One-breath prayers for anxiety
Breathe in slowly while you pray the first line, then breathe out slowly while you pray the second. Stay with one pair until your breathing settles.
| Breathe in | Breathe out |
|---|---|
| Lord Jesus, | I am not alone. |
| You are here; | I can rest. |
| Father, I give You | this worry. |
| Holy Spirit, | calm my heart. |
| What time I am afraid, | I will trust in thee. |
The last pair is Psalm 56:3: “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee” (Psalm 56:3, KJV). The others are short prayers to make your own. If reading is hard when you are anxious, Faithero can read a psalm aloud to you, verse by verse, even with your screen locked.
When I am anxious and afraid
God, I am anxious, and I am tired of being anxious. My mind keeps running ahead to everything that could go wrong. So I am doing what You asked and telling You about it. Here is what I am afraid of. Here is what I need. And here is one thing I am thankful for, even now. I cannot make the fear leave by trying harder. Please guard my heart and mind with Your peace, the kind that does not depend on everything working out. Amen.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
When my thoughts spiral
Jesus, my thoughts are spinning again, one fear feeding the next. I cannot stop them by force, so I am bringing them to You. Here is the thought that keeps coming back. Is it true? Show me what is true. Where my mind is lying to me, help me answer it with what You say. Where there is a real problem, show me one small step I can take today. Gather up my thoughts and make them Yours, one at a time. Amen.
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Prayer for panic attacks
In a panic attack your body sounds every alarm at once, and long prayers are impossible. Pray in fragments. The NHS, the UK's health service, suggests staying where you are if you can, breathing slowly and deeply, and reminding yourself that the attack will pass.
In a panic moment
Jesus, help. My heart is racing and I can't breathe right. You are here. You are holding me. Breathe in. Breathe out. This feeling is loud, but it is not the truth. It will pass. You are bigger than this fear. Catch me the way You caught Peter. Lord, save me. I am safe with You. Amen.
“Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him”
The NHS also says that panic attacks are frightening but not dangerous, and that most last between 5 and 20 minutes. The same symptoms can have other causes, so tell a doctor about them, and get urgent help if you are ever unsure what is happening. Panic can be treated; the NHS lists talking therapies such as CBT among the main treatments.
Prayer for anxiety at night
Anxiety often waits until bedtime. If your thoughts start racing when the lights go out, pray this, and see our evening and bedtime prayers for more.
When worry comes at bedtime
Lord, it is late and my mind is loud. The worries I held off all day are crowding in now. I cannot solve any of them tonight, so I am handing them to You one by one. Take this one. And this one. Comfort me in the middle of all these thoughts. Slow my breathing and loosen my grip. You keep watch all night, so I can stop keeping watch. Let me rest in You, and give me strength to face these things in the morning. Amen.
“In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.”
Prayer for anxiety about the future
For when you keep rehearsing what might happen: the job, the money, the relationship, the news.
When I keep living in tomorrow
Father, I keep living in tomorrow. I rehearse conversations that have not happened and problems that may never come. You hold the future, and You are already there. Bring me back to today. Give me what I need for this day only, and help me trust You with the rest. You feed the birds and clothe the flowers, and You will not forget me. When my mind races ahead, gently call it home. Amen.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Prayer for health anxiety
For waiting on test results, a symptom you cannot stop checking, or fear about your health or the health of someone you love.
While I wait for answers
Lord, I am scared about my health, and my mind keeps jumping to the worst. I keep checking, searching and imagining. Please calm my body and my thoughts. Help me take the wise steps, to see the doctor and follow the advice, and then to stop rehearsing every possibility. My days are in Your hands, not in the hands of my fear. Whatever the results say, You will still be my God, and I will still be Yours. Give me peace while I wait. Amen.
“But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand”
Prayer for a child with anxiety
Two prayers: one to pray over your child, and a short one they can pray themselves. Anxious children need to hear that being scared is not being bad. If anxiety is getting in the way of school, sleep or friendships, talk with your child's doctor.
For my anxious child
Lord, my child is anxious, and it hurts to watch. You know every fear they carry, the ones they tell me and the ones they keep inside. Calm their racing thoughts and their churning stomach. Help them sleep. Give them courage for school, for friends and for new things. Give me patience when the same questions come again and again, and wisdom to know when to get them more help. Let them know deep down that they are Yours, called by name and loved. Amen.
“Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.”
A prayer for a worried kid to pray
Dear God, I feel worried, and my tummy feels funny. Please hold my hand, like You promised. Help me be brave today. Help me remember that You are with me at school, at home and in the dark. When I feel scared, I can talk to You. Thank You for loving me. Amen.
“For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”
Prayer and professional help go together
Prayer is not a substitute for care, and needing care is not a failure of faith. God often helps us through doctors, counselors and, for some people, medication. If anxiety is shaping your days, making it hard to sleep, work, eat or be with people, talk to your doctor or a licensed counselor. Prayer and treatment can work side by side.
If you are in crisis or thinking about ending your life, please reach out now. In the US and Canada, call or text 988. In the UK and Ireland, call Samaritans on 116 123. Anywhere else, find a helpline near you at findahelpline.com. You are not a burden, and you do not have to carry this alone.
For Scripture to hold on to, see these Bible verses about anxiety.
Frequently asked
What is a short prayer for anxiety?
Pray one line as you breathe in and another as you breathe out: “Lord Jesus, I am not alone.” Or pray a verse: “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee” (Psalm 56:3, KJV). Short prayers are easier to reach for when your mind is racing, and God hears them just as well as long ones.
What does the Bible say about anxiety?
It treats anxiety gently and points it toward God: “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7, KJV). Jesus told His followers to live one day at a time (Matthew 6:34), and Paul urged believers to turn every worry into prayer with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6). The Psalms are full of honest, anxious prayers that end in trust.
Is anxiety a sin?
Feeling anxious is not a sin in itself. In Gethsemane Jesus said, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death” (Matthew 26:38, KJV), and Paul admitted to fears (2 Corinthians 7:5). Some Christians draw a line between anxious feelings, which come to everyone, and choosing to dwell in worry instead of bringing it to God. Even then, the Bible's words about worry come as invitations to trust, not as condemnation.
Can prayer help with panic attacks?
Prayer can help you through a panic attack. A short prayer, repeated slowly, steadies your breathing and turns your attention to God. It is not a replacement for medical care, though. If you have panic attacks, see a doctor; the NHS lists talking therapies such as CBT among the main treatments. Keep praying alongside that care.
How do I pray when anxiety keeps me awake at night?
Keep it simple. Name each worry and hand it to God one at a time, then pray a short line on each breath. Psalm 4:8 is a good verse to end on: “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8, KJV). If anxiety keeps you awake night after night, talk to a doctor too.
Should Christians take medication for anxiety?
That is a decision to make with your doctor, and there is no shame in it. The Bible speaks well of doctors and remedies: Luke is called “the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14, KJV), and Paul told Timothy to take something for his frequent stomach trouble (1 Timothy 5:23). Taking medicine is not a lack of trust in God. Talk it over with your doctor, and with a pastor you trust if that helps.
Prayer for anxiety and fear
For the everyday kind of anxiety: the low hum of worry that follows you through the day, and the spiral of thoughts that feeds it.