A prayer for anxiety and worry

If your mind is racing right now, start here. Read the prayer below slowly, out loud or in a whisper. Then, if you have five minutes, follow the guided prayer under it. Below that are short prayers for worry, for fear, for the middle of the night, and the scripture they come from.

If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, US), any time, day or night. In an emergency, call 911. Prayer and help from people go together.

A prayer for anxiety and worry you can pray now

What scripture says to the anxious

The Bible never treats anxious people as failures. It invites them to bring what they carry to God.

"In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6–7 (WEB)

Paul wrote this from prison, with real reasons to worry. He doesn't say "stop feeling that." He says: turn it into requests, add thanks, and let God's peace stand guard. The peace is God's gift, not something you manufacture.

"casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7 (WEB)

"Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful." John 14:27 (WEB)

"In the multitude of my thoughts within me, your comforts delight my soul." Psalm 94:19 (WEB)

A guided prayer for anxiety (5 minutes)

A guided prayer gives your racing mind something gentle to follow. Read each step, then do it before moving on. There's no wrong way.

• 1. Stop and breathe (1 minute). Sit or lie down. Breathe in slowly through your nose and out through your mouth, five times. You're not trying to fix anything yet. You're just arriving.
• 2. Remember who is here (30 seconds). Say quietly: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1 (WEB). Present means here, now, in this room.
• 3. Name it (1 minute). Tell God exactly what you're anxious about, one thing at a time. Be specific: the test result, the bill, the conversation, your child. Naming a worry before God is part of casting it on him.
• 4. Thank him for one thing (30 seconds). Philippians 4:6 puts thanks next to requests. Find one small true thing: this breath, a friend who texted, coffee. Thank him for it.
• 5. Ask for today only (1 minute). "Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient." Matthew 6:34 (WEB). Ask for what you need for the next few hours, not the next ten years.
• 6. Be still (1 minute). "Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10 (WEB). Sit in silence. If a worry comes back, say "I gave you that" and let it go again.

Our daily plan reads a guided prayer like this aloud to you, with the silences built in, so you can close your eyes instead of reading.

Short prayers for anxiety, worry and fear

Anxiety, worry and fear feel alike, but it can help to pray for what you're actually facing.

• For anxiety (a body that won't settle). Lord, my body is on alert and I don't know why. Quiet my heart. Let me feel your nearness more than my racing pulse.
• For worry (a mind that won't stop). Father, I've thought about this a hundred times and it hasn't helped. I hand it to you now. When I pick it up again, remind me it's yours.
• For fear (something real is coming). "When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you." Psalm 56:3 (WEB). God, I am afraid. I choose to trust you anyway. Walk into this with me.
• For fear about the future. God, I don't know how this turns out. You do. Help me take the next step and leave the rest with you.
• For worry about someone you love. Jesus, I can't protect them from everything. You love them more than I do. Hold them, and help me trust you with them.
• For a panicky moment. Breathe in: "Lord, you are here." Breathe out: "I am not alone." Repeat until your breath slows.

A prayer for anxiety at night

Worry is often loudest at 2 a.m. Keep this one by your bed.

Father, the house is quiet but my mind isn't. I can't solve any of this tonight, so I'm putting it down at your feet. Watch over the people I love while they sleep. Watch over me. "In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me live in safety." Psalm 4:8 (WEB). Amen.

Honest things about prayer and anxiety

Prayer is not a formula, and we won't promise you it will make anxiety go away. Some people pray faithfully and still live with anxiety for a long time. That is not a sign of weak faith. The psalms are full of believers who were troubled and kept praying anyway.

Prayer is not a replacement for care. If anxiety is constant, keeps you from sleeping or working, or comes with panic attacks, please talk to your doctor or a licensed counselor, and tell someone at your church. Many Christians find that prayer, good friends and professional help work together. Asking for help is not a failure of trust.

What prayer does offer is a place to bring it. You are not carrying this alone, and God is not waiting for you to calm down before he listens.

Keep coming back

Anxiety tends to return, so a prayer you pray once helps less than a habit you keep. Ten minutes a day, at the same time, gives your worries a place to go. If mornings are when worry hits hardest, try our morning prayer to start your day. If it helps you to write, use our prayer journal prompts. And if you've never had a daily habit, start with how to pray every day.

Sources

Scripture: World English Bible (public domain), eBible.org. 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (988lifeline.org). Pages read for this guide: Dr. Michelle Bengtson, "20 Prayers for Anxiety, Worry and Fear"; Crosswalk, "Prayers for Anxiety to Calm Worry and Fear"; Open the Bible, "A Prayer for the Anxious"; Sabbath Meditation, "Prayers for Anxiety You Can Pray Right Now".