prayers, something undeniable has happened.
Those feelings of heaviness in the pit of my stomach, the racing heart, the transition to “fight or flight mode” have all gone away.
Every symptom of anxiety has gone away.
The symptoms of anxiety have been replaced with peace – and in my life, that is a direct result of the prayer for mercy and grace.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. – I Peter 5:7
Finding peace from the anxiety
I am sharing these with you because I want you to feel the same peace I have. I want you to know that God has more for us than the struggles and anxieties that weigh us down.
I want you to know that we can overcome. Whatever we struggle with, even those times when we feel anxious, we can overcome. As we share our own stories of overcoming, God is the one who gets the glory.
I’ll leave you with a favorite passage found in Revelation 12: 10-12.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”
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