Last Updated on October 19, 2023 by Emma
Do you need to pray about your anxiety or worry? Are you looking for prayers to calm your anxious thoughts?
Let this scripture be a mindful focus for you, even in this moment. Try saying it out loud a couple of times to reinforce its truth within you. Your eyes will see it; your mouth will speak it; and your ears will hear it.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” ( Philippians 4.6, NIV).
The 14 prayers included here are for you to use. Although we may not have covered every possible circumstance where anxiety, nervousness, or worry would make itself known, choose the prayer that best fits your state of mind at the moment.
You can modify any of the prayers to include details of your personal situation if you wish. You can also use these prayers at bedtime for anxiety as a help too. Of course, if you need emotional or mental health counseling, try these prayers for finding a therapist.
When we feel anxious or worried, our feeling and thoughts can get jumbled up and we can find ourselves not thinking straight. Prayer can help us refocus our thoughts on the One who is our Strength and our Shield, our ever-present help in times of trouble.
“But those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40.31, NIV).
I have dealt with anxiety for much of my life and through good therapy, prayer, and solid work in looking at things realistically, I have found much greater peace over the years. There are still times when anxious thoughts pop up, but now I have the tools and emotional and mental resources to deal with them, and not let them control my life. I pray the same will happen for you as well.
It’s been estimated that one out of three people experience some type of anxiety, so you are not alone. You don’t need to feel bad about yourself if you are worried about something, or are experiencing anxiety about a situation in your life. As you pray, let the peace of God surround you and fill you, as you embrace his presence with you.
Short Prayer About Anxiety
Dear Lord, I am very anxious right now and I don’t want to be. I want to be calm. I want to be focused and in the present moment. Please help me calm down and trust in you to get me through this situation. I want to walk through life with confidence and not be so stressed out. I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Prayer to Calm Anxious Thoughts
God, I need your help! My mind is filled with anxious thoughts about tomorrow. I’m entering into a new situation and all I can think about is what will go wrong, or what people will think of me, or how I will mess up, and on and on and on.
My mind is racing. Please help calm my anxious thoughts so I can think properly and see this for the opportunity it is. Please help me get a mental focus so the thoughts sweeping around right now will be held at bay. I need your peace to fill me and calm me. Plus, I really need to get some sleep tonight, but I won’t be able to as long as my mind won’t turn off.
I’m turning to you, O God, because I believe you are the One who can help me. I pray for your peace to blanket my mind in this moment right now. It is in the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.
Prayer About Worry
Lord, I think I worry too much. I read the paper and all the headlines scream about something bad happening, something to worry about. I look at social media and there’s always something there to worry about–a sick child, a spouse who lost their job, a date rejection. I don’t want to worry this much.
I don’t know why I worry about all of that, since most of it, if not all of it, is out of my control. I want my first thought to be, “I turn that concern over to you, Lord,” instead of “Oh my goodness, I can’t believe that is happening, what else could go wrong?” Please help me to rid my life of worry. I don’t want to start worrying about my worry!
I’m praying about it because it bothers me and it shouldn’t. I want to let go of this worry fixation, or worry problem. I want to live in your grace and in your peace. Help me, Lord God, to trust in you for all things, especially the things I cannot control or influence. I pray this prayer in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer About Stress at Work
God in heaven, I am so stressed about work this week. It seems like every other day another company in our industry is laying off workers. I don’t want that to happen in my company and certainly don’t want it to happen to me personally. I need this job.
Other people at work are clearly worried about it too, based on the conversations I’ve been hearing. It makes for a more stressful environment. Everybody is not really working to our full potential because we are so stressed out about possibly losing our job, even though management has not mentioned anything.
I want to do my job and do it well, but I find it hard to do that with this distraction. Please help me, and others, get clarity about our jobs and job security. I don’t want to go to work stressed, get more stressed while there, and come home stressed–it’s not good for my health! Please help me, Lord. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Prayer About Stress at School
Dear Father God, I am getting stressed about my school. There are all these little groups that are forming and most of them don’t like each other. I tend to get along with almost everybody and I don’t want to have to choose which friend group to be a part of at school.
I don’t know why this is happening, which is stressful. And I don’t know what I can do about it, which is also stressful. I just know I don’t like it and don’t want to get stuck in the middle of it, which will stress me out even more!
Please guide me to some sense of clear thinking and understanding. Please also help me to know how to navigate this situation properly. I just want my friends to get along with each other. I make this prayer through Jesus Christ my Savior, Amen.
Prayer After a Panic Attack
God, I just had another panic attack and I am not liking how it makes me feel. I don’t like my heart racing or not being able to breathe properly. I don’t like feeling dizzy afterward and all the tension in my muscles because my body is tensing up so hard.
I especially don’t like that they seem to happen out of the blue. I wasn’t under any threat that I was aware of but I was nervous about a situation. I’m glad it didn’t happen in public because I couldn’t deal with people wanting to take me to the hospital or something.
Please help me understand what is happening in my body when these things attack. There’s got to be some way to not have any more panic attacks. I pray for your peace to fill my body and mind and for me to live in your calming grace. I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Prayer for Anxiety as a Teenager
Lord God, I am praying to you because I have a class presentation tomorrow and I am feeling quite a bit of nervousness about it. My teacher said being a little nervous is okay because it can help you focus.
