Anxiety Prayer: Help, Hope, & Healing

Emily Wickham began her writing and speaking journey in 2005. She writes for Lifeway Christian Resources and enjoys serving the Lord as an author, speaker, and podcaster. She teaches via Indestructible Life, a podcast that helps women discover the life Jesus is and treasure the life God's Word gives. Emily also shares brief messages about the return of Christ on her YouTube channel. Please connect with Emily by subscribing below to her blog, Heart Stirrings.

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Anxiety Prayer: Help, Hope, & Healing

Anxiety can grip us and those we love with paralyzing strength.

I’ve dealt with anxiety most of my life although it’s never reached medical diagnosis, and I have beloved family members who also suffer from anxiety. Despite my personal experience, there’s so much I don’t understand about anxiety that I leave diagnosis and treatment to the professionals. As a Christian woman, however, I have learned that prayer and scripture help me achieve hope and continued healing from anxiety.

Perhaps you or a loved one is undergoing anxiety today. If so, let’s pray together:

Loving Father in Heaven,

You are sovereign and wise. You are Jehovah-Rapha, the LORD who heals. The God of all comfort, the God who sees, the One who knows the number of hairs on our heads, You are our help and hope.

Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, spent His days on earth helping and healing people … giving them hope. The name of JESUS holds power, so we boldly enter Your presence in His mighty name.

You know what we’re going through right now. You understand the anxiety that plagues us and/or those we love. We trust You hold a purpose in the pain, and we praise You in advance for the mighty work You will accomplish.

Please comfort hearts and provide peace, removing the weight of anxiety. Please speak into dark places with the light of truth. We’re unable to handle the pressures and afflictions of this world alone, yet You are faithful to remain with us. Please convince us and our loved ones of this reality when we doubt.

Father, help us to focus on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8).

Thank You for Jesus’ example when He walked this earth—the way He communed with You in daily prayer. He relied on You completely, trusted You implicitly, and obeyed You constantly. Thank You also for Jesus’ effective use of Scripture to combat the evil one’s lies. Christ IS the Word made flesh. Help us and those we love to imitate JESUS in prayer and Bible usage.

And Lord Jesus, help us to recognize:

• Though we are helpless like newborn infants, YOU are our help.
• Though we sometimes feel hopeless, YOU are our hope.
• Though we are broken, YOU provide healing.

God, there is none like You. We lift our concerns, humbly asking You to handle them on our behalf. And when we take the same cares back, remind us to relinquish them into Your all-powerful hands again. And again. And again.

In Jesus’ glorious name, Amen.

Thanks for praying with me.

Don’t you feel better? It always relieves me to unburden my heart to God. He is faithful to listen, filled with care and ready to help.

Scripture also comforts me in times of anxiety.

One of my favorite verses at such moments is Psalm 94:19, which reads, “When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Thy consolations delight my soul.” Those words never fail to soothe my spirit, bringing calm and peace. May God use them to nurture you in the same way, and if you’d like my list of verses for worrisome times, please visit my collection of Free Resources, which includes “5 Go-To Verses When Dealing with Worry.”

In Christ’s Love,

For more biblical insights on anxiety, see these posts:

• Five Ways to Encourage an Anxious Friend by Denise O’Donoghue
• How to Deal with Anxiety as a Christian by Heather Riggleman
• Doing Enough by Emily Wickham