But I think I’m more than just a little nervous. I am afraid of failing and making a fool of myself. It’s not really about making a good grade on it, although I’d like that. I’m nervous about messing up and forgetting what I’m saying. I don’t like speaking in front of other people and this will be in front of the whole class!
I have all of my notes and the presentation is done, so I will keep running through it to be really familiar with it. But I’m praying to you because I need you to help me be calm tonight and get good sleep. And, I need you to keep me calm tomorrow when I make my presentation. Help me to think clearly and speak clearly and with confidence. I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Prayer for Anxiety as an Adult
Dear God, I thought I would not have anxiety as an adult like I did when I was younger, but here it is, rearing its head in my life again. I am finding myself getting all worked up over stuff at work and then stuff happening in my family. My mind isn’t consumed with anxious thoughts, but the anxiety is popping up more and more.
I don’t want to be controlled by anxiety. I want to live in the reality of the present and accept what is happening without getting all tied up in mental knots about it. I’ve already gotten tired of freaking out about little things. I don’t want this anxiety in my life. I want to be at peace and calm and content.
I want to be able to accept circumstances out of my control without having my heart rate increase dramatically. Please guide me in the steps you want me to take to handle this Lord. I pray all of this in the strong name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Prayer for Anxiety as a College Student
Dear God, I need your help to not get anxious as I go back to college. I’ve enjoyed being at home and seeing my parents, but as I drive back to school, I feel the anxiety mounting as I think about not having many friends and not having much interaction with people. I feel anxious about being alone a lot.
I feel like I just go to my classes and then back to my room. I’ve tried to join groups but they’ve not lasted very long or just stopped meeting for no reason. I wanted college to be a great experience, but this anxiety is making it not very enjoyable. I need your help, Lord, to deal with this anxiety.
Help me know what to do, who to talk to, and how to deal with daily life in the midst of it. I pray this through Jesus, Amen.
Prayer to Not Have a Panic Attack at Work
Lord, this cannot be happening right now. I cannot be having a panic attack at work. Help me to breathe in and out, deeply and slowly. Help me get to a private area quickly so I can deal with this and not have a full blown attack in front of all the people I work with.
I’m not even sure why I feel threatened right now. I just know that I need to breathe and calm myself. Help me Lord in this moment. Thank you for your presence with me. Thank you for the sense of peace I am already feeling as I pray this prayer. Thank you, Lord Jesus, Amen.
Prayer Not to Have a Panic Attack at School
God, I can’t do this right now. I don’t know what set it off but I think I’m about to have a panic attack at school and I will be so embarrassed if it happens. I am trying to maintain so much control until I can get to the bathroom and have some space to calm myself.
Protect me until I get there. I can feel my breathing not be calm and I need to calm it down. Help me to breathe. Get me to a safe place so I can face this and not be overwhelmed. Thank you Lord God for hearing me and being with me in every situation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer to Be Calm in the Midst of Stress
Dear Lord Jesus, I need your calm. I have an employee in front of me who is going off with high emotions and shouting. I need to be a calm presence in the face of this. I don’t like this kind of stress but it’s now upon me so I turn to you as my Strength
I want to de-escalate this situation because I know this man is very stressed and that stress is pouring out from him to me and to everyone in the office right now who is witnessing this scene. Help me to breathe deeply and talk clearly and softly. Help me make it through this situation. I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Prayer for My Anxious Child
O God, I pray you to surround my child with your presence and peace. They’re not really a baby anymore at 20 years old but they are my youngest and I want them to be at peace. Peace with you and at peace with themselves.
They have so much anxiety that pulls them off their best efforts and affects what they choose to do in their life right now. I want for them to experience a more full life, without the tentacles of anxiety clinging to them. Please help them use the tools their therapist has given them. Please help them to see the possibilities and opportunities before them with a “want-to” outlook.
I pray this for my child in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Prayer for My Anxious Spouse
Dear God above, I feel so deeply about my spouse. They are tangled up in anxiety and worrisome thoughts a lot. They tend to feel a sense of responsibility for a lot of things that are out of their control, or in no way are their responsibility. I hate to see them stopped in their life momentum because of anxiety.
I pray that they will see the need to get some help, some professional help. I am their wife/husband and I love them dearly but I know that I cannot do this for them. I can listen and be supportive and pray, but they need to make this decision on their own, or it won’t have any staying power. I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Final Thoughts
Having concerns about concerning situations is not the same as being overwhelmed or held back by worrisome thoughts, anxiety, or too much stress in your life.
When we face circumstances that are too much for us, we need to learn to let go of thinking we can control the outcome, or influence the end result. As cliche as it may be, “Let go and let God be God,” is a true statement to not only say, but live by.
Jesus must have known we’d face such situations when he reminded us:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14.1, NIV).
When we turn things over to Jesus in prayer, we are turning them over to the Creator of the universe. The God who parted seas and raised the dead. Praying to God is an exercise in hope.
May you find the peace of God as you pray these prayers. And may the peace of God bring you calmness the next time you face anxious thoughts or a worrisome event. We invite you to share your concerns and comments in the area below.